Psalm 96:1-3, 10-13 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 96:1-3, 10-13 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 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
The Lord is coming. That's what the psalmist announces. The arrival is so close we can almost taste it. We are invited to sing and rejoice at the universal reign of God. The nations witness it. All of creation—heaven and earth, field and forest, sea and dry land—are called to join in praise of the Lord. This psalm is sometimes linked with God's return in glory to Zion after the exile. It speaks of God coming to judge the world in righteousness and truth. "The Lord is coming." Whether then or now, we wait and watch for signs of God's coming. We yearn for the day when God's kingdom will come in all its fullness and we will see the salvation of our God.
Prayer
God our King, we wait for you in hope. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Amen.