“Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
The Lord has made known his salvation;
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!“
Have you ever noticed how music can bring back memories?
You hear a song you haven’t heard in twenty years, and suddenly you remember where you were, who you were with, and what was happening in your life. A song from your wedding might remind you of that special day or a hymn you sang as a child might bring back memories of sitting in church with your family.
Whenever I hear the song, “On Eagle’s Wings”, I can’t help but think of my father who sang that song in church many times. The song, Alleluia, reminds me of going to bed as a kid when my parents and I, and sometimes my brothers, would sing the song before going to sleep.
Music has a remarkable ability to connect what we remember with what we feel.
Psalm 98 begins with an invitation:
“Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things!”
Why a new song? Because God has done something worth celebrating.
Throughout the Old Testament, God’s people sang about His mighty acts of salvation. After God delivered Israel through the Red Sea, Moses and the Israelites sang a song of praise. When God delivered His people from their enemies, they responded with thanksgiving.
Their songs helped them remember what God had done.
Psalm 98 celebrates God’s salvation and calls not only Israel, but all the earth to rejoice. The psalmist declares that God has made His salvation known and revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.
For us, those words take on even greater significance because we know how God has revealed His salvation to the world.
Through Jesus Christ.
When Jesus was born, the angels praised God and announced good news of great joy for all people. “Glory to God in Highest!” When He died on the cross, He accomplished our salvation. When He rose from the dead, He secured the victory over sin and death.
That’s something worth singing about!
But here’s something interesting about Christian worship. We don’t sing only when we’re happy.
Think about the hymns Christians have sung through the centuries. Some were written during times of persecution, war, illness, and personal loss. Many of our most beloved hymns speak about suffering and sorrow while expressing confidence in God’s promises.
“It Is Well with My Soul” is a wonderful example of this. The author of the song, Horatio Spafford, had suffered a series of tragedies. He lost his son to scarlet fever. The next year he lost all his investments in the great Chicago fire. Two years later, he was going to go on a trip to Europe with his family, but last minute business kept him from traveling with his family. As his family sailed without him, their ship collided with another ship and sank. His wife survived, but all four of his daughters died. As he, then, sailed to meet his grieving wife, the captain pointed out the area where the ship had gone down. That’s when he wrote the song.
Christian singing isn’t simply an expression of how we feel. It’s also a proclamation of what God has done and what God will do.
When we sing about Christ’s resurrection, we’re reminding ourselves and one another that death has been defeated. When we sing about God’s grace, we’re proclaiming forgiveness to sinners. When we sing about heaven, we’re confessing the hope we have because of Jesus. And sometimes, when our hearts are heavy, the voices of the people around us carry the song when we can barely sing it ourselves.
That’s one of the beautiful gifts of gathering with God’s people for worship.
Of course, you don’t have to wait until Sunday to sing God’s praises. You can sing in your car, while doing chores, or simply listen to music that reminds you of His promises. Psalm 98 invites the whole earth to rejoice because God has made His salvation known.
So whether you’re having a wonderful day or a difficult one, you have a reason to sing.
The Lord has done marvelous things.
And through Jesus, He has done them for you.
Let’s pray…
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the marvelous things You have done, especially for the salvation You have given me through Jesus Christ. Fill my heart with gratitude for Your mercy, and help me to remember Your promises in times of both joy and sorrow. Bless the songs of Your Church so that through them, Your Word may strengthen our faith and proclaim Your goodness to the world.
Amen.
As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:
After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
