The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 89 (day four)

In verse 1, the psalmist says, “I will sing of the lovingkindness of the Lord forever.” This word “lovingkindness” is almost always translated from the Hebrew word “hesed.”

Hesed is one of the most beautiful words in all of Scripture, but English doesn’t quite do it justice. It refers to the unidirectional, covenantal love and mercy that God has towards his people. It is a steadfast love, built entirely on the character of God, not on the worthiness of his people. It’s a love that we can put all our weight on, knowing that it is trustworthy and true. It is the love that is seen in God’s covenant with his people, which is described here in Psalm 89.

This is the covenant that Christ came to fulfill. This is what we celebrate at Christmas – that love came down. Hesed became known to us. Through Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, we were brought into the covenant of love.

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 89 (day three)

”I will not lie to David.”

The Lord has intimately involved himself in the affairs of men. As St. Paul himself said, God is not far from any one of us. Although human beings are mortal and are limited in understanding, God does not exploit that state of being. He doesn’t mislead or obfuscate. He doesn’t insult the intelligence he gave to humans. Rather, he relates to human beings with –  as this Psalmist and other biblical writers attest from their own experience – lovingkindness. The mad, painful, confusing existence each person knows will stabilize and settle and cease to threaten when one calls on God as the only hope for rescue. People who have testified to God’s response of calm and strength didn’t read it in a theology book. They lived it. They lived to tell you about it. God will not lie to you. He will save you.

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 89 (day two) 

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You. v. 14

Righteousness and Justice with Lovingkindness and Truth: A couple of weeks ago the same words were used in the Psalm we studied. In that psalm however, they were used at evidences of following God. You may recall, I posited that we often may feel we have truth on our side, but aren’t loving about it. In Psalm 89 the writer reminds us these virtues are foundational characteristics of the nature of God. God is Truth. God is Love. Any truth you encounter in the world ultimately has its foundation in the Lord. There is no truth apart from him. Isn’t that astounding. What we strive for is, for him, existence. When you try and comprehend God’s loving nature, it should humble you. Knowing that we are not deserving of mercy, and yet his lovingkindness extends to all who follow after him. Each time you see truth, justice, love, or righteousness this week take a moment to thank God for who he is.

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 98 (day seven)

His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.
The Lord has made known His salvation. vs 1b-2a

In high school, this verse became one of my favorites. My mother would write me a prayer before every game, and she would often use Psalm 98 to pray over me. What a fitting verse for a Quarterback!!! God gained victory with His Holy Right Arm (For my non-sport-ball fans out there, I was the one who threw the football with my right arm).

What this is saying though is that God has done the work to claim victory. He has rolled up His sleeves and personally put in the work to guide His people to salvation. The joy in this for us is that God chooses me and you to be His vessels for this message to be proclaimed. Have you ever gotten to be a part of that process? The joy in seeing someone go from death to life right in front of your eyes is unexplainable. There is nothing you can claim except Christ working through you.

If you have not been a part of that process, God is calling you to join Him in this work. Who is in your life right now that God is calling you to witness to? In this season of Advent we are asking you to Go and Tell it on the Mountain. Let’s all feel the joy of seeing God’s Holy Arm at work through us this week.

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 98 (day six)

The scope of Psalm 98 is breathtaking. It commands us to sing a new song—a joyful response to God’s glorious acts. This is not merely a song of the moment but one rooted in inexhaustible inspiration. The display of His righteousness in Jesus is a wellspring that never runs dry. His glory is infinite.

Psalm 98 invites us to reflect on God’s mighty deeds in the past and anticipate His future work in Christ. The content of our joyful singing spans past, present, and future, declaring that His redemption is complete.

The psalm moves in expanding circles of praise: first Israel, then all the world, and finally all creation. It calls everything in the heavens and on earth to sing, shout, and roar in worship. This new song is a cosmic chorus, encompassing all of creation.

Ultimately, it’s a matter of scope. He is worthy of all our praise—of everything we can give and more. That is the point: His glory deserves nothing less.

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 98 (day five)

One of the interesting things about the Christmas Season (even from a secular perspective) is that it has its own background music. Some radio stations begin playing “Christmas Music” as early as November 1. Music and song are so influential on our attitude, perspective, and outlook. Don’t believe me?  Next time you’re in the pool (better yet the ocean) with your friends (especially at night) hum the first several notes to the Jaws theme and wait for the reaction. I read this quote about Psalm 98. “Always live your life against the background music of joy.”  (Psalm 98 gives perfect instruction for Praising and Worshipping the Living God) The reaction will be- That we will remember well, what God has done. We will be more aware of what God is currently doing in us, around us, and thru us. And, we will become excited and expectant for Him to fulfill His promises (Even So, Come, Lord Jesus).

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 98 (day four)

Reading this Psalm again caused The Isley Brothers’ song “Shout” to get stuck in my head. You just can’t read Psalm 98 without feeling energized. The Israelites felt this as they lifted this song of praise to the Lord. They had finally been delivered from exile, and they celebrated God’s faithfulness with a joy so palpable that all the earth was invited to join in.

The Lord is worthy of our joy. David danced with joy before the Ark of the Covenant. John the Baptist leaped for joy in Elizabeth’s womb when in the presence of the preborn Christ. And how much more reason do we, who live after the resurrection, have to shout for joy? The joy that springs up in us as a fruit of the Spirit is a steadfast joy. It is available to us even in our darkest days, precisely because of what we celebrate at Advent: Christ has come, and Christ will come again. Even if we have nothing else, there is reason to rejoice.

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 98 (day three)

Let the sea roar and all it contains,
The world and those who dwell in it.

Let the rivers clap their hands,
Let the mountains sing together for joy

Before the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth;
He will judge the world with righteousness
And the peoples with equity.

The earth, the sky, the wind, the water cycle, the upthrust of granite strata as mountains form, the tides, the seasons – all the clamor and movement and rhythm – what is it for? Empirical research, as useful as it is, does not answer that question. The questions of purpose and direction – why there’s something rather than nothing, and where it’s headed – lie in the mystery of God’s revelation to humanity. A good God has created a good universe, and you can trust his goodness towards you.

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 98 (day two)  O sing to the Lord a new song,
For He has done wonderful things, v. 1a

Sing. That’s it, that’s the blog. Sing.

Ok, maybe just a few more words. We have recently ended a study in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians where he declares that we ought to speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. He restates the same sentiment to his letter to the Colossians. We are a singing church, and I am grateful for that, but you would be amazed at how often people tell me they ‘can’t sing.’ Let me categorically respond to every one of those people here and now: malarkey . Utter nonsense. To say that you can’t sing is to declare that God made a mistake when he made you. To say that you can’t sing is to say the scriptures that command, not suggest, that everything with life and breath should sing and praise the Lord does not apply to you.

Does that come off as harsh? Good. You can sing. Period. You may not sing as well as some in the worship ministry, but who cares? That does not disqualify you from the command of scripture. Our performative culture has given us the impression that there are those who can, and those who can’t. That is not the truth of scripture. You can sing to God as he has given you voice. I may never give you a solo, but I want you to worship with a full-throated joy which declares the Lord is good and true.

Why is this so important? I could be flippant and say because God says so, and that would be sufficient. Look back at the verse again. We sing because he has done wonderful things. We need to declare that to a world devoid of God’s hope. We need to remind ourselves that he has, indeed, done wonderful things in our lives. We need to return thanks to the Lord in a way that pleases him. Trust me, there are harder assignments that will be given to you. Singing isn’t one of them. Don’t wait for Sunday, sing your praise today!