Who is God to You?

A Reflection on the Psalm for June 2nd, 2019:
The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Psalm 47

R. God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with loud songs of joy. For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome, a great king over all the earth. 

R. God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

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. 

R. God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

For God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with a Psalm. God is king over the nations; God sits on his holy throne. 

R. God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

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The psalms were written to communicate different feelings and thoughts as a reflection of what the author was feeling at the time based on his/her situation. They cover an array of emotions from sorrow, lament, and depression to joy, praise and celebration. They are not meant to simply read, but rather to be prayed.

To me, Psalm 47 is a psalm of praise. On my own, I would not have selected this scripture prayer to reflect my mood today, but God in His wisdom led me here today, at this moment in time and this frame of mind, to ponder these words. It is a reminder of how I can get so caught up in my own struggles and feelings that I can neglect to focus on why God is always worthy of my praise despite what I am going through.

“For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome, a great king over all the earth”. Whomever wrote this psalm wanted to vocalize God’s impact in their life. This is something we all should learn and practice doing. Psalms of praise like this one can be a good way to build up our own vocabulary of praise if we are struggling. “The Lord”, “The Most High”, “awesome”, “a Great King over all the earth”. Who is God to you?

"Psalms of praise like this one can be a good way to build up our own vocabulary of praise if we are struggling."

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Inspired by this psalm, as I reflect on who God is to me and why He deserves my praise, some of the examples that come to mind are: “my Safe Place”, “my Saviour and Redeemer”, “my Creator who formed me with great intentionality”, “the Centre of my Life”, “my Light”, and “my Hope”. It is important that we regularly reflect on who God is to us in order that we can share this with others. As we grow in our praise to God, our love for Him will also grow. 

Heavenly Father, today I choose to praise You despite my broken and selfish ways. We trust in Your greatness and Your plan for each one of us, that regardless of what we are currently going through, You know what is best for us and for that we praise You.

Tammy LeBlanc

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