Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! Sing to the Lord; praise his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does. Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods. The gods of other nations are mere idols, but the Lord made the heavens! Honor and majesty surround him; strength and beauty fill his sanctuary. O nations of the world, recognize the Lord; recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong. Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his courts. Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor. Let all the earth tremble before him. Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!” The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. He will judge all peoples fairly. Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he is coming! He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with his truth.
Psalms 96:1-13 NLT
There is only one God. Sometimes the Bible will refer to the “other” gods as if they are real (vv.4-5), but this is just a way of saying how great the Lord, the true God, is. This psalm, likely by King David (cf. 1 Chr 16:23-36), was written to show that the Lord is the one true God, the Lord of the whole earth, the King of all nations. This is the God we serve; this is the God who loves us; this is the God who came to earth and died for us. Every religion on earth has taught that the “gods” require sacrifice; our true God came to earth and sacrificed for us. We live our lives in gratitude for all He has done for us.
Sometimes when we are sharing our faith, we miss the point. The goal is not just to get people to church, but help people see God (and live in community with His people). This psalm is proclaiming the greatness of God—telling the whole world about the good things that the Lord has done. It helps to live each day in light of God’s goodness. Even in the storms, there are always things for which we can be thankful. And when other people are struggling, we can share the love of God with them.
What are you thankful for today? How can you praise God all day for those things? How can you help others see the goodness of God?
