“Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him” (Psalm 147:1 NIV1984). Psalm 147 tells us why it is pleasant and fitting to praise God. The central theme of the book of Psalms is praise for all God has done.
We should praise God for everything — good or bad. The “bad” can make us stumble. It is difficult because we tend to focus on the negative, which makes us worry and fret, uncertain about how to manage the problem. We soon find out that it is a futile effort on our part. Praise helps us shift our focus away from ourselves and enables us to look to God for help.
It is pleasant and fitting to praise God because He heals the “brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3). Because He numbers the stars and calls them by name (Psalm 147:4), thus assuring us that He knows our names, as well. Jesus said, “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Luke 12:7). God’s understanding of us is without limit (Psalm 147:5).
We should “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; 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” (Psalm 147:7-9). I praise God for beautiful creation. When something good happens to my children and grandchildren, I praise the Lord for His goodness. While it is difficult to watch them go through hardships, I know “that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28).We also know that when we make a request to God and pray with thanksgiving in our hearts, He will give us peace that is beyond understanding (Phil. 4:6-7). How pleasant and fitting it is to praise God!
We have reason to praise because “The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love” (Psalm 145:8). Also, He is “faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made” (Psalm 145:13). And again, because “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (I Peter 5:7). “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). This verse alone should elicit our highest praise for God.
We have God’s protection when we praise Him. “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance” (Psalm 32:7). A notable example is found in II Chronicles 20 when three enemy nations go to war against Israel. Realizing they were powerless against this vast army the Lord told him not to be afraid or discouraged “for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (II Chron. 20:15). The king appointed men to sing and praise the Lord, and as they began to do so, “the Lord set ambushes against the men…who were invading Judah, and they were defeated” (II Chron. 20:22). We can trust God to deliver us when there seems to be no way.
“Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him… For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does” (Psalm 33:1,4).
There is no need for much comment on pleasant and fitting praise. The Bible says it all.
