Heaven's Treasured Attention
Today's Scripture
Psalm 145:1-8
Today's Insights
In Psalm 145, the psalmist David extols the name and character of God, who is "worthy of praise" (Psalm 145:3). He praises His mighty acts, glorious splendor, wonderful and awesome works, great deeds, abundant goodness, and righteousness (Psalm 145:4-7). And in Psalm 145:8, he lists characteristics of God that are repeated throughout the Old Testament: "The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love" (see Exodus 34:6; 2 Chronicles 30:9; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 86:15; 103:8; 111:4; 112:4; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2). David concludes, "I will praise the Lord, and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever" (Psalm 145:21 nlt). One day, "every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them" will join in praise "to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb" (Revelation 5:13). We praise Him today as we anticipate what's to come!
Prophetic Significance
Psalm 145 contains a profound prophetic element that resonates across time. David's proclamation that "One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts" (Psalm 145:4) foretells an unbroken chain of faith testimony extending through generations. This prophecy culminates in the ultimate fulfillment described in Revelation 5:13 where all creation joins in universal worship. In our fragmented, distracted world, this prophecy stands as both promise and challenge—we are part of this prophetic continuum, called to direct our attention toward God and share His mighty works with the next generation. The consistent repetition across Scripture of God's character traits ("gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love") prophetically reveals His unchanging nature, offering stability amid our changing world. This enduring truth gives us confidence that the same God who was faithful in David's time remains worthy of our undivided attention today.
Today's Devotional
The average person checks his or her phone 150 times a day. Let that sink in a minute. Something has our attention, and it may not be for our good. Tristan Harris believes this. He's one of the voices in a film that features some of the top names in technology, people who ushered us into "social media." But instead of praise, their voices are sounding an alarm, calling our reality (and the film) The Social Dilemma. "We're the product. Our attention is the product being sold to advertisers." We give our attention to what we believe is valuable or worthy. And in a very real sense, what we give attention to, we can find ourselves worshiping.
That word dilemma indicates a situation where a choice has to be made. Believe it or not, we face such a dilemma in our spiritual lives, a choice we have to make daily: Who or what will I give my attention to? In other words, Who or what will I worship? The psalmist clearly made his choice: "Every day I will praise you [God] and extol your name for ever and ever" (Psalm 145:2). The verse that follows gives his rationale: "Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom" (Psalm 145:3).
In our hyperconnected age, this ancient psalm speaks with renewed urgency. While technology itself isn't inherently evil, the constant pings, notifications, and scrolling can create a spiritual vacuum where our worship becomes automated and fragmented. Each glance at our devices is a micro-decision about what deserves our attention.
The psalmist offers us a different rhythm—a daily, intentional choice to direct our gaze toward God's greatness. This isn't just about religious duty; it's about recognizing reality. Nothing in our digital feeds—no matter how addictively designed—can match the unfathomable greatness of our Creator.
When we choose to focus on God's character—His compassion, grace, patience, and love—we recalibrate our spiritual compass. We find ourselves naturally extolling what is truly worthy of praise, not just what's designed to capture our attention.
The psalmist believed nothing compares to God's greatness, and so he focused his attention there. God and God alone is worthy of our praise.
Reflect & Pray
In contrast to time for praying or reading Scripture, what vies for your attention?
What changes can you make to keep technology from becoming an idol?
Consider establishing specific times each day to intentionally direct your attention toward praising God's greatness.
Dear God, You alone are worthy of my praise. Nothing compares to You. Help me to recognize and resist the many distractions competing for my attention, and teach me to fix my eyes on Your unfathomable greatness. Amen.