January 7 – Sing a New Song

January 7 – Sing a New Song

Psalm 96:1- 13

“Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day” (Psalm 96:1-2).

One thing the Psalms tell us over and over again is that we are to proclaim our praise … not in our mind or out in nature or in the quiet of our home, but because God is so great and glorious, we are to sing out His praises, we are to declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.

This is not something we are only to do on Sunday morning in the comfort and peace of our church services; this is something we are called to do in response to God’s work in our lives every day!  We are expected to tell others what it is God has done in our lives, we are expected to praise Him for His marvelous work!

“For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised … Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary” (Psalm 96:4a, 6).

I spent a day hiking through the Redwood Forest in California many years ago, another time I was standing on the top of a mountain outside of Denver, yet another time I watched the waves crashing against the rock walls of the coast near San Francisco.  With each experience I wanted to throw my arms out and yell at the top of my voice, “Thank you God!”  Each time, though, I felt uncomfortable doing so because of the people I was with. I would have embarrassed myself. I was more concerned about my own impression on others than I was thankful for the glorious splendor and majesty of God’s creation.

“Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord …” (Psalm 96:11-12).

Do you ever think about the fact that the earth responds in praise to God?  With all that it has, it praises the One who created it.  The heavens are glad and the earth rejoices, the sea roars, the fields exult, the trees of the forest sing for joy!”

Have you ever driven past a bean field in August or early September when breezes are blowing over it?  The leaves shimmer and shine as they are caught in the sunlight and wind. Waves of color change and transform the field into a sea of beauty.  Those fields exult in being alive!

If you don’t have the courage to shout and sing out your praises, try saying them out loud in the quiet of your own house … get them out of your mind and into the world!  Sing for joy!