Jeff Strite tells the story of a farmer in a country restaurant who bowed his head in prayer before eating his breakfast.
Two young fellas at the next table thought it was odd and quietly made fun of him as he prayed. When the farmer finished his prayer, they chided: “Hey, old man, does everybody out on the farm pray over their meals?”
The man thought about it for a moment, smiled back, and replied, “Well, no. The pigs don’t.”
People who realize they’re created in the image of God ought to be thankful and praise Him. Not only for who He is. But for what He’s done for all of us.
Psalm 147 reflects God’s restoration of Jerusalem and the gathering of His scattered people following Babylonian captivity. After Nehemiah led the people in rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, they gathered to dedicate and celebrate. This Psalm may have been written for that occasion.
As Warren Wiersbe suggests, Psalm 147 is naturally divided into three parts.
#1 Praise to the Lord because the people have been restored (vv. 1–6).
While God punished His people for their sins with captivity, He continued to care for them. Brokenhearted and estranged from their beloved homeland, they needed His healing and restoration. In His goodness, God graciously brought them home.
#2 Singing to the Lord because the land has been refreshed (vv. 7–11).
The exiles left a land the Babylonians had plundered and pillaged. Now the Psalm celebrates God’s continuing care. He sends rain. Makes grass grow. And provides food for the animals.
#3 Extolling the Lord because the Word has been revealed (vv. 12–20).
God’s prophetic Word promised the people’s return. His revealed Law guided their restored life as His people. In Nehemiah 8, Ezra, the priest and scribe, read from the Book of the Law. Those assisting him helped explain it so the people could understand it. The people responded with lifted hands, shouting, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground (Neh. 8:1–8).
Reading this Psalm and reflecting on its message reminds us of why we should praise God.
#1 We praise God for His Power.
Consider this incredible affirmation. “He counts the stars and calls them all by name. How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!” (Psalm 147:4–5 NLT).
Astronomers estimate that our Milky Way galaxy alone contains between 100 and 400 billion stars. And a 2016 study estimated that the observable universe contains about two trillion galaxies.
So, when you stand outside on a clear night and marvel at the awe-inspiring beauty of a starlit sky, praise God for His magnificent majesty and awesome power.
The God who counts the stars also heals the brokenhearted. His power is beyond comprehension. Yet His care is personal.
#2 We praise God for His Provisions.
In an old Dennis the Menace comic strip, Dennis and his friend Joey are leaving Mrs. Wilson’s house with their hands full of cookies.
“I wonder what we did to deserve this?” wondered Joey.
“Look, Joey,” replied Dennis, who wasn’t always very nice to the Wilsons, “Mrs. Wilson gives us cookies not because we’re nice, but because she’s nice.”
Well, we’re not always good. But God is good. All the time.
The hymn “Count Your Many Blessings” reminds us that we’ve been given so much materially, physically, and spiritually that we don’t deserve.
As I look out the window, the sun is beginning to rise over the mountains. I see God’s gorgeous handiwork as I write beside the warm fireplace. There’s food in the cabinets. Clothes in the closets. Social Security deposited money in my bank account today to buy what I need. Gas in a vehicle to take me wherever I want. So many bountiful blessings! More than I can count. Praise God!
#3 We praise God for His Providence.
Like Israel, even when our circumstances seem less than ideal, God is there. Seeing. Hearing. Caring. Providing. Accomplishing His purpose. And working His will.
I may not see or understand it right now. But I believe it’s so. His unseen providence calls for belief in His promises. Trust in Him. And commitment to His eternal plan in Christ Jesus.
If this weren’t enough, I’m humbled beyond belief to realize that God takes pleasure in those who fear Him and hope in His steadfast love. That can include me. And you.
“You were planned for God’s pleasure,” Rick Warren writes. That seems impossible. Inconceivable. Incredible.
Yet the Psalmist affirms it.
“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.”
(Psalm 147:10–11 ESV)
The Almighty God, who created this amazing cosmos, desires a relationship with you and me and takes pleasure in those who trust Him. That’s humbling beyond human comprehension.
This reminds us how great God is. Why we worship Him. Serve Him. And love Him.
Praise God!
–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman
