INTRODUCTION
OPENING SLIDE
• Have you ever experienced a moment when life was broken?
• When your heart was heavy, your spirit wounded, and restoration seemed far away?
• Psalm 147 invites us into a powerful reminder: God is a God of mercy who heals the brokenhearted and restores what is lost.
• This Psalm unfolds like a beautiful song of praise, celebrating not just God’s power over the vast universe but also His intimate care for each of us.
• As we journey through this passage together, we will discover how God’s mercy reaches from the broken places within us to the farthest stars above, how He provides faithfully for all creation, and how His Word brings peace and order amid life’s chaos.
• Whether you come to this message with a heavy heart, questions about provision, or a desire for peace, be encouraged.
• God’s mercy is wide, deep, and always present.
• Have you ever tried to put something back together that seemed beyond repair?
• Maybe it was an old photograph torn down the middle, or a relationship that once brought you joy but now feels strained and fragile.
• When something breaks, whether it’s a heart, a home, or a hope, it’s easy to wonder if it can ever be whole again.
• I watched a video of a craftsman who restored a shattered piece of pottery using an old Japanese technique called kintsugi.
• Instead of hiding the cracks, he filled them with gold.
• What had been broken didn’t just get fixed—it became more beautiful because of where it had been broken.
• That’s a picture of God’s mercy.
• He doesn’t throw away what’s cracked or wounded.
• He takes the broken pieces of our lives and fills them with His healing grace until they shine with His glory.
• Psalm 147 was written after Israel had been broken—broken by sin, by exile, by loss.
• Jerusalem’s walls had been torn down.
• The people were scattered.
• The nation felt beyond repair.
• Yet, here is God, offering His mercy to a broken nation.
• This same God will offer mercy into the broken pieces of your life.
• Today, let’s dig into and appreciate the blessing that Psalm 147 offers to us.
Psalm 147:1–6 NET 2nd ed.
1 Praise the LORD, for it is good to sing praises to our God. Yes, praise is pleasant and appropriate.
2 The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem, and gathers the exiles of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.
4 He counts the number of the stars; he names all of them.
5 Our Lord is great and has awesome power; there is no limit to his wisdom.
6 The LORD lifts up the oppressed, but knocks the wicked to the ground.
MAIN POINT 1 SLIDE
SERMON
We can praise God because…
I. God Heals and Restores the Brokenhearted
• As we examine verses 1-6, we need to consider several aspects related to the issues and how they connect with God’s mercy and our praise.
• In verse one we see a call to praise.
• The psalm opens with a call to praise the Lord, emphasizing that praise is both good and fitting.
• This sets the tone for the rest of the passage: God's mercy and healing are not only reasons for gratitude but also for joyful worship.
• This call to praise is built on the fact that God rebuilds what sin and sorrow have torn down.
• Jerusalem lay in ruins after years of rebellion and exile, but God stepped in to rebuild and restore.
• When many folks think of the concept of praise and worship, we tend to focus on the emotional aspect of worship and praise.
• We gravitate toward how worship makes me feel.
• True praise and worship is not just an emotional response but a spiritual discipline that aligns us with God's character and work.
• Before I lift my hands up to the Lord in praise, I need to ensure that I am lifting up my life and heart to Him!
• In verse 3, we see God’s focus on the brokenhearted.
• Verse 3 reveals God's tender heart for those who are emotionally and spiritually crushed.
• The Hebrew word for 'brokenhearted' implies deep inner pain, while 'binds up their wounds' suggests a careful, intentional healing process.
• The Hebrew word for 'bandages’ is a term used for wrapping or bandaging wounds, often in a medical or compassionate context.
• It suggests not just a distant act of healing but a close, hands-on, nurturing involvement.
• This is the image of a physician gently tending to an injured person, carefully cleaning and wrapping their wounds to promote healing.
• This tells us something profound about God's character.
• He is not a detached healer who merely speaks a word from afar.
• God doesn't ignore pain; He enters into it and brings restoration.
• He draws near to the broken, touches their wounds, and applies His healing presence like a balm.
• This is deeply personal.
• God does not rush the process.
• Just as physical wounds take time to heal, emotional and spiritual wounds require patience, presence, and tenderness.
• God offers all of these.
• God gathers the outcasts, heals the brokenhearted, and binds wounds; this is tender mercy.
• God cares for you; He loves you!
• We see a shift from God’s mercy to God’s power in verses 3-4.
• These verses shift to God's cosmic power.
• He determines the number of the stars and calls them by name.
• This contrast is powerful: the same God who governs galaxies is intimately involved in healing broken hearts.
• God's greatness doesn't distance Him from us; it actually magnifies His mercy.
• Verse 6 closes with an awesome thought.
• God lifts up the humble and casts down the wicked.
• This shows that His mercy is also tied to His justice.
• The brokenhearted are not forgotten or overlooked; they are lifted up.
• This can be a word of encouragement to those who feel powerless or overlooked.
• These verses provide a beautiful portrait of God's character: powerful, wise, just, and merciful.
• God's healing work is not a one-time event but part of His ongoing nature.
• He is a healer by identity, not just by action.
• Just as God draws near to the brokenhearted, we are called to do the same.
• The church should be a place of restoration, not judgment.
• The church should serve as a hospital for those who are hurting, not as a museum for the perfect.
• If your heart feels scattered today, remember, God rebuilds lives one stone at a time.
• The same mercy that rebuilt Jerusalem can also rebuild your life.
• Let’s move to verses 7-11.
Psalm 147:7–11 NET 2nd ed.
7 Offer to the LORD a song of thanks. Sing praises to our God to the accompaniment of a harp.
8 He covers the sky with clouds, provides the earth with rain, and causes grass to grow on the hillsides.
9 He gives food to the animals, and to the young ravens when they chirp.
10 He is not enamored with the strength of a horse, nor is he impressed by the warrior’s strong legs.
11 The LORD takes delight in his faithful followers, and in those who wait for his loyal love.
MAIN POINT 2 SLIDE
We can praise God because…
II. God Provides for His Creation
• The Psalm shifts from Jerusalem’s rebuilding to creation’s rhythm.
• God’s mercy is not just personal; it’s provisional.
• From what we see in the Psalm, God’s provision is both physical and personal!
• Verses 8-9 speak of God covering the heavens with clouds, providing rain for the earth, and making grass grow on the hills.
• He gives food to the animals, even to the young ravens when they cry.
• This shows that God’s provision is not abstract or generic; it’s detailed, intentional, and responsive.
• He sees the needs of even the smallest creatures and responds with care.
• This reflects God's attentive nature.
• If He cares for the birds and beasts, how much more does He care for us?
Matthew 6:26 NET 2nd ed.
26 Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you more valuable than they are?
• We also see that God’s provision reflects His sovereignty!
• These verses show that God is in control of the natural order.
• He sends rain, makes grass grow, and feeds the animals.
• This is a reminder that the cycles of nature are not random but under the sovereign hand of a merciful Creator.
• In a world where people often fear scarcity or depend solely on human systems, this passage invites us to trust in God's ultimate governance over all creation.
• This brings us to the thought that God’s provision is not based on our strength.
• Look at verse 10 again.
Psalm 147:10 NET 2nd ed.
10 He is not enamored with the strength of a horse, nor is he impressed by the warrior’s strong legs.
• This is a strong contrast to human thinking.
• We often value power, speed, and self-sufficiency.
• But God values dependence on Him.
• His provision flows not to those who rely on their own strength, but to those who fear Him and hope in His steadfast love (verse 11).
• This is a powerful reminder that God’s economy is different from the world’s.
• He delights in humble trust, not human performance.
• We can draw encouragement for our everyday lives from these thoughts.
• Many people worry about their needs—financial, physical, and emotional.
• God is not only aware of their needs, but He is also committed to meeting them.
• Bring your worries to Him, knowing that the God who feeds the ravens and clothes the grass is the same God who cares for you.
• Back to verse 7.
Psalm 147:7 NET 2nd ed.
7 Offer to the LORD a song of thanks. Sing praises to our God to the accompaniment of a harp.
• We all need to cultivate a heart of thankfulness, not just for the big things, but for the daily mercies that we often overlook: food, shelter, relationships, and breath in our lungs.
• Gratitude shifts our focus from what we lack to the abundance of what God has given.
• We spend far too much time lamenting the things we think we are lacking instead of praising God for what we have.
• God not only heals the brokenhearted, but He also sustains them day by day.
• His mercy is not just emotional; it is practical, daily, and sustaining.
Psalm 147:12–20 NET 2nd ed.
12 Extol the LORD, O Jerusalem. Praise your God, O Zion.
13 For he makes the bars of your gates strong. He blesses your children within you.
14 He brings peace to your territory. He abundantly provides for you the best grain.
15 He sends his command through the earth; swiftly his order reaches its destination.
16 He sends the snow that is white like wool; he spreads the frost that is white like ashes.
17 He throws his hailstones like crumbs. Who can withstand the cold wind he sends?
18 He then orders it all to melt; he breathes on it, and the water flows.
19 He proclaims his word to Jacob, his statutes and regulations to Israel.
20 He has not done so with any other nation; they are not aware of his regulations. Praise the LORD!
We can praise God because…
III. God’s Word Brings Peace and Order
• The end of Psalm 147 is powerful!
• God’s word is the instrument of His power!
• In verse 15, we see: He sends his command through the earth; swiftly, his order reaches its destination.
• In verse 16 we read, "He sends the snow that is white like wool; he spreads the frost that is white like ashes.
• Then verse 18 concludes, He then orders it all to melt; he breathes on it, and the water flows.
• This shows us that God governs the natural world by His Word.
• He speaks, and creation responds.
• His Word is not passive; it is active, powerful, and effective.
• This echoes the creation account in Genesis 1: God spoke, and it was.
• When God speaks, things happen.
• His Word brings order to chaos, warmth to coldness, and life where there was none.
• We also see His word brings peace!
• Verse 14 reminds us, He brings peace to your territory. He abundantly provides for you the best grain.
• This is not just a political peace, but a holistic peace, shalom, which includes well-being, provision, order, and security.
• And how does He bring this peace?
• Through His Word.
• When God's Word is honored and obeyed, peace follows.
• This is a powerful reminder that true peace, in our hearts, homes, churches, and communities, comes from submitting to the authority of God's Word.
• We also see that God’s Word is a privilege, not a guarantee!
Psalm 147:19–20 NET 2nd ed.
19 He proclaims his word to Jacob, his statutes and regulations to Israel.
20 He has not done so with any other nation; they are not aware of his regulations. Praise the LORD!
• This fact highlights the uniqueness of God's relationship with His people.
• Israel was privileged to receive God's Word, His revelation, His laws, and His promises.
• This wasn’t because they earned it, but because of His mercy.
• Think about the privilege you have in possessing God’s Word.
• Many people in the world still do not have access to God's Word.
• We should not take it for granted.
• With great privilege comes great responsibility: to hear, obey, and live by the Word.
• God’s word melts that which is frozen!
Psalm 147:18 NET 2nd ed.
18 He then orders it all to melt; he breathes on it, and the water flows.
• This is a poetic image but also deeply spiritual.
• God's Word has the power to melt what is frozen: hardened hearts, cold relationships, and spiritual apathy.
• Whatever is frozen or stuck in your life, God's Word can bring warmth, movement, and renewal.
• His Word is like spring after a long winter.
• We also see that God’s word is swift and sure!
Psalm 147:15 NET 2nd ed.
15 He sends his command through the earth; swiftly his order reaches its destination.
• This is a beautiful reminder that God's Word is not delayed or sluggish.
• It moves with purpose and precision.
• When God speaks, His Word accomplishes what He intends (see Isaiah 55:10-11).
• This should build confidence in your heart.
• God's promises will not fail.
• His Word will reach you right where you are, right when you need it.
• I would encourage you to build your life on the unshakable foundation of God's Word.
• In a world of chaos, confusion, and moral drift, the Word of God brings clarity, order, and peace.
• Read it, meditate on it, obey it, and trust it.
• God's Word is not just for information; it's for transformation.
CONCLUSION
• As we’ve seen in Psalm 147, the mercy of God is not a distant idea; it is a present reality.
• He heals the brokenhearted with gentle hands, binding up wounds that no one else can see.
• He provides for all creation, from the grass on the hills to the cry of the raven, reminding us that we are never outside of His care.
• And through His powerful Word, He brings peace, order, and renewal, melting what is frozen, restoring what is lost.
• This is the God we serve: merciful, mighty, and near.
• So no matter where you are today, whether you are hurting, in need, or seeking direction, remember that God’s mercy meets you there.
• Trust Him. Rest in His care.
• Build your life on His Word.
• Because when God speaks, hearts are healed, needs are met, and peace is restored.
• Let us praise the Lord, for His mercy truly endures forever.
