Advent Devotion for December 17, 2019 from Apostles By-the-Sea - Episode 17

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

 

Psalm 47

¹ Clap your hands, all you peoples;

   shout to God with loud songs of joy.

² For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome,

   a great king over all the earth.

³ He subdued peoples under us,

   and nations under our feet.

⁴ He chose our heritage for us,

   the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah

⁵ God has gone up with a shout,

   the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

⁶ Sing praises to God, sing praises;

   sing praises to our King, sing praises.

⁷ For God is the king of all the earth;

   sing praises with a psalm.

⁸ God is king over the nations;

   God sits on his holy throne.

⁹ 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.

 

Reflection:

Psalm 47 praises God for his power, his majesty and his wisdom. It also acknowledges both his control of things on earth as well as his concern, love and care for his people. We sometimes sing the first couple of verses of this psalm in worship. It is a song that brings out the joy of the psalmist. And why not? God reigns over all the earth, and gives us everlasting comfort and assurance that he is in full control. We rejoice in what he has done, also what he is yet to do in his Son, Jesus, when he comes again. What a beautiful day that will be when all the nations will “shout to God with loud songs of joy.”