God Speaks
146 1 Praise the Lord!
Let all that I am praise the Lord.
2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live.
I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath.
3 Don’t put your confidence in powerful people;
there is no help for you there.
4 When they breathe their last, they return to the earth,
and all their plans die with them.
5 But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,
whose hope is in the Lord their God.
6 He made heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them.
He keeps every promise forever.
7 He gives justice to the oppressed
and food to the hungry.
The Lord frees the prisoners.
8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down.
The Lord loves the godly.
9 The Lord protects the foreigners among us.
He cares for the orphans and widows,
but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.
10 The Lord will reign forever.
He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations.
Praise the Lord!
147 1 Praise the Lord!
How good to sing praises to our God!
How delightful and how fitting!
2 The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem
and bringing the exiles back to Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and bandages their wounds.
4 He counts the stars
and calls them all by name.
5 How great is our Lord! His power is absolute!
His understanding is beyond comprehension!
6 The Lord supports the humble,
but he brings the wicked down into the dust.
7 Sing out your thanks to the Lord;
sing praises to our God with a harp.
8 He covers the heavens with clouds,
provides rain for the earth,
and makes the grass grow in mountain pastures.
9 He gives food to the wild animals
and feeds the young ravens when they cry.
10 He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse
or in human might.
11 No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him,
those who put their hope in his unfailing love.
12 Glorify the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates
and blessed your children within your walls.
14 He sends peace across your nation
and satisfies your hunger with the finest wheat.
15 He sends his orders to the world—
how swiftly his word flies!
16 He sends the snow like white wool;
he scatters frost upon the ground like ashes.
17 He hurls the hail like stones.
Who can stand against his freezing cold?
18 Then, at his command, it all melts.
He sends his winds, and the ice thaws.
19 He has revealed his words to Jacob,
his decrees and regulations to Israel.
20 He has not done this for any other nation;
they do not know his regulations.
Praise the Lord!
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding each of Psalms 146 and 147:
1. What does this psalm tell me about God?
2. What does this psalm tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
Psalm 146
1. Verses 6-9 give an overview of all that the LORD God has done, is doing, and will continue to do.
2. The first and last statements in this psalm encourage people to praise the LORD!
Psalm 147
1. Verses 2-6, 8-11, and 13-18 tell why God deserves the praises of His people, the Israelites, and why other peoples don’t do so.
2. The first and last statements in this psalm are like Psalm 146: Praise the LORD! Verses 1, 7, and 12 describe how to do so.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Psalms 146 and 147?
All praise and glory and honor to You, O LORD! I will praise You as long as I live (and then throughout eternity). I’m determined not to put my confidence in people, powerful as they may be. All human beings will eventually die, but You are forever. You made the heavens and the earth and everything in them. You give justice to the oppressed, provide food to the hungry, free prisoners, open the eyes of the blind, lift those who are weighed down, love those who seek to be and do good, protect sojourners, care for orphans and widows, and frustrate the plans of the wicked. Please continue to do so in this day and time. Thank You for rebuilding Jerusalem and bringing the exiles back to Israel. I affirm that You, O LORD, are great. Your power is absolute! Your understanding is beyond human comprehension! Please continue to support the humble and bring the wicked down into the dust. Please maintain Your control over the weather and climate, using it to accomplish Your purposes. May You take delight in those who fear You, those who put their hope in Your unfailing love. Thank You for revealing Your words to fallible human beings like Jacob and his descendants. Please motivate and equip Your servants to take Your words to all the peoples of the world so that they can trust and obey You as well. For Your glory, O LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Psalms 146 and 147?
- I will praise the LORD for what a wonderful and awesome God He is.
- I will thank the LORD daily for all He has done for me personally.
- I will praise and thank the LORD for who He is and what He has done, publicly, among believers.
- I will praise and thank the LORD for who He is and what He has done, publicly, among unbelievers.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.