Day 910: Psalm 147- The Power Of Praise

​Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
    for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
    he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted
    and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars;
    he gives to all of them their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
    his understanding is beyond measure.

6 The Lord lifts up the humble;
    he casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
    make melody to our God on the lyre!
8 He covers the heavens with clouds;
    he prepares rain for the earth;
    he makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He gives to the beasts their food,
    and to the young ravens that cry.
10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
    nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
    in those who hope in his steadfast love.
12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
    Praise your God, O Zion!

13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
    he blesses your children within you.
14 He makes peace in your borders;
    he fills you with the finest of the wheat.
15 He sends out his command to the earth;
    his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool;
    he scatters frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;
    who can stand before his cold?
18 He sends out his word, and melts them;
    he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
19 He declares his word to Jacob,
    his statutes and rules to Israel.
20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
    they do not know his rules.
Praise the Lord!
 
Meditation
Praising the Lord gives peace, reinforcing God’s promises, provision, and plan. Hallelujah from our hearts fuels hope and healing.
 
The goodness of praise itself is a launching pad for the Psalmist to declare the delight of the Lord’s work. Praise is pleasant, a fitting response to God’s faithfulness (1).
 
Praise is focused on God’s work. The verbs of our reading help to revive hearts. God builds (2), heals (3), determines (4), and lifts up (6). “Great is the Lord and abundant in power!” (5).
 
Thanksgiving flows from the heart when God’s faithfulness is the focus (7). God covers and makes grow (8), He gives (9), delights (10), and takes pleasure in those who fear Him, those who hope in His steadfast love (11). God will provide and praise fuels our peace.
 
The celebration of God’s Divine actions continues. Hallelujahs hold out the faithfulness of the Lord (Hallelujah is the Hebrew word for “Praise the Lord!”). The Lord strengthens (13), makes peace (14), sends out (15), gives (16), and reveals His word (17-19). God controls the world and feeds His people His word. Praise is the proper response!
 
The power of praise reorients our perspective and anchors our trust in the person and promises of God. The word and work of God, celebrated in the verbs of our passage, point to Jesus Christ, the fullness of God’s work, word, and promises. The work and word of God fuels worship, and the power of praise gives peace when we trust in God and His promises.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Do you know the goodness of praising the Lord?
 
-Which verbs in today’s reading stand out to you, highlighting the actions of the Lord in the world? Why?
 
-Take a moment to focus your heart on the word and work of Jesus, propelling praise from your inmost being. Allow praise to pour forth to experience the rich goodness of God and of praise itself.
 
Key Verse
Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.