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Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Praising Our God with a New Song! -Psalm 149, 2 Corinthians 5:21

 



 

Today’s reading: Psalm 149, 2 Corinthians 5:21

I am so grateful for the opportunity we’ve had to study the Psalms together! I have to agree with my sisters: it’s been a great journey and we’ve learned so much and our faith has grown too! So let us join David praising our God for blessing us through His word!

And in today’s psalm David invites us to:

Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, and praise Him in the congregation of His godly ones (believers).” (V.1)

Yes, there is so much we should praise our God for, but in this first verse we are encouraged to sing to Him a new song! This takes me back to Psalm 40.

I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of a horrible pit [of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock, steadying my footsteps and establishing my path.
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear [with great reverence]
And will trust confidently in the Lord.” (40:1-3)

I remember in my first days as a Christian, we would sing these first verses at Church. There was a sister who was gifted in music, ant the Lord would literally give her the music to different psalms, and she would share them with the congregation and we would cheerfully praise our Abba along with her! These first verses of Psalm 40 made a great impact in my heart, for it clearly reflected who I was and where I was before surrendering my life to Jesus, and the amazing transformation His Holy Spirit made in me… I became a new person that wanted more of Him, and less of me through the power of His Loving and Saving Grace! This is so humbling, for I did not deserve anything!! I believe this is what the next verses in psalm 149 declare:

“Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; Let Zion’s children rejoice in their King.
Let them praise His name with dancing; Let them sing praises to Him with the tambourine and lyre. For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation.” (149:2-4)



Only a new person, a transformed person can with His Spirit, now sing a new song. A song that comes from a transformed and grateful heart! From someone who wants the whole world to know that he/she was saved! (2 Corinthians 5:17) And this is pleasing to our God: he beautifies us with His Saving Grace! (1 Peter 5:5)

 

In the next and final verses, David declares the importance of praising our God day and night, for this will keep us focused and empowered in Him!

 

“5 Let the godly ones exult in glory; Let them sing for joy on their beds.Let the high praises of God be in their throats, and a two-edged sword in their hands," (149:5-6)

 

With His Word hidden in our hearts, we will be able to stand firm in Him:

 

“It is already the hour for you to awaken from your sleep [of spiritual complacency]; for our salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed [in Christ]. 12 The night [this present evil age] is almost gone and the day [of Christ’s return] is almost here. So let us fling away the works of darkness and put on the [full] armor of light. 13 Let us conduct ourselves properly and honorably as in the [light of] day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and irresponsibility, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for [nor even think about gratifying] the flesh in regard to its improper desires.” (Romans 13:11-14 Emphasis mine)

 

His precious and powerful Word is like a two-edged sword:

12 For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged [b]sword, penetrating as far as the division of the [c]soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.“ (Heb. 4:12)

Jesus is the Word: “In the beginning [before all time] was the Word ([a]Christ), and the Word was with God, and [b]the Word was God Himself.(John 1:1-3,14), And so only He can be able:

“To execute vengeance on the nations, and punishment on the peoples, To bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of iron, To execute on them the judgment written. This is the honor for all His godly ones. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

Yes, now we through Jesus’ Saving Grace are honored to be seated in the heavenly places

“4 But God, being [so very] rich in mercy, because of His great and wonderful love with which He loved us, even when we were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of our sins, He made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ (for by His grace—His undeserved favor and mercy—you have been saved from God’s judgment)And He raised us up together with Him [when we believed], and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, [because we are] in Christ Jesus, [and He did this] so that in the ages to come He might [clearly] show the immeasurable and unsurpassed riches of His grace in [His] kindness toward us in Christ Jesus [by providing for our redemption].” (Ephesians 2:4-7)

Thank you Heavenly Father for the honor you have given us as Your children, to be able to praise You with a grateful and joyful heart. It is such a great honor not a duty, not an imposition… It is such a blessing from You Lord, that we can come together as Your people to sing of Your wonders and the riches of Your Grace toward us!  May we lift our hands and sing a new song to You! May we praise You with our lives, with our lips, with our hearts, and all our being, because You our Lord "love Your people", and  are Worthy of all the Honor and the Glory! Hallelujah!!

Mari