A Faith That Sings

By David R. Ferguson       Psalm 98:1-3 and 8-9 says, 1 Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory. 2 The Lord has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations. 3 He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the Earth have seen the salvation of our God. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; 9 for He is coming to judge the Earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, and the peoples with equity.     When Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned in the city of Philippi, God’s word tells us they “were praying and singing hymns to God” in Acts 16:25. Christians ought to be singing people. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God,” writes Paul in Colossians 3:16. We are admonished in the word of God to sing to the Lord. "Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory" (verse 1 above).     Sing about God's victories. If you think you have no victory in your life, start singing about the victory of the Lord, and you'll be surprised what He'll do for you. Sing about His salvation. "The Lord has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations" (verse 2 above). We should proclaim the message of salvation to people today.     Sing about His mercy and faithfulness. "He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness" (verse 3 above). The Lord’s mercy and faithfulness endure forever. Sing about His coming. Verse 9 tells us, "for He is coming to judge the Earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, and the peoples with equity." Sing about His coming, for Jesus may come back today!     Are you singing the praises of God in your life? If you've lost your song, it may mean that you've lost your vision of God and your faith in His word. Perhaps sin has come into your life. Follow the instructions of this psalm and by faith "sing to the Lord a new song."

- David R. Ferguson preaches for the Mentor Church of Christ in Mentor, OH.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://mentorchurchofchrist.com/ or davidferguson61@yahoo.com