Psalm 147 is another
psalm of praise.
Psalm 147:1
Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.
Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.
If you woke up this
morning wondering why you should praise God, this psalm gives us three reasons.
Psalm 147:2-6
The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. The LORD lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground.
The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. The LORD lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground.
We can praise God
because we know He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. “Not me”,
you proclaim. Yes, He does do this and will heal you as well. The problem does
not lie within His ability. If God numbers and names each star, then He
certainly knows you and your struggle. The problem lies within us. We say we
believe and trust in him and yet, as soon as we face adversity we say God isn’t
there. He is. Read the story of the healing at the pool in John, chapter five.
Jesus simply tells the man, “Pick up your mat and walk.”, and the man does. The
truth is we are not living in obedience to Jesus. We are not walking in faith. The
Lord lifts up the humble.
Psalm 147:7-11
Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre! He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry. His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.
Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre! He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry. His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.
Rather than focusing
on our pain and our difficulties, we should sing to the Lord every day, declaring
to Him our faith and reverence for Him. When we look at the creation, we see
that God provides. He feeds the land with rain and the beasts with food. Yet,
we put our trust in everything but Him. The Lord takes pleasure in those who
fear Him, in those who hope in His steadfast love.
Psalm 147:12-20
Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! For he strengthens the bars of your gates; he blesses your children within you. He makes peace in your borders; he fills you with the finest of the wheat. He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes. He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before his cold? He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow and the waters flow. He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and rules to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his rules. Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! For he strengthens the bars of your gates; he blesses your children within you. He makes peace in your borders; he fills you with the finest of the wheat. He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes. He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before his cold? He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow and the waters flow. He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and rules to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his rules. Praise the LORD!
God sends out His
Word and through His Word, even the weather obeys. This is the reason I try not
to complain about the weather. If we have snow and frost, it is a result of God
commanding it. If we have wind, (my personal least favorite), it is because God
made it blow. If it rains? Yes, it is God’s doing. Who are we to complain? And
just as God’s Word commands the weather, His Word comes to us. Israel was chosen
by God to preserve God’s Word so that we could be saved by it. Yet, the world
does not know His laws and judgments. Do we?
This morning if you
are struggling, the best thing you could do is fall before Almighty God in
humility. Offer up your praise and worship. Yes, you can go to Him in your pain
and pray for healing. But you must open up His Word and read the promises. You
must open up the Word and read the commands. You must believe that when the God
of the universe speaks, it is the truth and you can know that what He says will
be. Do this and you will see the power of God in action. You will know Jesus
has come to heal us. This is faith. Then you can pick up your mat and walk.
This morning start
here: Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant,
and a song of praise is fitting.
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