"Football is not a matter of life and death, it is more important than that."
Psalm 98
Sing to the LordSing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvellous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. Psalm 98:1
The Psalm encourages us to sing praise to God, giving us lots of reasons to sing:
• his holy arm has worked salvation for him V1
• he has revealed his righteousness to the nations V 2
• he remembered his love and his faithfulness V3
People are to sing, mountains are to sing, the rivers are to clap their hands. (It is a poem!)
Then the last verse takes us my surprise: “ let them sing before the LORD,for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity”.
For many people the thought of future judgment is not a reason to sing! Should the thought of judgment not make us afraid? Don’t miss the little phrase that says that God’s judgment is “in righteousness and with equity”. God’s judgment is just and fair. Injustices will be righted. Evil tyrants, dictators, mass-murderers will not get away with it.
Even in our sports life we are constantly judged – often unfairly – by media, coaches, selectors etc. God’s righteous and fair judgment is different!
Remember too what Paul wrote in Romans 8:1 “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”. There is judgment but there is no condemnation if we have believed in Jesus and accepted his forgiveness.
Now that is a reason to sing.