The God Of The New

Psalm 96

¹ Sing a new song to the Lord!
Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
² Sing to the Lord; praise his name.
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
³ Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
⁴ Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
He is to be feared above all gods.
⁵ The gods of other nations are mere idols,
but the Lord made the heavens!
⁶ Honor and majesty surround him;
strength and beauty fill his sanctuary.

⁷ O nations of the world, recognize the Lord;
recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.
⁸ Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!
Bring your offering and come into his courts.
⁹ Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.
Let all the earth tremble before him.
¹⁰ Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.
He will judge all peoples fairly.

¹¹ Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!
Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
¹² Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!
Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise
¹³ before the Lord, for he is coming!
He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice,
and the nations with his truth. (Psalm 96, NLT)

When I was a young boy, I memorized the first part of Psalm 96 for a fine arts festival.  It has been special to me ever since.  When it says, “Sing a new song to the Lord!” it is a very special phrase.  The children of Israel would write a new song every time God did something amazing and new.  It makes me wonder about our own feelings about new songs.  Some people like new songs while others do not.  I like hearing and learning new worship songs, but I haven’t always felt that way.  There was a time when I only liked the old hymns of the church.  They felt comfortable and safe.  They reminded me of a time when I was a kid and that felt comfortable and safe.  Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with the old hymns of the church.  But sometimes we need to move out of our comfort zones and dance on the edge of what is wild and untamed.  There are some great new praise and worship songs that come straight out of Scripture.  They may be played on different instruments and might be unfamiliar, but that doesn’t make them bad or wrong.  Maybe some of us do not like new songs because we like the old songs.  Maybe some of us do not like new songs because they are unfamiliar.  Maybe we don’t like the instruments on which they are played (or the volume at which they are played).  Maybe, just maybe, we don’t like new songs because we haven’t recognized anything new or awesome that God has done.  God is in the business of new things.  Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV) says,

“Forget the former things;

    do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!

    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

  I am making a way in the desert

    and streams in the wasteland.”

God does new things.  When He sent His Son, Jesus, God did a new thing.  When God sent the Holy Spirit, He did a new thing.  When God saved you from your sins, you became a new creation!  So what has God done new in your life?  What new thing has He revealed to you?  What new insight has He given you into His Word?  The time has come to sing a new song to the Lord!  Are you ready to sing?

PRAYER: Father in Heaven, thank You for making me new and for doing new things in my life.  Thank You for the ways You have moved in my life and I ask that You would continue to make me new each day.  Amen.

The God Of The New

Psalm 96

¹ Sing a new song to the Lord!
Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
² Sing to the Lord; praise his name.
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
³ Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
⁴ Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
He is to be feared above all gods.
⁵ The gods of other nations are mere idols,
but the Lord made the heavens!
⁶ Honor and majesty surround him;
strength and beauty fill his sanctuary.

⁷ O nations of the world, recognize the Lord;
recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.
⁸ Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!
Bring your offering and come into his courts.
⁹ Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.
Let all the earth tremble before him.
¹⁰ Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.
He will judge all peoples fairly.

¹¹ Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!
Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
¹² Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!
Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise
¹³ before the Lord, for he is coming!
He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice,
and the nations with his truth. (Psalm 96, NLT)

When I was a young boy, I memorized the first part of Psalm 96 for a fine arts festival.  It has been special to me ever since.  When it says, “Sing a new song to the Lord!” it is a very special phrase.  The children of Israel would write a new song every time God did something amazing and new.  It makes me wonder about our own feelings about new songs.  Some people like new songs while others do not.  I like hearing and learning new worship songs, but I haven’t always felt that way.  There was a time when I only liked the old hymns of the church.  They felt comfortable and safe.  They reminded me of a time when I was a kid and that felt comfortable and safe.  Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with the old hymns of the church.  But sometimes we need to move out of our comfort zones and dance on the edge of what is wild and untamed.  There are some great new praise and worship songs that come straight out of Scripture.  They may be played on different instruments and might be unfamiliar, but that doesn’t make them bad or wrong.  Maybe some of us do not like new songs because we like the old songs.  Maybe some of us do not like new songs because they are unfamiliar.  Maybe we don’t like the instruments on which they are played (or the volume at which they are played).  Maybe, just maybe, we don’t like new songs because we haven’t recognized anything new or awesome that God has done.  God is in the business of new things.  Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV) says,

“Forget the former things;

    do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!

    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

  I am making a way in the desert

    and streams in the wasteland.”

God does new things.  When He sent His Son, Jesus, God did a new thing.  When God sent the Holy Spirit, He did a new thing.  When God saved you from your sins, you became a new creation!  So what has God done new in your life?  What new thing has He revealed to you?  What new insight has He given you into His Word?  The time has come to sing a new song to the Lord!  Are you ready to sing?