A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 47

A Devotional Journey Through the Psalms: Psalm 47
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth. He will subdue the peoples under us, And the nations under our feet. He will choose our inheritance for us, The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah God has gone up with a shout, The Lord with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne. The princes of the people have gathered together, The people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted (Psalm 47:1-9).

Psalm 47 focuses on Israel’s response to all God did for them as a nation and a people—the blessings He gave, the victories He won and the promises He fulfilled.

Who God is and what He will do for His people:
*He is the Lord Most High.
*He is awesome.
*He is a great King over all the earth.
*He will subdue people.
*He will subdue nations.
*He will choose their inheritance.
*He reigns over the nations and all rulers.
*He sits on His holy throne.
*He is greatly exalted.

How God’s people responded to Him:
*Clapped their hands
*Shouted with a voice of triumph 
*Sang praises 
*In other Scriptures we are also told that God’s people responded to Him by bowing down, by kneeling before the Lord, by lifting up their hands, by playing instruments and by blowing horns (David even danced before the Lord).

Perhaps this Psalm inspired Stuart Hamblen to write the following chorus and verse to his hymn It Is No Secret…

IT IS NO SECRET
There is no night for in His light
you’ll never walk alone
Always feel at home
wherever you may roam
There is no power can conquer you
while God is on your side
Just take Him at His promise
Don’t run away and hide
It is no secret what God can do
What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you
With arms wide open, He’ll pardon you
It is no secret what God can do

The greatest thing God did for us was to send His Son to die for us and reconcile us to God. That alone is reason enough for us to clap, sing, shout, kneel, bow down, lift our hands, blow a trumpet, and play an instrument.

Insight: God is not uncomfortable, indifferent, or displeased when His people express their praise to Him with clapping, singing, shouting, or lifting of hands.

Insight: “Nothing teaches us about the preciousness of the Creator as much as when we learn the emptiness of everything else.” -Charles Spurgeon

#psalms #devotional #devotion #roylessin #meetinginthemeadow

©2026 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.
 
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