My daughter makes up worship songs, and don’t you dare correct her if it doesn’t make perfect sense. She will explain to you, in detail, how it is supposed to go… Probably “poetic license” or something…
In this time, at this place in history, I am drawn to Psalms.
I know I have said it before, but reading the psalms in The Passion Translation has just been an experience. It is like I’ve never read it before.
I was reading Psalm 33:3 and know it in its basic form:
“Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully and shout for joy.”
But there is so much more to that verse than the commentaries suggested. Yes, I think it is a change of attitude, but it is so much more! Every word in the Hebrew has got so much depth!
But apart from that, if you just take the last phrase “shout for joy” – the Hebrew word is teru-ah (בִּתְרוּעָֽה )and is the same word used for “war cry”!
And isn’t that exactly what praise and worship is? A call to battle? A call to war? A statement of intent? Maybe even a call to battle our own mind, our own doubts, our own fears?
“…For God’s Word is something to sing about!
He is true to his promises, his word can be trusted,
and everything he does is reliable and right…”
Psalm 33:4
God is True,
God can be Trusted.
He is Right and
He is Reliable!
So when David comes to verse 16 and 17 it speaks to me. It feels like where we are today:
“…Even if a king has the best-equipped army, it would never be enough to save him.
Even if the best warrior went to battle, he could not be saved simply by his strength alone.
Human strength and the weapons of man are false hopes for victory; they may seem mighty but they will always disappoint…“
We are now in a war of attrition. Slowly all our resources are being whittled away. Most of us will survive this, but literally with the shirts on our back, and we can’t even think how we might recover from this. (These are our fears, these are our doubts, the war in our minds)
But in the end, God will deliver us. It says so in verse 19
“…God will deliver them from death, even the certain death of famine, with no one to help…”
Who is this “them”? Those that trust in God with all their hearts. Those that cry out in a battle cry, those that sing for joy!
But how? Where will God find the solutions to our problems… the money? The food? The housing?
David tackled that earlier in the chapter. In verse 9 he reminds us:
Words he breathed and worlds were birthed.
“Let there be,” and there it was—
Springing forth the moment he spoke.
No sooner said than done!
Our God that spins planets and creates galaxies with a word and a breath is in control. He has known us since before we were born, He has written our names in the palm of His hand… and NOTHING will pull us from His hand! He can literally provide what we need from thin air…
“…His destiny-plan for the earth stands sure. His forever-plan remains in place and will never fail.
Blessed and prosperous is that nation who has God as their Lord! They will be the people he has chosen for his own…”
Psalm 33:11-12
It’s time to sing and shout for joy! Go ahead, all you redeemed ones, do it! Praise him with all you have…!
