Yes, Psalm 98 begins with the command for us Believers to sing unto our dear Lord a “new song!”

“O sing unto the Lord a NEW SONG; for He hath done marvellous things: His right hand, and His holy arm, hath gotten Him the victory.” Psalm 98:1

The Hebrew adjective “new” here means “fresh” one time in the King James Version of Scripture.

In other words, God is so great, so ineffable … that one song, or even a thousand songs … or for that matter the last million songs written about Him … are not quite enough!

There is always cause for a “new song!”

Eight (8) times in the Bible folks are found (and rightly so) singing unto Him a “new song!”

I suppose that just as His Compassions (Mercies) are “new” every morning (Lamentations 3:23), His Goodness to us … so should our praise to Him be “new” as well!

Why can’t I make up my own song about Him? Why can’t I just sing my testimony to Him one day while driving to work? Who says it has to rhyme? Or that it must have so many stanzas?

A quick “aside” this morning … I am not advocating worldly, sensual music that is quasi-religious! Hypocritical singing … that business God literally hates according to Amos 5:23 … “Take thou away from Me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.”

But “new” songs from one’s heart … lifting High His Glorious Name … they are always in order.

By the way, lots of songs being written today do magnify the Lord! They too can fall into the category of “new” songs dedicated to Almighty God and His Son the Lord Jesus Christ!

Then I close with this thought … if I sing a “new song” unto Him … He just might give right back to me “new song” with which to further magnify His Glorious Essence!

Proof …

“And HE hath put a NEW SONG in MY mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.” There it is, Psalm 40:3!

Hallelujah!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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The very idea of seed and fruit comes from God the Creator. Little wonder then that God’s Book, the Bible, is filled with farm pictures. And that includes “the sower going forth to sow!”

A little while ago Psalm 97:11 gave me the “seed thought” (pun intended) for today’s Lesson, today’s devotional thought.

Here it is … “Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.”

This verse sure makes me thankful that I am (in Christ Jesus, through His Blood) “righteous” in God’s Eyes! “Upright” in heart, by Grace through faith! I qualify!

Therefore God has sown “light” for me, for us my friends in Christ. No wonder the Bible can state assuredly … “The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” Proverbs 4:18, amazing as well as thrilling!

God has sown that much glorious Light for us! In ever in creasing quantities, intensities!

We all know God is Light! (1 John 1:5) And Psalm 36:9 even says of Him … “For with Thee is the fountain of life: in Thy Light shall we see light.” Sown light!

But … God has not only sown for us light, add “gladness” to the mix! The Hebrew word for “gladness” here is also translated “joy” 44 times in the Bible!

Psalm 4:7 praises the Lord because … “Thou hast put gladness in my heart.” Sown gladness!

That means more is coming, perhaps even a bumper crop!

I am so glad this morning that God is a Farmer, a Sower of good seed! And that He has placed my heart in His Field!

I would not be surprised that He has sown in us not only light and gladness, but a whole lot more as well!

Makes me what to further study the Bible, to see where my Father has been. with His seed bag!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Too many times we Christians fail to realize the gravity (weightiness, importance) of every Chapter of Scripture, of the Bible. Including Genesis Chapters 1 and 2.

The Bible Account of Creation, of God making the heaven and the earth.

Ungodly evolutionists have tried to frighten us away from the Bible Description of God literally (over a six day period) creating, building all we see and all we do not see! Yes, He made the “invisible things” also.

To me, if the Bible is wrong (or even inaccurate) about how we got here (Adam and Eve etc.) … it might be wrong about where we are going (if anywhere)!

But let this be granted: the Bible is NOT WRONG about anything. It is a perfect, inerrant Book, God penned!

But what I am saying … so much of the Christian life “hinges” on God as our Creator!

including worship!

The Psalmist got it right when he wrote: “For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.” (Psalm 96:5)

Notice the “press” God as Creator gets in the Book of Job, for example! The Book of Revelation as well! Psalms too!

In fact, in the Old Testament God as Creator sets Him apart from any other so-called gods or goddesses.

Read today’s Text again … “For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.”

Maybe we should give more time to the study of Genesis, those first chapters included.

To acknowledging and adoring God as the Creator of all!

God did something no one else could ever do … He “created” the earth, with the verb “bara” used here meaning “to make something out of nothing!”

The Creator (if you are saved) has now become your Redeemer also! Double praise now!

Hallelujah!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Notice I did not say “Singing about the Lord!”

But rather, singing UNTO the Lord!

Which, in my estimation anyway, makes singing a definite act of Worship. Just between you and HIM!

But where does one get that idea? Of singing “unto” the Lord?

Here’s where I found it late last night. “O come, let us sing unto the LORD.” Psalm 95:1

The first verb in the Verse is an imperative, a stark command, “come!” It literally means “to walk,” and is here a call to congregate and praise the Lord!

The second verb “to sing” is NOT a command! As if to say once we have “come and gathered and assembled” in the Lord’s Name … WE WILL AUTOMATICALLY, INSTINCTIVELY, HABITUALLY sing unto Him!

This verb (to sing) is a PIEL stem imperfect mood action word. The PIEL indicating the use of great emotion and fervor, all one’s strength! And the imperfect mood revealing ongoing action, not a one time event! Habitual singing!

“O come, let us sing unto the LORD.”

Not singing to the congregation (not here anyway, in this context) … but singing unto HIM!

Wow!

I have an idea … sing to HIM some today!

Then think of some of the songs in our hymnals at Church that do that, address Him in adoration and exaltation!

Here’s an example: “HOW GREAT THOU ART!”

There are others.

Paul, likely learning from this Psalm and others like it, got the principle down pretty firmly!

“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart TO the Lord …” Quoting Ephesians 5:20.

Colossians 3:16 agrees: “Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts TO the Lord.”

Today is a travel day, lots of miles to drive. I think I shall invest part of that time (though I am not talented in any musical way) singing UNTO the Lord! He has asked that much of me for sure.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Psalm 94 says a lot about wicked men. It’s a veritable course in hamartiology, the study of sin!

And its 7th verse gives the rationale for much of the shameless actions of the ungodly man or woman.

“They say, The LORD shall not see.”

The sinful human being has convinced himself or herself that God is NOT watching, is completely BLIND to their activities.

Again … “They say, The LORD shall not see.

They are sure that they can lie or fornicate or steal or otherwise disobey God’s Law, God’s Word … and HE will never know. He does not see their behavior!

That’s what America is doing today, convincing herself that God is removed, aloof, disinterested, blind to her national sins! Perversions!

But, truth be told, God does see!

According to Proverbs 15:3 anyway … “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.”

Or Proverbs 5:21 … “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He pondereth all his goings.”

Oh, how we need to be rminded … “The eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” 2 Chronicales 16:9

Jeremiah 16:17 … the Lord speaking … “For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.”

Jeremiah 32:19 … “Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings:”

Hebrews 4:13 … speaking of Jesus … “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”

Remember, HE IS WATCHING!

That Fact alone should stabilize our Christian living!

Amen!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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