A New Song

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 his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Psalm 98:1–3

Does God do new things today? Actually, everything God does is new. Even when He sustains His creation, it is a new expression of His power. Even when He sustains a believer, it is does with a new outpouring of His Spirit’s grace. The payment for our sins in the death of Christ is applied with fresh newness for every generation and for every day of each believer.

So it is fitting that our songs to Him would also be new. The praise eruptions of our heart should not be expressed in drudgery, indeed they cannot if they spring from what the Spirit is doing. What He inspires within us will retain its freshness.

Psalm 98 is a wonderful psalm of praise, and was likely the passage that Virgin Mary had in mind when she penned her own hymn of praise recorded in Luke 1. The Lord’s salvation is achieved by His right hand, meaning He gives His best, and His holy arm, or by the perfect and righteous display of His power. We are undeserving of His love, but He offers it in full force, with the greatest meticulousness and care. His love reaches out to the entire creation. He has “revealed his righteousness to the nations”. Today young missionaries are obeying His call into their lives, they are leaving all that they know as familiar and are venturing out of their comfort zone to share His love with the world. This is a wonderful evidence of His love for all people and all nations.

Yet He has not forgotten those who have already believed. The inspired psalmist no sooner finishes with God’s blessings to the world than that he also praises God for His faith to Israel. Here we can apply this truth to the church, that in saving the world He still remembers His own. God’s grace and mercy come from an inexhaustible supply!

Consider the endless store of the love of God and the newness of His grace for every day. These are profound reasons to sing to the Lord a new song every day and every evening. Today is a new day that we can express to Him our praise and gratitude.