I had an auto accident on ice this week; all of the sudden we were sideways and out of control (fortunately no one was injured). Sometimes life is sailing along, and then a crazy time hits, things get out of control, and we can get wrapped up in the problems, whether they are big or little.

In the midst of whatever challenges you are struggling with today, we invite you to worship. We come today to give worship, more than to receive instruction. We are not the “audience,” God is. We have reason to celebrate, even in the midst of the challenges of life. As we worship, we can receive a higher perspective, so we can lift our eyes out of the daily grind and look back at the works of God and look ahead to the promises of God, so we can keep going in the present, to live out the will of God.

Please look with me at Psalm 96:1-13. The psalms are a song book for the people of faith in God. There are all kinds of psalms, some are lament-oriented, focusing on the pain of life, other are celebration-oriented. Psalm 96 is a celebration psalm. The people of God and the church have used psalms and songs like to this to be reminded of the greatness of God, even when the circumstances of our lives may cause us to forget.

Vss. 1-3 – Sing a new song. We must proclaim the greatness of our God to everyone. This is the foundation of sharing our faith.

Vss. 7-10 – The families of the earth are to ascribe to God glory and strength (recognize and affirm that he is glorious and strong).

Summary (vss. 4-6): He alone is God. He is greater than all of our idols, the things we worship and adore on earth. People create idols and gods, but God created the universe, the earth, and the people in it. That makes him unique and alone worthy of praise.

Why does vs. 1 challenge us to sing a new song? One reason is because the mercies and compassions of God are new every morning. The prophet Jeremiah said in Lamentations 3:22-23, “Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” He said this when the holy city of Jerusalem was being destroyed, and God's people were being taken and held captive. It was the worst thing that could have happened. Yet he still praised God, because God's mercies are new and fresh with each sunrise. We have cause to praise him today.