Psalm 33 – Why We Can Sing
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones; praise from the upright is beautiful. Praise the Lord with the lyre; make music to him with a ten-stringed harp. Sing a new song to him. (Psalms 33:1-3)
In dark unprecedented times, how is it possible for God’s people to rejoice in the Lord? As our entire world walks through “the valley of the shadow of death” at least for this century, how can God’s people even have the right frame of mind to sing a new song to him? The psalmist lifts up our eyes to a triple truth that empowers us to keep singing.
One, we are not in control. The psalmist teaches us that God exhales stars and scoops up oceans with his hands (33:6-7). Our Creator God is in complete control.
Two, it’s not enough to have an omnipotent and sovereign God, if he’s not good. So the psalmist reassures our cynical hearts, “For the word of the Lord is right, and all his work is trustworthy. He loves righteousness and justice (33:4-5). God can’t do any wrong, because righteousness comes from him. God is wholly good.
Three, it’s good to know that we have a God who is absolutely good and in total control, but that’s still not enough. We need to know that this Almighty God actually cares for us. The psalmist writes, “The Lord keeps his eye on those who fear him — those who depend on his faithful love to rescue them from death and to keep them alive in famine” (33:18-19). We have a sovereign-good-loving God, who keeps his eye and heart set on us, and this is why we can bring out the instruments and sing to him during a crisis.