In the fast-paced world we inhabit,
Where deadlines hum louder than birdsong and worry whispers more persistently than silence,
We rarely pause to let our spirits sing.
Yet,
Psalm 98 invites us into a sacred pause.
It is a psalm of joy,
Of divine triumph and of profound assurance that despite all appearances,
The world is being gently and wisely held by something greater than ourselves.
This psalm is a call to remember what is easily forgotten,
That there is a deeper rhythm beneath the noise,
A hidden harmony accessible when we open our hearts to the divine and to ourselves.
As we walk verse by verse,
May your inner life become quieter,
Softer and more in tune with this eternal music.
Psalm 98 All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Shout joyfully to the Lord,
All the earth.
Break forth in song,
Rejoice and sing praises.
Sing to the Lord with the harp and the sound of a psalm.
With trumpets and the sound of a horn,
Shout joyfully before the Lord,
The King.
Let the sea know and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
Let the hills be joyful together before the Lord.
For He is coming to judge the earth.
With righteousness He shall judge the world and the peoples with equity.
O sing to the Lord a new song,
For He has done marvellous things.
His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
This is not just a command to sing.
It is an invitation to begin again.
A new song is not merely a melody.
It is a fresh perspective.
In moments when we feel trapped in the loop of old fears,
Regrets,
Routines,
This verse encourages us to access the creative force within.
The God spark.
The spark that births renewal.
When we remember the marvellous things in our lives,
However small,
Unexpected kindness,
Recovery from sorrow,
The resilience we've shown,
We participate in the sacred act of re-authoring our own story.
What new song is waiting to rise from within you today?
Verse 2.
The Lord has made known His salvation.
His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
This is a verse of visibility.
Salvation is not a secret.
It's a revelation.
In our modern language,
In today's modern world,
We might say,
Healing is possible.
Wholeness is real.
And it's not reserved for the few.
It's a light that shines for all.
There is deep comfort in knowing that we do not have to earn divine love.
It is revealed,
Given freely,
Seen clearly,
Accessible to all who pause long enough to witness.
Verse 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.
Memory,
Especially in spiritual life,
Is not merely about the past.
Divine remembrance is about covenant,
An enduring,
Loving connection.
Even when we forget ourselves,
Even when we feel lost,
God remembers.
This speaks to secure attachment,
The sense that someone truly sees,
Holds,
Protects us.
It is the balm for abandonment wounds.
For the inner child that wonders,
Am I safe?
Am I held?
Sit for the moment today.
Sit for the moment and let yourself be remembered by God.
Let yourself be held.
Verse 4.
Shout joyfully to the Lord all the earth.
Break forth in song.
Rejoice and sing praises.
Joy is also a form of resistance in a weary world.
This verse doesn't ask for restrained reverence.
It calls for breaking forth.
There are moments when joy spills from us uninvited.
But there are also moments when we must choose it intentionally.
Rejoicing isn't always loud.
Sometimes it's quiet contentment.
A deep breath,
A cup of tea savoured,
An apology offered,
A tear let go.
Joy can whisper or row.
But either way,
Joy is holy.
Can you find one way today to break forth in joy?
Let it be honest.
Let it be enough.
Verses 5 and 6.
Sing to the Lord with the harp,
With the harp and the sound of a psalm.
With trumpets and the sound of a horn,
Shout joyfully before the Lord,
The King.
Instruments are extensions of the body.
The harp,
The trumpet,
The horn,
Each represents the full participation of creation in divine praise.
It is not enough to merely think good thoughts.
We are invited to embody our reverence.
When was the last time you let your body participate in your healing?
Movement,
Breath,
Sound.
These are bridges between the seen and the unseen,
Between psychology and the spirit.
Place your hand on your heart.
Feel the rhythm.
Let your breath be the music of your presence.
Verses 7 and 8.
Let the sea row and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands.
Let the hills be joyful together before the Lord.
Nature praises without trying.
The sea rows,
Rivers clap,
Hills rejoice.
They do not ask permission to be what they are.
There is something deeply healing in letting ourselves be more like nature,
Unapologetically whole.
Sometimes our anxiety comes from trying too hard to be enough.
But creation tells us that enoughness is inherent,
Not earned.
You belong because you are.
Verse 9.
For he is coming to judge the earth with righteousness he shall judge the world and the peoples with equity.
At first glance,
This verse may feel stern.
But consider this.
Divine judgment is not about punishment but alignment.
It is the process by which all things are brought into truth,
Into balance.
The soul longs for this kind of justice,
Not vengeance but healing order.
We ache for fairness,
For rightness,
For things to make sense.
This verse assures us that such a time will come,
Perhaps not always in our timeline,
But always in God's.
Trust that what is wrong will be made right.
Justice is part of love.
A prayer.
Beloved Presence,
Tune my heart to the song that Holy Grace can teach.
Let my breath become praise,
My silence become trust,
My steps become sacred.
Where I am weary,
Be my strength.
Where I am anxious,
Be my peace.
Where I am closed,
Be my opening.
You are the rhythm of my soul,
The stillness in my storm.
I rest in You.
Amen.
