Psalm 149

I like to sing old songs to the Lord. There is a comfort in joining with former generations when we sing the songs that they sang, and confess the faith in words that they used. But the psalms give voice not only to ancient forms of worship. They also press us forward toward a new song that we will sing today.

The Word of God is new and fresh to us every morning. The relationship that we have with the Lord is real and alive. We expect that newness to make ancient words fresh to our souls, and even to bring forth from the community of God's people new words and new music that express the unchanging truths of our faith in ways that bring glory to Him. The theme that we sing about is infinite. We do not have to worry about running out of things to say. We will sing new songs to the Lord for all eternity.

We gather together to praise God on earth now. We will do that forever and ever. Our communion is with Him and with one another. The voices are varied, and the instrumental gifts differ among the many gifted people in the Lord's assemblies throughout the world. The result of our joining together is better than what we could accomplish by our own solos.

Our unity is not in song alone, but more fundamentally in the One to whom we sing, our God, and the One through whom we offer up our praise, the eternal son of the Father, Jesus Christ. We are glad in our Maker and our King.

Our praise of the Lord leads us not only in raising our voices with holy emotion, but in the movement of our bodies in dance, and also in the playing of various instruments. The Lord encourages us throughout the Scriptures to love Him with all that we are and all that we have. Everything can be done in a decent and orderly way. That is part of worshiping Him with the totality of our being. He is worthy of all our best.

The Lord takes pleasure in us. An amazing thought... As we approach Him in humility, He meets us with salvation. This is our attire, the righteousness of His Son who clothes us in the white robes of His sinless perfection.

The joy that we have in our God expands beyond our assemblies of worship to fill our lives. We think about our Lord in the night, and we sing. Even the soldiers of Israel in their ancient duty of conquest praised the Lord with a sword in their hands. Today we take up the conquest of love with all of the saints of God again. Let us sing and serve together. They captured enemies and put them to death by the command of God. We take every thought captive, and we ask the Lord to mortify all that is evil within us by the double-edge sword of His Word and by the power of the Holy Spirit that lives within us.

It is an honor to fight in this good New Testament conquest with the King of glory leading the way. He will show us how to love the unlovely, how to forgive those who wrong us, and how to live quiet and peaceful lives of worship with all godliness and sincerity.

This is a battle, but it is a battle that Christ intends to win. Even if we die in this fight, as our King did, we remember that we have already died in His death, and we are already alive in His resurrection. Each day is an adventure for the church as we walk in the glory of the Lord. Come and join the heavenly host today! Sing a new song to the Lord!