1 Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars;
he gives to all of them their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
his understanding is beyond measure.
6 The Lord lifts up the humble;
he casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
make melody to our God on the lyre!
8 He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares rain for the earth;
he makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He gives to the beasts their food,
and to the young ravens that cry.
10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love.
12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
he blesses your children within you.
14 He makes peace in your borders;
he fills you with the finest of the wheat.
15 He sends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool;
he scatters frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;
who can stand before his cold?
18 He sends out his word, and melts them;
he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
19 He declares his word to Jacob,
his statutes and rules to Israel.
20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
they do not know his rules.
Praise the Lord!
One of the things that I’ve noticed is how important worship, songs of praise, and giving unto the Lord is important. This psalm demonstrates the praises to God. The psalmist says that it is good to sing to God. I’m not a singer nor am I very musically talented. I do not understand why singing is so good, but as far as I can tell sometimes singing can be incredibly beneficial to the soul. It’s amazing that certain songs stick to us, how songs can negatively affect us. But the songs to the Lord are ones that are refreshing to the soul.
Verses 2-6 give reason to worship and sing to God. Our God builds the holy city (for Israel it was the earthly Jerusalem the place of God’s presence and where God’s holy people dwell, but for believers there will be a showcasing of the holy city in the future). The Lord is compassionate especially to the outcasts, brokenhearted, and the wounded. To those that are in desperate need, God reveals himself and draws them into his holy presence. The power of God is incredibly described as he is the same God that created the heavens, and so knows all of his creation intimately.
Verse 7 goes back to the music and songs, and this of thanksgiving to the Lord for his goodness. The seasons occur because of the Lord’s provisions on the earth and God provides even for the animals. God’s sovereignty is over all the earth.
Verse 10 is a beautiful psalm: how great is it to pleasured by God, that God desires us. And he desires those who fear him and put their hope in Jesus. And that is the amazing reason that we get to praise God, to worship him, and to exalt him all the days of our lives. Praise the Lord for he is good and we are privileged to worship and sing to him.
