Daily Meditations

Psalm 147:13 He strengthens the bars of your gates There are often times when we feel insecure and worry for our safety or the safety of our family and loved ones. Unlike the psalmist, this fear is not caused by military forces but simply by circumstances or the troubles that life brings. For those who believe in and follow Jesus Christ there is another source of trouble of course. Our enemy is not human or necessarily visible, but his campaign of hatred and persecution against the people of God is unrelenting. The Jews in Jerusalem felt the oppression of surrounding enemies constantly. They understood what it meant to live through times of great national fear and trepidation. In fact, little has changed over the centuries. For the followers of Christ, the battle is spiritual and our “Zions” are constantly under threat. The devil looks for entrances into our fortresses, gates that are unguarded where he may slyly enter or launch an attack. Most of us should have more than a fair idea w...

Psalm 147:12 Extol the Lord! This verse may read like a statement of fact or a righteous request, surely of all places in the world, Jerusalem or Zion is where the Lord’s name is extolled? “Extol” means to praise, exalt, worship or celebrate and, in truth, this has not happened very often from Jerusalem, in fact for over 1900 years until recently, it did not happen at all. Zion is a mountain of Jerusalem, but it is used as a poetic synonym for the entire city and for restored Israel as a whole. It also describes the Kingdom of Heaven. So, Zion was originally just a geographical location, but it came to symbolise the presence of God and the spiritual heart of Israel. In the Book of Hebrews, it is referred to as  “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem ,” it is the home of thousands of angels and the church of the firstborn.  Hebrews 12:22-24.  The verse that we are studying therefore becomes a command to Israel on earth, but it is also a spiritual order to...

Psalm 147:11 God's love never fails What are we afraid of? Who are we afraid of? We do not live in an age when a strapping great Suffolk Punch or a thoroughbred Arab racehorse fills us with awe and wonder, nor are we particularly impressed by the muscular appearance of the finest fighters or athletes. It’s usually wealth that impresses in this day and age, wealth or fame or achievements. The verse before us implores us not to have our heads turned by any worldly or natural phenomena, but by the Lord. We could worship and applaud Him for His creative powers, or His mathematical genius, or His scientific prowess or His omnipotence and awesome intellectual abilities but these are not the first things that come into the mind of the psalmist. No! He wants us to be overwhelmed and deeply impressed by one aspect of this utterly amazing God for He has one attribute that far surpasses all other gods, it is His unfailing love. Love that embraces all people, all creatures and all living thing...

Psalm 147:10 Horses and legs! We have a propensity, as human beings, to set great store by the greatest, the biggest, the strongest, the richest etc. In other words, if any of God’s creatures excel themselves and surpass their contemporaries, we respect them and honour them. That’s why sport is so compelling for many and why so much money is spent gambling on horses. Rich people claim superiority, as do extremely clever people and so it goes on, we live in a world where any kind of superiority earns accolades. God does not think this way, we cannot impress Him, buy or earn His respect just by being greater than others. Thus, a really strong horse might impress people in biblical times, especially if its owner was a soldier or a farmer, however, God is not impressed by the animal or by the girth of a warrior’s legs, or the muscular ripples of his biceps! All of this is simply man’s way of gaining attention and of course, lesser mortals or creatures are looked down upon and will never wi...

Psalm 147:9 All about ravens! This is a curious statement isn’t it? We can imagine that in a country that depends on livestock and arable crops, the provision of suitable weather for agriculture is paramount for farmers. Of course they need grass for their cattle, who doesn’t! But, it’s a bit of a surprise to find young ravens included in the equation. Ravens are predators and they are also prohibited within Biblical dietary rules (Leviticus 11:15 and Deuteronomy 14:14.) In Scripture they are regarded as detestable, like eagles, vultures, buzzards etc. All these birds are meat-eaters, dining primarily on carrion and therefore not “kosher.” That is another reason to be surprised at the mention of young ravens in this verse, although it was ravens that brought food to Elijah in a time of famine. It was a raven that Noah released firstly from the ark, after the flood, in a bid to find out if dry land had yet appeared. (the raven never returned!) One key to understanding this reference to ...

Psalm 147:8 The creator and controller of weather The Psalmist has moved away from the mystery of the stars and focussed his gaze on a few natural phenomena a bit closer to home. He lives in a hot country where rainfall during the summer (May to September) is unheard of, so He is probably thinking of the autumn rains as he writes this verse. Israel generally experiences mild, rainy winters (October to April) although the highlands around Jerusalem may experience snowfall and of course, the southern lands around Eilat and the Dead Sea are arid desert. The Mount Hermon range of mountains in the north are always snowclad in winter, so much so that, in modern Israel they house ski resorts! Sometimes those of us who live in variable climates forget how marvellous it is in other parts of the world when the clouds cover the sky and rain falls. The landscape changes immediately for those desolate hills start to flourish as the grass grows and the greenery reappears.  We must never forget t...