One of God’s primary purposes in giving His people the Psalms is to teach us to “Sing to Him a new song…” (Ps. 33:3) And it’s clear that He intends us to sing these new songs in any and every circumstance He ordains for our lives. Consider just some of the contexts in which the songs of the Psalms are expressed:
· In pressure and distress from enemies, yet rejoicing in God’s protective care and lovingkindness – Ps. 5; Ps. 27; Ps. 59
· In sorrow and trouble, and yet rejoicing in God’s salvation – Ps. 13; Ps. 25
· In gratitude for God’s powerful deliverance and provision – Ps. 18; Ps. 34
· In grief and confession of sin in the hope of God’s mercy – Ps. 38; Ps. 51
· In remembrance of God’s abundant forgiveness in spite of sin and guilt – Ps. 32; Ps. 130
· In acute awareness of weakness and need, yet confident in God’s everlasting love and strength – Ps. 40; Ps. 86
· In discouragement and overwhelming despair, yet finding hope in God – Ps. 42; Ps. 43
· In fatigue and weariness, yet trusting the Lord for His reviving, sustaining help – Ps. 142; Ps. 143
· In grateful joy regarding God’s infinite glory and grace – Ps. 103; Ps. 145
As one pastor has said, “If we learned to sing and pray more Psalms, we’d have a lot less need for Christian counselors.” Sing to the Lord in faith, dear brothers and sisters – He is glorious and abundantly sufficient in all His grace in Jesus Christ!
Pastor Greg