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February 5, 2021

The Call to Pay Attention

Lyn Pace   |   Read Psalm 147:1-11, 20

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Lectionary Week
February 1–7, 2021
Scripture Overview

What is the ultimate source of our strength? All the authors for this week come to the same conclusion: True strength comes from the Lord. Isaiah asks: “Who is like God?” God never grows weary and provides unfailing strength to those who wait for God. The psalmist praises God as the one who lifts up those who are beaten down. It is not those with human strength who are truly mighty but those empowered by God. In First Corinthians, Paul states that he has laid down any form of his own strength so that the gospel may advance. In Mark, Jesus heals many as a demonstration of his power over the physical world. Thus, God’s power is not just a metaphor but a reality.

Questions and Suggestions for Reflection

Read Isaiah 40:21-31. In what ways do you call on God’s unfailing strength? How is that strength sustaining you?
Read Psalm 147:1-11, 20. How do you experience God’s provision in your life? What is your response to God?
Read 1 Corinthians 9:16-23. How are you living out God’s call to you? How has your call evolved over time?
Read Mark 1:29-39. Where is your “deserted place” where you spend time alone with God? What helps you maintain a discipline of spending time alone with God each day?

Respond by posting a prayer .

Psalm 147:1-11, 20

1 Praise the LORD! Because it is good to sing praise to our God! Because it is a pleasure to make beautiful praise! 2 The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem, gathering up Israel’s exiles. 3 God heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. 4 God counts the stars by number, giving each one a name. 5 Our Lord is great and so strong! God’s knowledge can’t be grasped! 6 The LORD helps the poor, but throws the wicked down on the dirt! 7 Sing to the LORD with thanks; sing praises to our God with a lyre! 8 God covers the skies with clouds; God makes rain for the earth; God makes the mountains sprout green grass. 9 God gives food to the animals even to the baby ravens when they cry out. 10 God doesn’t prize the strength of a horse; God doesn’t treasure the legs of a runner. 11 No. The LORD treasures the people who honor him, the people who wait for his faithful love. 20 God hasn’t done that with any other nation; those nations have no knowledge of God’s rules. Praise the LORD!

Unless otherwise indicated, scripture quotations are from the Common English Bible. Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible. Used by permission.

Like others in the last section of the psalter, Psalm 147 is a praise psalm. While it clearly calls us to a posture of praise, it also names a range of emotions.

Every night, my spouse and I climb into our son’s bed for stories and snuggles. After the stories...

Read today’s psalm silently, then aloud. Next, write the psalm in a notebook or journal. What words stand out? Pull those words together in a short phrase, and pray them throughout the day.


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