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One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. (v.4-5)

Push the right buttons, and you’ll see me display my grandfather’s temper.  Put me in a sticky situation, and you’ll see me adeptly “massage the truth” toward a more pleasant outcome, in the style of my dear mother.  Though some family traits are carried in our DNA, others are learned by years of watching habits in practice.

As we consider our mixtape of psalms in our summer series, I wonder how often we consider the soundtrack of our own lives.  what, to keep the metaphor going full blast, do we most often sing about?

In Psalm 145, David offers praise to God, and he seems to know that his praise won’t just extend to those within his earshot.  Indeed, he believes that his acknowledgement of all that God has done will:

make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. (v.12)

Our lives are not lived in isolation, and, therefore, the living we do is out loud.  Our responses to life experiences – the good, the bad, and the ugly – have power to transmit the values that we hold dearly.  Though we’ll never keep perfect pitch on our own, by His grace our lives can be used to point future generations toward truth.

Let us sing along — with David:

My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.(v.21)

Next psalm on the mixtape:  Psalm 56.