Psalm 98

“Sing a new song to the Lord,

    for he has done wonderful deeds.”

Psalm 98:1a

A youth group was visiting the adult/dementia day care at our church. One of the young girls began singing a solo and a woman who had appeared almost comatose, raised her head and began singing along. As soon as the song ended the woman dropped her head and resumed her previous state. Such is the power of music in the human soul. The Book of Psalms appreciates this part of human nature, as the subject of singing appears at least eight-six times – ten times in the psalms we’ve read in the last week.

Not only are we inspired by music, the scriptures show us that God is inspired by our praise. When a vast army came against Israel, King Jehoshaphat went to the Lord in prayer. God’s answered his prayer saying, “Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” In response “the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: “Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!” At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the enemy armies to start fighting among themselves. Not a single one of the enemy escaped (2 Chronicles 20).

Often the psalmist calls us to “Sing a new song to the LORD!” Every great Christian movement has birthed new songs. From the reformation movement of Martin Luther, to the Methodist movement of John and Charles Wesley, to the charismatic movement, men and women have been inspired to create new songs for praise and worship of God.

Sometimes the song we sing isn’t new, as in brand new; it is new to the particular circumstances of our new day. Thus, we sing a new song to the Lord as we choose to praise God in the midst of uncertainty. Perhaps today is a good time for you to sing anew,

“Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!”

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

What word or phrase in today’s reading of the Psalms

 attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are available by email. Contact me at Amkrom812@gmail.com to be added to the email list.

This BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription

Reading for August 8, 2012       Psalm 99

Psalm 96

When preparing sermons, preachers are taught to answer two basic questions: What? and So what? First, what does the text say? Next, what does the text mean to me? How does it apply to my life today? The psalmist in Psalm 97 followed this pattern. He answered the first question using a confession of faith: “The Lord is King!” (v.1a) The psalmist continues confessing God’s nature for six verses and then answers the second question by stating several implications of God’s reign and concluding with: “May all who are godly rejoice in the Lord and praise his holy name!” (v.12)

Psalm 97 is an invitation to the followers of Jesus to respond to the confession: “The Lord is King!” Our response is difficult to formulate because we have been conditioned to think in terms of, “God is my co-pilot,” rather than “The Lord is King!” We talk about entering into a relationship with God as though God is our co-equal, but the text says, “The Lord is King!”

In responding to this psalm, I remember the New Testament affirms that Jesus came to establish the Kingdom of God, as the angel Gabriel announced to Mary: “And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end’” (Luke 1:31-33 NRSV).

When Jesus began His ministry, he affirmed his mission was about the Kingdom of God by bracketing the Beatitudes with promises of His Kingdom:

“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,

    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,

    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”

(Matthew 5: 3, 10)

We are conditioned by our culture to think in terms of the decisions and choices we get to make. However, if I am tempted to think that I made a decision to be a part of Jesus’ Kingdom, Jesus reminds me, “You didn’t choose me. I chose you” (John 16a).

“The Lord is King!”

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

What word or phrase in today’s reading of the Psalms

 attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are available by email. Contact me at Amkrom812@gmail.com to be added to the email list.

This BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription

Reading for August 7, 2012       Psalm 98

Psalm 96

Psalm 96 is lifted out of King David’s great song of praise when he brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. (See 1 Chronicles 16: 23-33) This portion of David’s song has a great missionary zeal, as David addresses the ‘nations’ of the world five times. Three interlaced themes have captured my attention in this psalm.

First, there is a clarion call to be an evangel. This word of Greek and Latin origin simply means ‘bring the good news.’ Psalm 96 urges us to: “Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does” (v. 2a-3). We are invited to join all of creation is praising the splendor and majesty of God.

Next, as we would expect from King David, Psalm 96 exudes unrestrained joy in the worship of God. The worship is inviting and inclusive of all people. From the perspective of this psalm, the praises of God in our worship services create an inviting environment for people to come to faith in God. I would love to be in a worship service where an invitation to receive Christ as Savior was given immediately following the opening prayers, praises and hymns.   

Finally, the basis of that invitation is the church singing a new song. David’s new song proclaimed that God reigned as the Creator of heaven and earth. As followers of Jesus, the New Testament gives us two beautiful new songs to sing to the nations. Philippians 2:5-11 proclaims the humility of Christ and concludes with the affirmation:

“that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

    to the glory of God the Father.”

Philippians 2:10-11

Colossians 1:15-20 proclaims the supremacy of Christ, concluding with these most beautiful words:

“For God in all his fullness

    was pleased to live in Christ,

and through him God reconciled

    everything to himself.

He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth

    by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.”

Colossians 1:19-20

Hallelujah!

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

What word or phrase in today’s reading of the Psalms

 attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are available by email. Contact me at Amkrom812@gmail.com to be added to the email list.

This BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription

Reading for August 6, 2012       Psalm 97

Psalm 95

Psalm 95 is a beautiful Call to Worship: “Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation” (v.1).

This psalm is also a warning, as the psalmist remembers the failures of Israel to trust and obey God during their journey through the wilderness: “Don’t harden your hearts as Israel did . . . ‘They will never enter my place of rest’” (v.8, 11b). This remembrance of Israel’s wandering in the desert for forty years is brought forward to the New Testament church in the book of Hebrews. The writer of the epistle quotes Psalm 95 five times in chapters 3 and 4 in making strong the admonition of the psalmist in verse is 7b: “If only you would listen to his voice today!”

For me, one of the most beautiful affirmations of God’s grace is,

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,

   his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

   great is your faithfulness.”

(Lamentations 3:22-23 NRSV)

God extends His grace to us each day; but God’s grace today, is for today. In the vernacular of our times: “Use it or lose it.” How we worship God is a good litmus test of whether we are listening for God’s voice, each day.

The Old Covenant and the New Covenant people of God are long suffering. Sometimes our suffering comes through persecution for being the people of God. Sometimes our suffering comes as a result of our own willful disobedience to the commands of God. Sometimes our suffering comes as the consequences of mistakes or misjudgments we have made. No matter our circumstances, Psalm 95 serves as a reminder to:

“O come, let us worship and bow down,

   let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!

 For he is our God,

   and we are the people of his pasture,

   and the sheep of his hand.” (V.6-7 NRSV)

As you enter the sanctuary for your worship service, are you coming to sing to the Lord? Are you seeking an opportunity to shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation?

“If only you would listen to his voice today!”

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

What word or phrase in today’s reading of the Psalms

 attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are available by email. Contact me at Amkrom812@gmail.com to be added to the email list.

This BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription

Reading for August 5, 2012       Psalm 96

Psalm 94

“O Lord, the God of vengeance,

    O God of vengeance, let your glorious justice shine forth!

 Arise, O judge of the earth.

    Give the proud what they deserve.”

How you respond to these opening lines of Psalm 94 depends on your own personal history, as well as your sense of connectedness to all humanity. I believe John Donne said it best when he wrote No Man Is An Island, which includes the lines, 

“No man is an island,

Entire of itself.

Each man's death diminishes me,

For I am involved in mankind.

Therefore, send not to know for whom the bell tolls,

 It tolls for thee.”

For those who have personally experienced oppression, discrimination or persecution, and for those who hurt for the sins against humanity, the psalmist brings good news. God knows, and in God’s time, justice will prevail.

This is not just an Old Testament theme. In Luke 18:7-8, Jesus affirmed the day of God’s justice is coming, “So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

This theme has also been carried forward for all Christians to affirm in the Nicene Creed: “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.”

Even so, this psalm presents us with a dilemma. If we believe in the coming of God’s justice, what do we do now? Should we be passive and wait, perhaps not so patiently, for the Lord? Should we be seeking to impose justice and vengeance now? No!

As followers of Christ we are called to be co-laborers with Christ, building today for His coming Kingdom. (1 Corinthians 3:9) However, we need always to be sure we are focusing much more attention on our own sins than we are on the sins of others. The more we seek to make the life in Christ our way of life, the more fruit we will produce for our communities.

In the meantime, always remember:

“But the Lord is my fortress;

    my God is the mighty rock where I hide.”

Psalm 94 22

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

What word or phrase in today’s reading of the Psalms

 attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are available by email. Contact me at Amkrom812@gmail.com to be added to the email list.

This BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription

Reading for August 4, 2012       Psalm 95

Psalm 93

The only thing certain about life is its uncertainty. Things change. Some changes are relatively inconsequential. Other changes may entirely reorder our life. Some of these changes are positive; some are what we perceive as negative, at least initially. Some changes create a sense of adventure; some changes bring fear and anxiety. The psalmist in Psalm 93 seems to be responding to a national crisis. We don’t know the date this psalm was written, or the exact circumstances. We do know the psalmist was in the midst of a crisis of change and he was looking for safety and security. Psalm 93 is the affirmation that Israel’s safety and security is in God the Father Almighty.

The psalmist found safety and security in God’s reign, “Your throne, O Lord, has stood from time immemorial. You yourself are from the everlasting past.” (v. 2)

The psalmist found safety and security, a safe harbor, in the midst of the storms of life, “But mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore— the Lord above is mightier than these!” (v. 4)

The psalmist found safety and security in God’s House and in the Word of God, “Your decrees are very sure; holiness befits your house, O Lord, for evermore.” (v. 5 NRSV)

Through our faith in Jesus, we too can rest safe and secure, in God’s eternal love for us:

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”

(Romans 5:1-2)

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

What word or phrase in today’s reading of the Psalms

 attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are available by email. Contact me at Amkrom812@gmail.com to be added to the email list.

This BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription

Reading for August 3, 2012       Psalm 94

Psalm 92

Psalm 92 is a call to worship God, because God is worthy of our praise and adoration. In verse 5, the psalmist extols the virtues of God’s wisdom and power: “O Lord, what great works you do! And how deep are your thoughts.” As followers of Christ, the Apostle Paul teaches us that these virtues are fulfilled in Christ: “(God) is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.  He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 1:7-8,19-20).

Sometimes we may be tempted to compare our lives with those of the rich and famous, or those who accumulate wealth, while never acknowledging God. Psalm 92 is a reminder to us that our wealth in Christ, made possible by the grace of God, is eternal and can never be diminished or destroyed. Those who seem to be prospering while denying God will be held accountable by God:

“But you, O Lord, will be exalted forever.

 Your enemies, Lord, will surely perish;

    all evildoers will be scattered.”

Psalm 92:8-9

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

What word or phrase in today’s reading of the Psalms

 attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are available by email. Contact me at Amkrom812@gmail.com to be added to the email list.

This BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription

Reading for August 2, 2012       Psalm 93