Sing A New Song
You can listen to Psalm 96 below and read the passage in the New International Version here.
“Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary.
Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come into his courts.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth.
Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.
Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples in his faithfulness.”
Hi friends! Thank you so much for joining us here.
We hope these journal starters spark reflection on the Psalms.
If you want to, you can share some of your thoughts in the comments section below. We would love to hear how God is working in your heart.
Journal Starter for Psalm 96
The psalmist wrote, "Sing to the LORD a new song."
After you listen to or read the psalm, respond by writing, singing, or praying your own words of praise to God. If you feel you cannot, perhaps write or pray about why this may be difficult for you.
We see in this psalm that God invites ALL peoples of the earth into relationship with Him—into His very presence! The psalmist tells the hearer/reader to declare God's glory and marvelous deeds among all peoples.
Do you believe you can be in God's presence? Why or why not?
What does this stir up in your heart? How do you feel about all peoples being invited to worship God?
How might God be inviting you to tell other people about his glory and marvelous deeds?God invites peoples from all nations to worship Him, but He is not okay with other gods being worshiped. This psalm tells us that the LORD is to be feared above all gods and that the gods of the nations are only idols. In contrast, the LORD made the heavens and the whole world.
What do you imagine when you think about other gods being idols?
What are some of the false gods of your nation (things/people/ideas people worship instead of God)? What false gods/idols are you tempted by?How do these words influence the way you think about other belief systems?
The psalmist wrote in verses 11 to 13:
Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples in his faithfulness.What do you think about or "see" when you read these verses? How do they make you feel?
Why do you think "all creation" should "rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,/ he comes to judge the earth"?
What comforts, encourages, or challenges you about this passage?
