This is the final NTC devotional for this academic year and we hope it will encourage you in your spiritual walk.
You are welcome to share this and include it in your church newsletters if you wish; we just ask that you please give credit to NTC and the author. Thank you!
Psalm 98 (NRSVUE)
1 O sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things.
His right hand and his holy arm
have gotten him victory.
2 The Lord has made known his victory;
he has revealed his vindication 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 victory 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 live in it.
8 Let the floods clap their hands;
let the hills sing together for joy
9 at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming
to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness
and the peoples with equity.
Devotional Thought
This is a psalm of worship. It celebrates God’s divine kingship by acknowledging his steadfast love and faithfulness to the covenant and by proclaiming God’s power that has been made known to the nations. The whole earth is called to recognise God’s awesomeness and to offer praises. I love the picture it gives of the created order joining the worship—seas roaring, floods clapping, and hills singing. We too are part of that worship to God; our whole lives are to be a praise song that glorifies our God.
This begs the question, both individually and corporately, is my life a praise song to God . . . is the life of the Church a praise song to God? It is not a question meant to shame us but to challenge us and make us more reflective of our words and actions. While there are many answers to the question ‘how can our lives glorify God?’, Paul’s words should be an ever-present guide—‘And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge, and if I have all faith . . . but do not have love, I am nothing’ (1 Cor. 13:2).
What is intriguing about Psalm 98 is that it looks forward to God’s coming judgement. The psalmist is confident in the goodness, faithfulness, and love of God to judge ‘peoples with equity.’ But he is also confident in his own relationship with God and in his own righteousness before God. He believes his life to be a praise song and continues to work toward this goal in community. We too are called to trust in God’s goodness and to live out love with and before others. And just maybe, we should leave the judging to the God who is able to do it righteously.
Prayer
To the divine King who sits upon the throne. We confess before you that our lives, both individually and corporately, have not always glorified you. Forgive us. Lord, we invite the Holy Spirit to aid us in our life-praise to you. Continue to make us into the image of Christ together as the Body of Christ, for your world. We trust in your love, and we trust in your judgement. In Christ’s name, Amen.
Rev. Dr. Rob A. Fringer
NTC Principal