Thought for the Day - Monday 17 May

Thought for the Day – Monday 17^th May

Psalm 98:

‘O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvellous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory. The Lord has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. 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. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises. Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the

lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord. Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it. Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy 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.’

Isn’t it wonderful to start the week with a Psalm!

It certainly lifts that Monday morning feeling as the prospect of another week of Lockdown looms before us. I have to say since I read this Psalm this morning I have not stopped singing the words of the Fischy song we sometimes sing with the children ‘Sing a new song to the Lord, make your music to him’ - you know the one where we all pretend to play on the drums, the violin and the flute and clap our hands and stamp our feet and sing with our voices! A truly joyful song of praise to the Lord which is even more joyful when we share it together!

I just love the idea of every single part of creation praising God, the seas and everything in them, the world and all that lives in it, the flood waters clapping, the hills singing and all of us singing together for joy – and actually being unable to stop ourselves from doing so - because of the joy we have in our hearts because our Lord is present with us. 

And why are we all breaking forth into praise with such abandon?

Well as the Psalm says because our Lord is coming to judge the earth. Now, that thought might bring us all back down to earth with a bump when we think of God’s judgement on us but actually if we are obeying that command we read of yesterday to live a life of love and love as Jesus showed us how to love then what have we to fear from God’s judgement. If we are doing as we are instructed why should we fear? Indeed, while we are clearly told in this Psalm that God is coming to judge the world and we should be prepared for that judgement, we are also told that when he does come to judge he will do so with righteousness and equity. So again, if we are doing as we are asked to do, indeed as we are called to do, if we are living out a life of love in a right relationship with God praising him at all times for his presence, then we have nothing to fear.

So go on this Monday morning, ‘Sing a new song to the Lord, make your music to him’, choose any hymn you like which praises God, any song which you feel praises God, play a piece of music in praise of God and whatever you choose, as we Scots say, ‘gie it laldy’ in praise of his steadfast love and faithfulness to us and his righteous and equitable judgement of us!

I hope to hear your praise way up here at the manse!

Prayer

Loving Lord, when you created the earth it was as if a symphony of praise began and you were conducting it, birds with their varying tunes, stars with their different beats, streams gurgling and rippling in merriment, winds tunefully blowing around mountain tops and people singing and clapping and stamping their feet all in praise of you their creator. Lord, you invite us now to regain that feeling of praise and thankfulness and to sing into our world at this time where despair is closing hearts and fear is filling minds. We ask that you would breathe once more into your world putting your song back into hearts and minds until they we can do nothing else but burst into new songs in praise of you. Amen