Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
— Psalms 98:1–3 NIV
Psalm 98 is unexpected because it is a psalm praising God for the coming judgment. Most of us look at the judgment with fear and trembling, but this is a song of praise for redeeming love.
One of the most important things the Holy Spirit does in our lives is to point us to the magnificent work and love of Christ. Because of his mercy and kindness, judgment is not a terrible thing. For believers in Christ, it will be a day full of love and grace. More than that, on that day he will remove sorrow, and right the things that were wrong.
That truth informs our lives and our worship. As the Reverend Matthew Henry (1662–1714) once wrote, “If the grace of God put a new heart into our breasts, it will therewith put a new song into our mouths.”
Pray today that you will think of Psalm 98 and live this day joyfully, because the Lord will return, and he will love you, remove all sorrow and injustice, and you will know more peace than you ever imagined.