Psalm 147

¹ Praise the Lord.

How good it is to sing praises to our God,
    how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

² The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
    he gathers the exiles of Israel.
³ He heals the brokenhearted
    and binds up their wounds.
⁴ He determines the number of the stars
    and calls them each by name.
⁵ Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
    his understanding has no limit.
⁶ The Lord sustains the humble
    but casts the wicked to the ground.

⁷ Sing to the Lord with grateful praise;
    make music to our God on the harp.

⁸ He covers the sky with clouds;
    he supplies the earth with rain
    and makes grass grow on the hills.
⁹ He provides food for the cattle
    and for the young ravens when they call.

¹⁰ His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
    nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
¹¹ the Lord delights in those who fear him,
    who put their hope in his unfailing love.

¹² Extol the Lord, Jerusalem;
    praise your God, Zion.

¹³ He strengthens the bars of your gates
    and blesses your people within you.
¹⁴ He grants peace to your borders
    and satisfies you with the finest of wheat.

¹⁵ He sends his command to the earth;
    his word runs swiftly.
¹⁶ He spreads the snow like wool
    and scatters the frost like ashes.
¹⁷ He hurls down his hail like pebbles.
    Who can withstand his icy blast?
¹⁸ He sends his word and melts them;
    he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.

¹⁹ He has revealed his word to Jacob,
    his laws and decrees to Israel.
²⁰ He has done this for no other nation;
    they do not know his laws.

Praise the Lord.

This psalm tells us that the LORD builds, gathers, heals, binds, determines, and calls. He is great and mighty without limits. He sustains, covers, supplies, provides, delights, strengthens, blesses, satisfies, sends, stirs, and, to his people alone, he reveals.

This poetry is full of imagery describing who God is. He does not show himself to just anyone — he reveals his Word to his people — his laws, his decrees, his Son — only to the sheep who hear his voice (John 10:27). It is by his Word that he runs creation, and by his Word that he loves his people.

His delight is in us because we fear him, because we put our hope in his unfailing love (v.11).

This psalm tells us that it is good and fitting to praise the LORD because of all the things he has done for us. All of these action verbs represent life and movement of the Holy Spirit in you. Do you recognize the activity of God in your life? In my small group this week, we discussed seeing God’s movement in our lives. It is a muscle that requires repeated use in order to grow.

Take these verbs one by one and list the way the LORD has accomplished this action in you.

What has he built in your life?

How has he gathered you into a church family?

Describe a time he has healed your broken heart or bound up your wounds.

Do you recognize his sovereign Lordship in determining and calling creation?

How has God provided for and delighted you lately? Has he strengthened you for a specific purpose recently? How is he currently revealing himself to you?