Today’s reading: Psalm 98:1-9
In Psalm 98, the instruction to sing joyous songs and praises to the Lord is a clear one. But in this particular song, the psalmist also includes an unusual description of nature praising God. In verses 7-8, we’re told “let the sea roar…let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together.”
This past week, I got the opportunity to experience this description of nature praising God firsthand. My sister and I had traveled to Seattle, Washington, to attend a conference, and while we were there, we took a few hours to drive out to Snoqualmie Falls. It was magnificent! Before we could even see the falls, we could hear and feel it. Immediately after stepping out of our car, the rumbling of the water surging over the rocky cliff and pounding into the river basin below could be heard even though we were over half a mile away. And as we walked through the forest to the lookout point, a heavy mist from the waterfall fell over our heads like rain. After viewing the falls from the lookout point, we then hiked down the mountainside to the river basin. As we trekked down the winding trail, the sounds of birds, bugs and other animals gloriously permeated the air.
A day or so later I read Psalm 98, and it hit me that I had indeed experienced the rivers clapping their hands and the hills singing for joy together, and oh how beautiful it was. If the rivers and hills can praise God that exuberantly, how much more can and should we–God’s children–give God glory and make a joyful noise to Him? (Take a look and listen to this short video of Snoqualmie Falls that I took with my phone so you can have a little taste of the rivers clapping their hands.)
When you think about making a joyful noise to the Lord what comes to mind? What would it look like for you to “make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD” with abandon? Tami
Source: Tami’s Blog
