Psalm 96:1-13 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 96:1-13 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Verse 2Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
Verse 3Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.
Verse 4For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods.
Verse 5For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
Verse 6Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
Verse 7Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Verse 8Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts.
Verse 9Worship the Lord in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth.
Verse 10Say among the nations, "The Lord is king! The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity."
Verse 11Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
Verse 12let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
Verse 13before the Lord; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth.
Devotion
In sports, the saying goes, "What have you done lately?" An athlete can have had success in the past, but what counts is this game, this play, this moment when a clutch hit or pass is needed. Yesterday's hero can become today's bum.
So how do you imagine God's saving work in your life? Is the work of God past tense, confined to the pages of the Bible? Does God seem distant or an artifact from the past? Or is God alive and active today?
The Psalmist says, "Sing to the LORD a new song." A new song, because our knowledge of God is not confined to a recitation of past events and statistics. God is a present-tense verb. We experience the new works of God in the fresh word of forgiveness, the daily provision of bread and the surprising ways God gathers the Church.
Life throws a curve ball. God makes the hit. The crowd roars. Christians sing to the Lord a new song.
Prayer
I sing a new song today, to You, my God. Thank you for the fresh work of grace You work today. Amen