Psalm 98 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 98 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.
Verse 2The Lord has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
Verse 3He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
Verse 4Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
Verse 5Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody.
Verse 6With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.
Verse 7Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it.
Verse 8Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy
Verse 9at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
Devotion
Advent means coming. God is coming to judge the earth, sings the psalmist. But will we survive this? Will we like it? The creation seems to—the floods clap, the sea roars and the hills sing because they know something we might not: that God's judgment is always just, that this Judge is always good. But we humans are not as innocent as the creation. Can we sing as quickly as the creatures? There is evil around us and within us that needs to be cleansed, removed, cut out. God knows this to be true—so do the hills and so do we. But even as we fear God's coming, we look forward to it because it will make us new. Come, God. Come, Lord Jesus. Make all things new—me too.
Prayer
Stir up your power, O Lord, and come. Make your world shine as on the day of creation's dawn. In Jesus' name. Amen.