This is one of the most beloved Psalms of the church (Psalm 98). We sing it every Sunday, somewhere on this planet, as we gather together to worship the King of Creation. It has been put to music, memorized, quoted, prayed and turned many discouraged hearts to the Savior and rescued them from the fog of depression.
The Psalter (the Book of Psalms), has been rightly called “Israel’s old dog-eared anthology.” It is essentially a worship songbook, filled with praises and prayers from man to God. This book is unique in so many ways; a small devotional could never fully explain it. As you read and pray through it, you may notice it is primarily directed from the human heart to God, formed on the lips of people (yet inspired by the Holy Spirit and is his Word) and offered to the God of creation.
It is filled completely with poetry—specifically Hebrew poetry— in its loftiness, its beauty and its compelling power that so deeply heals the human heart. This particular Psalm is calling the entire earth to break out in praise to God because of his self-revelation in his just deliverance of his people Israel. It is only in a “new song,” a song never before uttered that can do this when we gather to worship him. It is new because he is constantly revealing himself in new ways to us and calls us to constantly respond to him in the entirety of our beings with “joyful noise.”
When people gather together to worship our Creator-God, they are coming into a sacred place, a holy place, a healing place, a redeeming place.How can we not burst forth from the deep and mysterious places in our soul with instantaneous praise of our God?
Verse 4 in the New English Translation is rendered “Break out in a joyful noise and sing!” One of the most fulfilling aspects of human worship of God is that it is as continual as his eternal presence and if we are living in an ongoing, vital, vibrant Spirit-empowered walk with him it is only natural that we would have recurring moments of impromptu, powerful and yes healing times of worship of God.
Not long ago, as I was laboring outside in the sweltering heat of the Texas summer sun clearing brush, this beautiful truth hit me. I stopped, put my tools down, looked to heaven, raised my hands and just let forth with a joyful noise in praise and gratitude to God.
It wasn’t pretty, but it was joyful noise for sure.
It’s ok to interrupt your day, and worship Him.
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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. 2 The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. 3 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.
4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! 5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! 6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.
7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! 8 Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together 9 before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
Psalm 98:1–9 ESV
©2018 by Ben Bounds. All rights reserved.
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We can come to know Christ through confession of our sins and repentance (turning away from sin). Let me encourage you to do this by talking to God through prayer. Here is an idea of how you might do that:
"Dear God, I believe your son Jesus Christ died in my place on the cross and rose from the dead on the third day following his death. I confess my sins, all of them, to you now with a humble heart. I repent of those sins and ask you to empower me with your Holy Spirit in overcoming further sin. Amen”
If you prayed this or a similar prayer committing your life to Christ and becoming one of his followers, let me encourage you to find a good, Bible-believing church. If you live in the Weslaco/Rio Grand Valley area of Texas, let me invite you to the church I attend, Mid-Valley Assembly (www.midvalleyassembly.com).
Begin talking to God in prayer and reading the Bible daily. A good way to begin to read the Bible is to start with the Book of John in the New Testament.
Feel very free in connecting with me if you need any further help in your walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. You can do this via the above email or facebook page or this web page.
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Mercy Road Ministries was founded and now led by Ben Bounds. Ben has pastored churches across Texas for over thirty years and is an ordained minister with the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA). He holds a BA in Pastoral Ministry and Biblical Studies from Southwestern Assemblies of God College and did graduate theological studies at the BMA Theological Seminary.
Ben's first book, The Divine Chase: Responding to a Pursuing God, was released on 12.08.2017 through Westbow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. It is available in paperback and hardback through your preferred bookseller (Mardels, Barnes and Noble, etc.) and paperback, hardback as well as ebook through online book retailers (www.christianbook.com, www.cokesbury.com, www.amazon.com, www.booksamillion.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, etc.).
Ben is the host of Staying in Bounds, an on-air Bible devotional broadcast multiple times daily on KWJV 103.7 FM Weslaco, TX which can also be heard worldwide online at www.kwjvthestar.com.
Ben and his wife, Linda, together have four adult children and nine grandchildren. They live in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
Ben can be contacted for preaching engagements at benbounds695@gmail.com or 903.441.3279. Ben can also be contacted via his website @ www.benbounds.com, which is also his blog and contains more information about his ministry.
Follow Ben @ https://www.facebook.com/mercyroadministries/ and this website www.benbounds.com.
©2022 by Ben Bounds. All rights reserved.