Psalm 96 - 3.13.24
Scripture
Psalms 96:1
Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth
Observation
God’s mercies are new every morning. Will we give him the same devotion?
Application
Do you like it when we sing a new song during worship on Sunday mornings? Sometimes it takes a little work - you have to read the words and learn the tune before you can get comfortable. Some of us are more open to change than others (not me!). Change can be exciting, but it can also be challenging. It takes far less effort to continue doing things the way we have always done them. But Psalms 96 (and other verses) says, Sing to the Lord a new song. How can we do that?
Lamentations 3:22-23 says, The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. God's love and mercy is new every morning, erasing our sins. We can start fresh every morning. And every morning God gives us a new opportunity to follow him, to show him our love and devotion. And it's up to us to make the most of that opportunity. Will we go through our day, checking off the boxes, or will we look for opportunities to serve him in a fresh new way? Will we challenge ourselves?
I admit I am a list follower. I am one of those people who write things on the list just to check them off! But I can't continue to follow God that way. An example is this morning's journal entry. I read all three chapters in today's reading and nothing jumped right out and caught my attention. In full transparency, often times I will just move on, feeling like I accomplished what I was supposed to do. I read the chapters - check that off my list. But this morning I decided to dig. Reading commentaries about Genesis 34 made me wonder why Dinah went out to visit the women of the land alone (in an unknown place of foreign people and foreign gods). And what would the consequences ultimately be for her brothers taking revenge into their own hands? I read about some reasons the Thessalonians could have been idle. And I wondered - why does God want us to sing a new song? When I put in the effort to dig deep, God spoke to me. He doesn't want my complacency - he wants me to follow him with the same devotion that he shows to me.
Prayer
Thank you for speaking to me today. Thank you that your mercies are new every morning. Thank you for your faithfulness. Help me to remember to start every new day asking how I can serve you best.
- Debbie Dunn
