Come and Praise
Psalm 66 (KJV)
1 Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands:
2 Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.
3 Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.
4 All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.
5 Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.
6 He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him.
7 He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.
8 O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:
9 Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.
10 For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.
11 Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.
12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.
13 I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows,
14 Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.
16 Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.
17 I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.
18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
19 But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.
Come and Praise
Psalm 66 is a jubilant call to all the nations around the earth to join with Israel in praise of the one true God. Although Israel was God’s chosen people, they did not begrudge others to learn, worship and serve Jehovah. They welcomed strangers to come and see and to hear the miraculous history of their deliverance from Egypt. They shared their story of their journey to the promised land. This psalm welcomes all to acknowledge the sovereign reign of God over all the earth. The writer begins this psalm with instructions to everyone. “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands”. It is as if he is a conductor of a world wide choir with arms outstretched and his voice loud and commanding.
He has everyone’s attention. He tells all to sing forth the honor of God’s name, “make his praise glorious” . Imagine a joyful and glorious song flowing from every corner of the earth to honor God. The author’s instructions continue as he tells them what to say to God. “How terrible are the thy works!” Through the greatness of God’s power, even His enemies will submit themselves to Him.This brings to my mind the scripture, “every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that he is lord” . No one will be able to deny his power and all will submit to his will. All the earth shall worship and sing unto god. They shall sing to thy name. Selah.
All are invited now to come and see the works of God which he performed to deliver Israel from captivity. He turned the sea to dry land. They went through the flood on foot. We read about these miracles in the book of exodus with the parting of the red sea and the crossing through the river Jordan. Seeing these mighty works, let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Take heed to what happened to Pharaoh and his followers. Oh bless our God ye people. Again, all are warmly encouraged to join in song to God. God holdeth our soul in life and suffereth not our feet to be moved. They continue to testify of the goodness of God. Thou has proved us and tried us. The journey with God has been filled with blessings but also fraught with struggles. Thou broughtest us into the net, laid afflictions on our loins, caused men to ride over our heads, and we went through fire and through water.
Through all this, in the end, God brought them out to a wealthy place. In personal thanks, burnt offerings will be offered and vows will be paid. The offering will be extravagant, filled with fatlings and the incense of rams, as well as bullocks and goats. Again the call is made, welcoming all who fear God to come and hear. Listen to what I will declare He has done for my soul. The writer wants all to know that when he cries out to God, “he hears me. But if there is iniquity in my heart, the lord will not hear me” . Surely God hears and attends to the voice of our prayers. Blessed is our God.
There are two days out of the year which I love attending Sunday church service. I know that on these days, for sure, the church will be filled with people, so I had better be sure to arrive early to ensure I get a good seat. These two dates are Easter and the Sunday before Christmas. On these special days, all come to celebrate the birth and resurrection of Jesus. Whether a believer or not, everyone joins in recognition and joyful praise of our lord. The united atmosphere of humble reverence and glorious thanks to god fills the sanctuary. Psalm 66 calls all to join together, excluding no one. I ask God to continue to open doors to everyone to unite in glorious praise to you.
I would love to hear what this Psalm brings to mind for you! Write back to me in Facebook comment or blog reply.
Disclaimer: The intention of this project is not to teach, but rather to share. Please use due diligence in studying the word of God, and seek guidance from your local religious leaders for any questions or concerns.
Debra Hill
Debra Hill is an independent inspirational singer, author, songwriter, and writer. As a blind performer, she adds a personal story of God’s faithfulness. Her life exemplifies that Christ’s power will work to lift all regardless of circumstances.
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