Psalm 147:1-11, 20c (NRSV)
Read Psalm 147:1-11, 20c on biblegateway.com
Verse 1Praise the Lord! How good it is to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
Verse 2The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
Verse 3He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.
Verse 4He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.
Verse 5Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.
Verse 6The Lord lifts up the downtrodden; he casts the wicked to the ground.
Verse 7Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre.
Verse 8He covers the heavens with clouds, prepares rain for the earth, makes grass grow on the hills.
Verse 9He gives to the animals their food, and to the young ravens when they cry.
Verse 10His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;
Verse 11but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.
Verse 20He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his ordinances. Praise the Lord!
Devotion
People today may speak of Mother Nature or global warming, but the psalmist speaks of God. We hear much about current events or history as if they were humanly determined, but the Bible tells of some key events where God intervened. Did you ever pray for rain or for healing? If so, you are on the same page as the psalmist, not of the weather forecaster or the secular historian.
We too praise God, at least on Sundays, when we sing in church. So we believe and trust that God is involved in the universe, the earth, and in us. How awful if everything were just left to chance.
Prayer
Lord, give me the eyes to see your handiwork and your compassion as the psalmist did. Amen.