Praise Is Beautiful

He Counts the Stars

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Paul’s letter to the Ephesians begins with a burst of praise. God’s people have always sung songs like that, and one of the most joyful is Psalm 147.

Good to sing. “Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful” (Psalm 147:1). Praising God is not a chore. It is good, it is pleasant, and it is beautiful.

What praise is. To praise God is to tell Him, and to tell others, how great and good He is. You can sing it, say it, pray it or even write it down.

Praise on hard days. God’s people praised Him on happy days and on sad days. Praise does not mean pretending everything is fine. It means remembering that God is still great and good.

Why it is good. Praise fills our minds with what is true about God. When we praise Him, our worries shrink and our trust grows.

Stars by name. “He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name” (147:4). On a clear night you can see thousands of stars, and there are far more than anyone can count. God knows every one by name.

The Maker of the stars. The stars do not control anyone’s life. God made them, and they obey Him. People who trust God never need to be afraid of the sky at night.

Great and mighty. “Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite” (147:5). Infinite means without any end or limit. God never runs out of power or understanding.

He knows you. If God calls every star by name, He knows your name too. Nothing about your life is too big or too small for Him.

Lifts up the humble. “The Lord lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground” (147:6). The humble are people who know they need God. The wicked are those who proudly turn away from Him.

Our need. Every one of us has sinned. Pride thinks it does not need God. Humility knows it needs His forgiveness. God lifts up everyone who comes to Him humbly.

Jesus, lifted up. Jesus humbled Himself and died on the cross for our sins. Then God raised Him from the dead and gave Him the highest place of all.

What this means for you. Trust Jesus, and you can join the song. Tonight, look up at the sky and tell God one thing that makes Him great.

Paul’s opening words to the Ephesians are pure praise. As a Jew, he most likely grew up singing the songs of Israel, and Psalm 147 shows why God’s people sing.

Tehillah (147:1). “Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.” “Praise” here is tehillah (say: teh-hil-LAH), a song or shout that celebrates who God is and what He has done. The Hebrew name for the book of Psalms comes from the same word.

Good, pleasant, beautiful. Praise is good because it is right, pleasant because it brings joy, and beautiful because it fits God’s greatness.

The God of the stars (147:4). “He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name.” In the ancient world many people worshiped the stars. The stars do not rule us; God counts them and names them as their Maker.

Infinite understanding (147:5). “Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.” God’s knowledge has no edge. He is never surprised, confused or overwhelmed.

Greatness and care together. The same God who names the stars cares for the smallest of His people. His greatness is the reason His care can be trusted.

Up and down (147:6). “The Lord lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground.” God turns the world’s ranking upside down. The proud, who will not bow, are brought low. The humble, who look to Him, are raised.

Sin and pride. At the root of sin is pride: the wish to run our own lives without God. No sinner can climb up to God by effort.

The humbled Son. Christ humbled Himself and died on the cross for our sins. God raised Him from the dead on the third day and exalted Him, and He lifts up everyone who trusts in Him.

Praise in every season. The psalms praise God in sorrow as well as in joy. Praise does not deny pain; it brings our pain to a great God who cares.

The Maker, not the stars. Many people in Bible times looked to the stars to guide their lives. Psalm 147 points past the stars to the One who names them.

Worthy of praise. Praise is not flattery. God deserves every word of it because of who He is and what He has done in Christ.

Application. Make a short list of what Psalm 147:1-6 says about God, and use it as a prayer this week. Praise Him before you ask Him for anything.

The Lord Takes Pleasure

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God saved His people “according to the good pleasure of His will” (Ephesians 1:5). Psalm 147 tells us what gives the Lord pleasure.

Sing with thanks. “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; Sing praises on the harp to our God” (Psalm 147:7). Thanksgiving means remembering what God has done and saying thank You.

Clouds and rain. God is the One “Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who prepares rain for the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains” (147:8). Every rain shower and every green hill is a gift from Him.

Food for the animals. “He gives to the beast its food, And to the young ravens that cry” (147:9). Baby ravens cannot find food by themselves, and God feeds them.

He cares for you. If God takes care of little birds, you can trust Him to take care of you.

Even small sounds. A young raven’s cry is a small sound in a big world, yet God hears it. He hears your prayers too, even the quiet ones.

Every day. Every meal, every drink of water and every green field comes from God’s hand. Saying thank You reminds us that we depend on Him.

Not the strongest. “He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man” (147:10). A war horse was the strongest thing an army had. A fast runner was admired by everyone. God is not impressed by strength or speed.

What pleases Him. “The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy” (147:11). To fear God means to honor Him and trust Him as the holy God.

Winning and losing. Does God love you more when you win or when you are the best? No. Psalm 147 shows that God looks for hearts that trust Him.

Hope in His mercy. Mercy is God’s kindness to people who do not deserve it. God is pleased when we stop trusting our own strength and hope in His mercy instead.

Mercy at the cross. We have all sinned, and we could never be strong or good enough to fix it. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again. That is where God’s mercy is shown most clearly.

What this means for you. You do not have to be the fastest, the strongest or the smartest to please God. Trust Jesus, hope in His mercy, and thank Him for every good gift.

God saved His people “according to the good pleasure of His will” (Ephesians 1:5). Psalm 147:7-11 shows the kind of people in whom the Lord takes pleasure.

Thanksgiving (147:7). “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; Sing praises on the harp to our God.” Praise celebrates who God is; thanksgiving remembers what He has done. The two belong together.

The God of the weather (147:8). He is the One “Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who prepares rain for the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.” Rain is not luck. It is God’s steady care for the world He made.

Young ravens (147:9). “He gives to the beast its food, And to the young ravens that cry.” Ravens were unclean birds in Israel’s law, yet God feeds their chicks. His care reaches even creatures people overlook.

Ratsah (147:10-11). “He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.” “Takes pleasure” is ratsah (say: rah-TSAH), to be pleased with or to accept with favor. The same word was used for an offering God accepted.

Strength that does not impress. Horses were the power of an army, and strong legs were the pride of a soldier or a runner. God is not won over by human power.

Those who fear Him (147:11). “The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy.” To fear God is to treat Him as holy, to honor Him and to trust Him. It is not terror but reverent trust.

Daily dependence. Every meal and every rainfall reminds us that we live on God’s gifts. Thanksgiving keeps a heart humble.

Not by might. Kings trusted horses and armies, but Israel was taught to trust the Lord. God’s people still face the same choice between leaning on themselves and trusting Him.

Hope in His mercy. The people God accepts are not those who bring their strength but those who bring their need and hope in His mercy.

Accepted in Christ. Every one of us has sinned. God shows His mercy at the cross, where Christ died for our sins, and He raised Him on the third day. Everyone who trusts Him is accepted.

Application. When you feel you must impress God, remember 147:11. Bring Him your trust instead, and thank Him for one gift of His care this week.

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