Psalm 147 (December 18th, 2025)
- Brian Lee
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
Summary
Psalm 147 calls God’s people to praise the LORD not because life is easy, but because God is faithful to rebuild, restore, and sustain His people. The psalm opens with a simple yet profound invitation:
“Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God” (v. 1).
Praise flows from who God is as well as what God does. He gathers the outcasts of Israel and heals the brokenhearted (vv. 2–3). This restoring God is also the Creator who counts the stars and calls them each by name (v. 4). His power is immeasurable, yet His care is intimate.
The psalm moves between cosmic majesty and covenant nearness. God governs creation. God commands snow, frost, and rain (vv. 15–18), and yet He also hears the cry of the young ravens (v. 9). What are we to understand about this God? The Creator does not delight when we insist on our own strength as if we were not created. Self-reliance often masks our arrogance in believing we are the masters of our own universe. God delights in those who revere Him as the Good Creator, and therefore hope in His steadfast love in all circumstances (vv. 10–11).
The psalm ends by reminding Israel of a unique privilege. God has revealed His word, His statutes, and His judgments to them (vv. 19–20). Praise, then, is the fitting response of a people who are known, sustained, and instructed by God.
Who is God
God is the mighty and sovereign Creator. He is also the gentle Restorer. He commands the stars and controls the seasons, yet He stoops to heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds (v.3).
His greatness is beyond measure, but His care is personal. He governs history and nature, and He faithfully gathers His scattered people. God’s power never overwhelms His compassion.
What is our guilt
We are prone to trust visible strength, such as power, skill, financial security, and control, when we should be hoping in the LORD. The psalm exposes our tendency to measure safety by human means. We forget that God “takes no pleasure in the strength of the horse” or in human might (v. 10). Our guilt is not merely fear of uncertainty but misplaced confidence. We easily forget that true life is found in reverent dependence on God’s steadfast love.
How does Grace shine
God is patient and committed to restoring what is broken. He gathers the outcast, heals the wounded, feeds the needy, and sustains creation by His word (vv. 2–3, 15). This grace points forward to Christ. Jesus Christ is the Word through whom all things were made and by whom broken hearts are finally healed. In Him all things consist. And in Him, God’s righteousness and mercy meet fully, securing both our restoration and our hope of eternal life.
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
You are highly exalted and almighty to save. All creation praises You.
You are the healer who heals what is broken in us, even when we cannot name our wounds.
Forgive us for trusting our own strength and for placing confidence in the false gods who cannot save.
Teach us to fear You rightly and to hope in Your steadfast love.
Sustain us by Your word, gather us when we are scattered, and shape our lives into praise.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
