My Group Devotion, Given in Russia

Psalm 145

Great Is the Lord

A Song of Praise. Of David.

1 I will extol you, my God and King,

and bless your name forever and ever.

2 Every day I will bless you

and praise your name forever and ever.

3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,

and his greatness is unsearchable.

4 One generation shall commend your works to another,

and shall declare your mighty acts.

5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty,

and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.

6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,

and I will declare your greatness.

7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness

and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

9 The Lord is good to all,

and his mercy is over all that he has made.

10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,

and all your saints shall bless you!

11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom

and tell of your power,

12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,

and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

[The Lord is faithful in all his words

and kind in all his works.]

14 The Lord upholds all who are falling

and raises up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look to you,

and you give them their food in due season.

16 You open your hand;

you satisfy the desire of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways

and kind in all his works.

18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,

to all who call on him in truth.

19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;

he also hears their cry and saves them.

20 The Lord preserves all who love him,

but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,

and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

In the Lutheran Study Bible, this chapter is referred to as the "Mission Psalm," and seems to fit our trip, to a T.

David models a perfect mission trip in this Psalm. He begins and ends by praising the Lord, which should really be a daily example for us. David then spends several verses meditating on the works of God, and for Christians, the sacrifice of Christ should be a main poing of concentration as we remember the works of the Lord.

Verses 14-21 remind me of our own message, the purpose of this trip. Although our first and foremost goal should be sharing the love of Christ, these 8 verses express our second purpose: sharing the loving care and mercy of our "Oтец," (Father,) in heaven. And David finishes with the hope that we take with us on all of our missions, both overseas and back in the States:

"Let all flesh bless his holy name,

forever and ever."

Dear Papa God,

Thank you for the opportunity to share your love and the love of Christ through our actions and your Word on this and all future missions we may embark on. Bless our efforts so that we may be joined by even more brothers and sisters in Christ when we join you in heaven.

In your name we pray,
Amen.