Psalm
33 reminds me of our recent vacation drive. My family and I were
driving through New York in the middle of a very pleasant and restful
time. We could not help but notice everyone around us in traffic
looked miserable. We were all creeping along on the same road, but
we were heading for a great reunion with family and fun in the sun.
What a contrast to those weary commuters in the surrounding lanes.
We wanted to shout out to every car that we passed. This psalm has
the same feeling. It begins, “Sing
joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to
praise Him“.
Maybe the car windows around him were all rolled up, but he
continues to call, “Praise
the Lord…
make
music to Him… Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully, and shout
for joy“.
Then he gives his reasons for excitement, “For
the Word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He
does… the earth is full of His unfailing love“.
This is really the point of the psalm. It is not the ever-changing
circumstances that give him joy; it is the unchanging truth of God’s
unconditional love. I’m sure there were other people in traffic
with us also on vacation that were also miserable. What is missing?
According to Galatians 5:22, one of the “fruits
of the Spirit”
is joy. In other words, the Holy Spirit of God produces inner joy;
there is nothing man-made about it. What does your traffic face look
like?
The
psalmist offers this perspective on our relationship with God, “Let
all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere
Him“.
Have you noticed that everyone slows down when they see a police car
ahead? No one wants a speeding ticket, but no one reveres the
police. Many people treat God like the trooper with the radar gun
trying to catch us speeding, but listen to how the psalmist describes
it. “Blessed
is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His
inheritance. From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind“,
and “considers
everything they do“.
There is nothing hidden from God, but He is looking for those He can
bless as His inheritance, not people He can throw in jail. Fear will
make you hit the brakes occasionally, but reverence will help you
chose a route to let the inexperienced drivers follow behind you
safely. Others are following you.
Finally
the psalmist puts all of life into the proper perspective. He says,
contrary to the view of the world, “No
king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his
great strength“.
Power and possessions are great, except they tend to turn our focus
away from the Creator of all things. Notice that God is on the
constant lookout for those He can bless. “But
the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope
is in His unfailing love, to
deliver
them from death“.
This is why the Psalmist can say, “In
Him our hearts rejoice“.
The psalm ends with a short prayer, “May
Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in
You“.
Has your drive become a drag? This psalm tells us to sing to the
Lord. According to Acts chapter 16 two things happen when we praise
God, our own chains fall off and those around us come to investigate.
Seeing and hearing the joy of these men even while in prison, the
jailor asked “Sirs,
what must I do to be saved?“.
The simple reply of the apostle still holds today, “Believe
in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved“.
Go ahead, sing!