Read
Sing a New Song
1Sing a new song to the Lord!
Everyone on this earth,
sing praises to the Lord,
2sing and praise his name.
Day after day announce,
“The Lord has saved us!”
3Tell every nation on earth,
“The Lord is wonderful
and does marvelous things!
4The Lord is great and deserves
our greatest praise!
He is the only God
worthy of our worship.
5Other nations worship idols,
but the Lord created
the heavens.
6Give honor and praise
to the Lord,
whose power and beauty
fill his holy temple.”
7 Tell everyone of every nation,
“Praise the glorious power
of the Lord.
8He is wonderful! Praise him
and bring an offering
into his temple.
9Everyone on earth, now tremble
and worship the Lord,
majestic and holy.”
10Announce to the nations,
“The Lord is King!
The world stands firm,
never to be shaken,
and he will judge its people
with fairness.”
11Tell the heavens and the earth
to be glad and celebrate!
Command the ocean to roar
with all its creatures
12and the fields to rejoice
with all their crops.
Then every tree in the forest
will sing joyful songs
13to the Lord.
He is coming to judge
all people on earth
with fairness and truth.
Reflect
The God of Scripture is universal. There is none above him. No one can do the things that he does. This joyful Psalm calls God’s people to tell every nation on earth that he saves, that he is wonderful and does wonderful things.
It goes even further and asks that the Lord’s children tell everyone in every nation to turn to him in praise and worship!
Some may ask, “Why should people of other faiths want to worship this God? Don’t they have gods of their own? Biblical scholar, F.F. Bruce, responds to this inevitable question simply and directly: “There is no real alternative to him.”
There is no substitute for Yahweh. He is the great Source of all life and the only Hope of every human being.
Luke in his gospel makes the same explicit point. Jesus, whom he calls the Son of Man, came for the salvation of everyone – he came to seek and to save the lost. He is the universal Saviour, the Son of the universal God.
Bruce also holds that the universality of God provides a hopeful way of looking at the world. In the end, God will be praised. When he comes again he will judge all people on earth with fairness and truth.
But until then, we go to neighbours and nations with the message of eternal life and hope. “The Lord is wonderful and does marvelous things!” His most marvelous work is the provision he made in his Son for the salvation of everyone who turns to him in faith.
This uplifting Psalm rings with hope and reminds us of the task Jesus gave the Church – “Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples …” In him the hope of all people rest on a solid foundation.
Respond
Dear Lord, Maker of the universe, I praise your glorious power and the wisdom of your plan. Help me to shine the light of your Gospel in this world and to share your message of hope and eternal salvation with those around me and in faraway lands. Through Jesus, our Saviour.
Jacqueline Dugas
Jacqueline Dugas is Vice President and Director of Ministries at Every Home for Christ International/Canada (EHC), where she has served on the executive leadership team for more than two decades. Her ministry work involves speaking and writing for a trans-denominational and international audience on the broad topic of knowing God and making Jesus known everywhere. Jacqueline has authored 7 Days with Jesus, written as a follow up resource for Finding the Hope, EHC’s evangelism outreach in Canada and abroad. She has co-authored the widely used evangelism booklet, Finding the Hope, and the Finding the Hope Personal Kit, both published in multiple languages. She is co-producer of EHC’s monthly publication, Harvest Partner.