SEVEN REASONS TO EXTOL THE LORD

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Extol the Lord, Jerusalem; praise your God, Zion.

He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you.

He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat.

He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly.

He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes. He hurls down His hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast? He sends His word and melts them; He stirs up His breezes, and the waters flow.

He has revealed His word to Jacob, His laws and decrees to Israel. He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws.

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 147:12-20

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In the closing verses of the 147th Psalm, we read the psalmist exhorting Jerusalem to “Extol the Lord.”

Extol is a word we don’t often see used in every-day language. A look at the dictionary reveals the following meaning for the word:

To praise highly, to glorify.

We are to revere and worship the Lord fully, bringing Him all our honor and admiration and lifting Him up in full praise and thanksgiving. And as we turn back to the psalm, we find six reasons why we do so:

1. He strengthens.

“He strengthens the bars of your gates”

Although the psalmist is speaking to Jerusalem, the concept applies to all of us. For if we live life enough, we discover quickly that we can’t possibly deal with things by our own strength and hopefully, like Paul, we learn that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).

What an assurance and confidence we gain when we understand that we have the Lord’s strength ever available to empower us in times of need!

2. He blesses.

He blesses your people within you.

Again, the psalmist is referring to Jerusalem and the people residing in the city but we are also reminded to take account of how blessed we are as our Father above sends us every good and perfect gift from above (James 1:17). When we do, we will find ourselves giving glory, honor, and praise to the One most deserving of it.

3. He grants peace.

He grants peace to your borders.

We so often take peace for granted. We expect that it will always be there but the reality of life is that our peace is so often disrupted by life’s events. It’s during those times that we turn to the Prince of peace and the peace He provides, a peace that Paul tells us is beyond understanding (Philippians 4:6-7) mostly because no one in this world can give us the peace that the Lord can give.

We need to give Him thanks for that.

4. He satisfies.

He satisfies you with the finest of wheat.

God is always right on time when it comes to providing what we need. The psalmist reminds the people of Jerusalem that God gave them the finest of wheat for their sustenance and this hopefully spurred them on to remember all God had provided for them. Remember, they were so very blessed.

We too need to take account of all God has given us. Just as we take peace for granted, so too do we take for granted all He has done for us in life to include giving us food and drink to sustain our bodies so we might be able to serve Him and carry out His will.

Today and every day, make time to show the Lord your gratitude for all He has done for you.

5. His authority.

He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly.

Without a leader, people have a tendency to be disorganized and on the road to chaos. It’s important to have someone in charge and not just anyone but someone who will lead people in a right and righteous direction. We have that in the Lord God Almighty, Maker and Ruler of all. The Lord has given us His commandments and expectations in the scriptures and He continues to guide and direct our lives through the Holy Spirit. We need only respond in absolute obedience, knowing any command from the Lord is given to work for our good and to the glory of His kingdom.

We should be grateful to have such a powerful, and yet loving, authority over us.

6. His creative wonders.

He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes. He hurls down His hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast? He sends His word and melts them; He stirs up His breezes, and the waters flow.

We seem to always give attention to the weather don’t we? We need to see the forecast so we can know what to expect, especially if we plan on spending time outdoors. Sometimes we praise the weather. At other times, we curse it. But do we take the time to marvel in it? Do we stand in wonder at the way a rain drop is formed and its effect on God’s creative wonder here on earth? Are we awestruck as we look at a lightning flash or hear a thunder roll? Is a snowflake a miraculous, intricate art form from the hands of a powerful Maker?

God’s creative wonders are all around us but they are definitely revealed in the weather. I give thanks for the words of the psalmist as they remind us to stand in amazement of the wonders the Lord creates.

7. His holy word.

He has revealed His word to Jacob, His laws and decrees to Israel. He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws.

Where would we be without the word of God? Lost and without direction, I’m afraid. Void of a sense of hope and comfort and reassurance, I’m certain.

I read a quote that said a person with a worn out Bible will be a person who isn’t worn out from life. I find this true in my life and pray you will find it true in yours.

For no other book comes to life like the Bible, providing wisdom and guidance on every page. There’s never a time that I open it and study that God doesn’t impart truth to me, like He did today in this psalm.

I pray you’ll join me in extolling the Lord for His word and for His Spirit and for everything else He has given us to help us get through this gift called life. All honor and glory and power to Him forever.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com