Today I read Psalm 147 for my Quiet Time (personal devotion). I’ve been going through the Psalms using The Message to gain new understanding of the familiar passages. In many of the Psalms recap the great things God has done for David and the other writers of the Psalms. Then those Psalms call for the people to celebrate with thanksgiving and praise. Psalm 147 does that. It talks about rebuilding the wall and protecting His people. This could have been Nee’s prayer:
“Hallelujah!!
It’s a good thing to sing praise to our God;
Praise is beautiful, praise is fitting.
God’s the one who rebuilds Jerusalem,
Who regathers Israel’s scattered exiles.
He heals the heartbroken
And bandages their wounds.
He counts the start
And assigns each a name.
Our Lord is great, with limitless strength;
We’ll never comprehend what he knows and does.
God puts the fallen on their feet again
And pushes the wicked into the ditch.
Sing to God a thanksgiving hymn
Play music on your instruments to God.
Who fills the sky with clouds,
Preparing rain for the earth.
Then turning the mountains green with grass,
Feeding both cattle and crows.
He’s not impressed with horsepower;
The size of our muscles means little to him.
Those who fear God get God’s attention
They can depend on his strength.
Jerusalem, worship God!
Zion, praise your God!
He made your city secure,
He blessed your children among you.
He keeps the peace at your borders,
He puts the best bread on your tables.
He launches his promises earthward –
How swift and sure they come!
He spreads snow like a white fleece,
He scatters frost like ashes,
He broadcasts hail like birdseed –
Who can survive his winter?
Then he gives the command and it all melts;
He breaths on winter – suddenly it’s spring!
He speaks the same way to Jacob,
Speaks words that work to Israel.
He never did this to the other nations,
They never heard such commands.
Hallelujah!”
Today, on Thanksgiving Day (and every day), I join this Psalmist, the other writers of the Psalms, Nee (by the way, Nee is the nickname I gave Nehemiah), and all God’s people in thanking and praising God for the miracles He’s orchestrated in my life. What has He done in your life for which you need to give thanks? Take a few moments to do it today.
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