Danielle Ramsay, Middler MDiv student at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Scripture
Psalm 147:12-20
12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
he blesses your children within you.
14 He grants peace within your borders;
he fills you with the finest of wheat.
15 He sends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool;
he scatters frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down hail like crumbs —
who can stand before his cold?
18 He sends out his word, and melts them;
he makes his wind blow, and the waters flow.
19 He declares his word to Jacob,
his statutes and ordinances to Israel.
20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
they do not know his ordinances.
Praise the Lord!
Devotional
When the psalmist calls Jerusalem to praise the Lord,
we are reminded of the honor we have been given,
the honor of being God’s chosen people.
The season of Advent is one of preparation,
preparation for the great gift our Lord has given us.
We wait, we remember, we remain, we praise.
We who are blessed among humanity to have seen the Lord.
And all of the great things he has done for us:
He fills us with fine wheat, with provision, with food and shelter and family.
He has given us a savior to rescue us, in our weakness.
He has not dealt in this way with any other nation.
We who are blessed among humanity, who have the peace of the Lord in our hearts.
Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
While we wait for his return,
with Zion,
we take up the great and beautiful task of praising our God!
Prayer
Lord, as we linger in this season of anticipation, help us to truly live in remembrance of you, coming together as the One Body to praise your name. Amen