Most of these last few psalms in the book focus on praise and worship. “I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name for ever and ever. Every day I will bless you, and praise your name for ever and ever” (Psalm 145:1-2).

This is a deeply worshipful song of praise, highlighting the universality of God’s benevolence: “The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made” (145:9); “The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down” (145:14); “all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever” (145:21); God’s open hand satisfies “the desire of every living thing” (145:16). This universality goes not only to every creature in every place, but also reaches throughout all time, because “your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations” (145:13), and therefore “one generation shall laud your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts” (145:4).

This universality often makes people nervous. Can it really mean EVERYbody? Surely there will be some who fall outside of God’s love? We should note the important theological difference between ‘universality’ and ‘universalism;’ after having spoken of the universality of God’s love and grace, the psalm does indeed raise its voice with a contrasting verse that argues against universalism’s doctrine that all will be saved: “The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy” (145:20). Yet it seems to me that this verse adds ambiguity rather than clarity – at least, if I’m self-aware enough to be honest about my own soul: if I want to claim I belong in the category of “all who love him,” I’d have to admit to all my own failings as well: the list of “all the wicked” would include me, just like it does for all the othe sinners.

In the end, all I can do is give thanks that it doesn’t depend on me to sort that out. Instead, it depends on the Lord, who “is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds” (145:13).

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I put my trust in you, O Lord, for you are the one who hears the cry of the lost, and saves us; therefore my mouth will always praise you, and – along with all every other creature out there – I will bless your holy name forever and ever.

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