Psalm 147:1-11 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 147:1-11 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.
Devotion
“Living the dream!” I hear this a lot from people in response to the question “How are you?”. In contrast, some people respond by saying “Blessed!”. I will admit that in the past I have at times perceived this to be unrealistic and sort of Pollyannish. However, right now I am not so sure about either response. Whether “Living the dream!” or “Blessed” it seems clear that even when things seem tough, if we start our days looking at the positive by saying, “Praise the Lord!“ along with our psalmist, we will become more likely to look for the positive. And, of course, if we spend our days with a positive attitude, we will be much more likely to have positive results. Yes, if we find ways to become more positive and to praise God, just like the psalmist we will often observe God’s greatness, mercy, and compassion all around us. So then, let us praise the Lord!
Prayer
God of all love, we praise you as the source of mercy and compassion in our world. Help us to be both realistic and positive in our outlook, seeing your presence in the world around us. Amen.