He Heals the Brokenhearted
You can listen to Psalm 147 below and read the passage in the New International Version here.
“Praise the Lord.
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the exiles of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He determines the number of the stars
and calls them each by name.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
his understanding has no limit.
The Lord sustains the humble
but casts the wicked to the ground.
Sing to the Lord with grateful praise;
make music to our God on the harp.
He covers the sky with clouds;
he supplies the earth with rain
and makes grass grow on the hills.
He provides food for the cattle
and for the young ravens when they call.
His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
the Lord delights in those who fear him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love.”
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We hope these journal starters spark reflection on the Psalms.
If you want to, you can share some of your thoughts in the comments section below. We would love to hear how God is working in your heart.
Journal Starter for Psalm 147
This psalm begins with the psalmist praising God for how good it is to praise Him! Verse 1 says:
Praise the Lord.
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
how pleasant and fitting to praise him!How would you describe what it is like to praise God?
The writer of this psalm praised God not only for His redemption of the Israelites from Babylon, but also the way He healed the brokenhearted and and sustained the humble.
How has God shown His goodness to your community?
How have you seen God sustain the humble or heal the brokenhearted?
Tell God about a time you were brokenhearted or about how your heart is broken right now. There is nothing that is too dark or difficult for Him to hear. Sometimes we don't have the words for our pain and that is okay, too. He knows. The Spirit can intercede with wordless groans on your behalf (Romans 8:26).The revelation of God's care in this psalm is coupled with revelation of His power. The psalmist wrote, "He determines the number of the/ stars/ and calls them each by name" (verse 4) and that God is the One who "supplies the earth with rain/ and makes grass grow on the/ hills/ He provides food for the cattle/ and for the young ravens when/ they call" (verse 8). Later, in verses 15 to 18, we read about the mighty power of His Word:
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.How do you see God's care and love in nature?
Tell about a time you experienced God's beauty through nature.
How have you felt God's power in nature?A person might think that a God so great and powerful would require something impressive or fancy from His worshipers. The psalmist wrote this about the kind of person God delights in (verses 10-11):
His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
the Lord delights in those who fear him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love.What is your first reaction to these verses?
What do these verses show you about what God is like and how He sees you?
Why do you think it be so tempting to think our value is in our strength or abilities?
Do you believe God delights in you? Why do you think He does or does not delight in you?
Imagine a loving dad with his newborn baby. He is so filled with delight and joy in his child as he holds her close to his chest. The child's eyes are filled with awe and wonder as she looks at her daddy's face and as he teaches her about the world. Imagine yourself as the baby and God as the dad. Will you let Him carry you, love you, and delight in you? Will you put your hope in His unfailing love?
