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A REFLECTION ON PSALM 47

By: Sarah Bishop

Posted: August 18, 2022

Category: Daily Devotional

Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with loud songs of joy. For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome, a great king over all the earth. He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet. He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm. God is king over the nations; God sits on his holy throne. The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted.

Has there ever been a moment, an experience, a place where you’ve had to just stop and exclaim ‘wow God’? For me, its that twilight on a beach vacation, where I can just sit and watch the sunset. See the colors on the expansive sky slowly marble and transition from the bright blue and greens and whites of the day to orange, yellow and red sunset and the rise of night. Sometimes, when I am lucky, I can truly watch the setting of the sun and the appearance of the moon on the opposite horizon. This reminder of God’s creative beauty and majesty, all around is awe inspiring. Sometimes, the need to clap and shout ‘well done’ in praise like Psalm 47 begins.

Maybe it is for you being in God’s house on Sunday mornings? Maybe it’s the light rays just right through the stain glass? Or the resounding chords of the organ as the prelude soars? Or the Word of God proclaimed as the ancient word lives? What words or songs of praise can’t be stopped from crossing your lips? Join in praise with the Psalmist and sing!

Prayer

We give you thanks, O Lord, and join in praise in the beauty of this day, the love within our lives and the songs of thankfulness for the work of salvation. May we continue to stop, recognize your majesty and glory. In our prayers we say thanks and wow, God! Amen.