Our next psalm is a festive song, celebrating the forever reign of God. God reigns over all the earth and every nation. He deserves our adoration—even when we don’t feel joyful or festive on any given day. When all of life’s details are going our way, we praise God. When the details of life get bog down or slowed or difficulties over not having the right paperwork or validations, then our praises fade as our flesh grows weak. As believers, even in a weakened state of mind, it then we must shift our focus to the One and Only who is good and the most help to us.  Think first of all that God has done for us in Jesus when life’s tough stuff blocks tries to block our view of Him. When challenging times come, and they will in an imperfect world, we must not let our praises be puny! 

But how do we get back up on our feet?  It is praise that lifts our spirits and gives strength to our flesh!  It is looking up to God with grateful hearts, remembering who God is and what He has done knowing that God has not left our hearts in tough situations.  He actually calls to us and reaches out His hand to lift us up to where He is so we can look at our surroundings from His loving perspective. God is there, even when we don’t feel it or see it. We are not alone.  He’s helped us before and He will do it again.  Over and over, through it all, God is with us.  Knowing and really believing this truth is cause to get up on our feet and praise the Lord!

Psalm 47

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

^1-9 Applause, everyone. Bravo, bravissimo!
    Shout God-songs at the top of your lungs!
God Most High is stunning,
    astride land and ocean.
He crushes hostile people,
    puts nations at our feet.
He set us at the head of the line,
    prize-winning Jacob, his favorite.
Loud cheers as God climbs the mountain,
    a ram’s horn blast at the summit.
Sing songs to God, sing out!
    Sing to our King, sing praise!
He’s Lord over earth,
    so sing your best songs to God.
God is Lord of godless nations—
    sovereign, he’s King of the mountain.
Princes from all over are gathered,
    people of Abraham’s God.
The powers of earth are God’s—
    he soars over all.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We learn that life is not fair, life is tough at times, but God has not left the building of our hearts!  We are never alone to figure out life here in preparation for life in heaven. Believe in the One who gives Life forever! Pause to praise Him for always being with us in all circumstances! 

Just yesterday, we learned in Psalm 46 to “BE STILL”. Now the psalmist is leading the worshippers to shouting, clapping, and the blowing of trumpets to declare the glory of God! Israelite worship was enthusiastic, but they also knew how to be quiet before the Lord and wait upon Him.  It is God who directs His worship, His ministers, and His people. Listen to Him! Listening is the most important piece of our prayers to Him.  We can honestly say all we want to God but do we pause long enough after our amens to hear what God wants?

The theme of this particular psalm is the kingship of the Lord, they worshiped Him the way they welcomed a new king. The psalms are full of prophecy, too as this reminds us of the time Jesus got on a colt that had never been ridden to ride through the gates of Jerusalem as the King that He was!  All the people who heard of Him, believed his teaching, or were healed and set free by Jesus, came to shout His praises as He rode through the city.

We also know that these same people were influenced later by evil that changed men’s hearts to hate Jesus—also foretold by the prophets of God.  Jesus knew; but He still fulfilled all that the prophets had said concerning His entry into the city that would later crucify Him.  This march into the city was marked as the beginning of Holy Week that led Jesus to lay down His own life in payment for our sins. (Matthew 21)

To know God is to know One who is faithfully and forever awesome in all that He is, says, and does.  God delivered His people over and over again.  And guess what, He’ll do it again and again for us!  We don’t deserve, nor can we earn what God can do in and through us for our good and His glory!  No one can boast of how good they are when only God is good.  We pale in comparison.  There is no one like our God!

With the image of Almighty God who sits of His throne in heaven as revealed to John through the Revelation from Jesus on our minds; we praise Him with all that is within us!  For God’s people, every day is a great day to praise, give thanks, and worship the exalted and ascended Lord with nothing held back!  Let everything else fall to the wayside and lift up the Name of the Lord!  Just saying the name Jesus, lovingly out loud, is praise to the One who saved us and set us free!

From our cascading showers of praise of our Lord God come even more cascading showers of blessings from God as we become one with Him!  I’ve seen it with my own eyes!

Lord Jesus,

Thank you for doing it again!  You call; I come.  I call out in your Name, and you are already there waiting. Thank you for cleansing my heart, renewing my mind, refreshing my soul with new mercies, and restoring the joy of your salvation always at work within me. Help me to be more like you in every way.  To you be the glory, great things you have done!

In Jesus Name, Amen