Daily Devotions
Monday 24th
Psalm 100:1-2
NIV (vv1-2) – ‘Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.’
ESV (vv1-2) – ‘Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!’
Over the next couple of weeks or so, I have chosen to take a different route for the devotions, and then we will return to continue to look at another book of the Bible.
The route I am taking is to look at some of the hymns, taken from the Redemption Hymnal, the music edition has at the top of each hymn a Scripture reference which I will commence each devotion with, the hymnal uses the KJV, but I will continue to use the references from both the NIV and ESV.
Over the last few months, I have enjoyed listening to some singing from a Church in Northern Ireland, and if you love the older hymns and some of the more modern ones, search ‘Youtube’ for Whitewall Metropolitan Tabernacle, Belfast and enjoy the music from there. Also search for ‘the 30 minute gospel hymn sing’.
The singing of hymns or songs has always been an integral part of Christian worship, the book of Psalms contains many songs that the Children of Israel would have sung, and David the psalmist continually encourages singing as a part of worship. Just as an example today we will read some of his words that encourage us to sing.
To sing the glory of his name, and praise to his name, Psalm 66:1-2 ‘Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise!’ Psalm 66:4 ‘All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.’ He encourages us to sing of the LORD’s steadfast love, Psalm 89:1, ‘I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.’ 101:1 ‘I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will make music.’ In this psalm he encourages the use of music and we know how he expressed this in the final psalm, 150, ‘Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!’ I know we all like differing styles and have preference for different instruments, but what matters is that they are played in a manner that brings praise and adoration to the LORD God and lead us to the place so that everything that has breath can praise the LORD! For in the previous psalm (149:1) we are encouraged to sing and praise together, ‘Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly!’ there is something powerful about corporate worship.
It is something we have missed being able to do as we have gathered together during the pandemic, but as restrictions begin to be lifted and we can begin to start enjoying ‘live’ music again, I trust that it will be the earnest desire of each one of us to ‘enter his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!’ (Psalm 100:4)
We end today with a psalm of praise Psalm 95:1-7 ‘Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.’