Mixtapes Reading Plan – W3D5
Check out all the previous Mixtapes readings here.
Mixtapes Reading | Week 3 | Day 5
Prayer
As you come to spend time with Jesus, calm your mind and body until you feel fully present. Thank Jesus that he came to save you!
Bible Reading: Psalm 147
Read these verses three times slowly.
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.
Extol the Lord, Jerusalem;
praise your God, Zion.
He strengthens the bars of your gates
and blesses your people within you.
He grants peace to your borders
and satisfies you with the finest of wheat.
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.
He has revealed his word to Jacob,
his laws and decrees to Israel.
He has done this for no other nation;
they do not know his laws.
Praise the Lord.
Reflection & Questions
Psalm 147 brings together so many incredible facets of the greatness and goodness of God. From the incredible vastness of His might in ruling the universe, to His loving attention to the very details of our lives. In one line it says He “determines the number of stars,” and in another, He “sustains the humble.” In another line it says “his understanding has no limit,” and in another, He “heals the brokenhearted.” To combine these lines, talking of the same God boggles the mind. But that is the amazingness of our God.
As we understand these things, it is no wonder that “His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse” or the “legs of the warrior.” In other words, we cannot impress Him with our strength! In fact, there’s one way to delight the Lord: to “fear Him” and “put [our] hope in his unfailing love.” To fear isn’t to be scared – that wouldn’t make sense with putting our hope in Him. What it means is to have the utmost respect and awe for who He is.
As we end this week of readings about God’s greatness, the psalm’s first lines are good to focus on: “How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!” It does our hearts good to praise God, and because we have seen how great and good He is, it is also “fitting.” There’s no one else who deserves our praise!
- What words or phrases stick out to you from this psalm?
- If you are worried or hurting right now, how does this psalm encourage or strengthen you? Talk to God about that.
Prayer
Talk to God in response to the reading today.
Worship Song
You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:
Check out more Bible Reading Plans here.
Questions?
Ed Applegate