Slices
Prepare
Sing gratefully (or listen to): ‘Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine … This is my story, this is my song, praising my Saviour all the day long.’*
*F Crosby, ‘Blessed Assurance’, 1873
Bible passage
For the director of music. A song. A psalm.
1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth!
2 Sing the glory of his name;
make his praise glorious.
3 Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power
that your enemies cringe before you.
4 All the earth bows down to you;
they sing praise to you,
they sing the praises of your name.’
5 Come and see what God has done,
his awesome deeds for mankind!
6 He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the waters on foot –
come, let us rejoice in him.
7 He rules for ever by his power,
his eyes watch the nations –
let not the rebellious rise up against him.
8 Praise our God, all peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard;
9 he has preserved our lives
and kept our feet from slipping.
10 For you, God, tested us;
you refined us like silver.
11 You brought us into prison
and laid burdens on our backs.
12 You let people ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a place of abundance.
13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings
and fulfil my vows to you –
14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
when I was in trouble.
15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you
and an offering of rams;
I will offer bulls and goats.
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God;
let me tell you what he has done for me.
17 I cried out to him with my mouth;
his praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;
19 but God has surely listened
and has heard my prayer.
20 Praise be to God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me!
Explore
The psalm opens with an encouragement to ‘shout for joy’ – what a wonderful thing to do! The phrase ‘all the earth’ (vs 1,4) frames the psalm’s first section, which is a universal invitation to glorify God. But since this invitation has neither reached nor been received by everyone, the responsibility to share this invitation both widely and wisely is entrusted to God’s people.
The remainder of the psalm offers testimonies of a nation (vs 5–8) and an individual (vs 9–13). As a nation, Israel’s call was not simply to enjoy God’s blessings but to be an effective conduit of God’s blessing to ‘all peoples on earth’ (Genesis 12:3), both by being a holy nation and by inviting the nations to ‘come and see what God has done’ (v 5). We, the church, as God’s people, must proclaim God’s story by the witness of our lips – ‘declare the praises of him’ – and our lives – ‘live such good lives’ (1 Peter 2:9,12).
With 17 uses of the first person ‘I’, ‘me’ or ‘my’ (vs 13–20), the final section of this psalm is an individual testimony – the psalmist’s story of God’s grace and goodness in his own life: ‘Come and hear … let me tell you what he has done for me’ (v 16)
Respond
This week, to whom will you say, ‘Let me tell you what Jesus has done for me’?
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Hosea 1,2; Jude
Pray for Scripture Union
Pray that the SU New Zealand training event for summer camp leaders this weekend will equip leaders especially in health and safety and Bible engagement. Pray that their E3 adventure expeditions taking place 8–14 December will deepen the faith of the young people who attend.
