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Psalms 96
1Sing to the LORD a new song! Sing to the LORD, all the earth.
2Sing to the LORD! Bless his name! Proclaim his from day to day!
3Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.
4For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised! He is to be feared above all gods.
5For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.
6Honor and majesty are before him. Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7Ascribe to the LORD, you families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
8Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to his name. Bring an , and come into his courts.
9Worship the LORD in holy array. Tremble before him, all the earth.
10Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.” The world is also established. It can’t be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity.
11Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice. Let the sea roar, and its fullness!
12Let the field and all that is in it exult! Then all the trees of the woods shall sing for joy
13before the LORD; for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with , the peoples with his truth.
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Questions this passage answers
Who is God?
God is the one living Creator who made everything and depends on nothing, and Scripture answers this question mainly by telling us his character rather than by defining his substance. When God described himself to Moses he said he is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abundant in loving kindness and truth, and yet will by no means clear the guilty. The New Testament adds that this God is finally known in Jesus Christ, who has made him known.
Who wrote the Bible?
The Bible was written by many human authors over a long period, and Scripture presents itself as God-breathed rather than as human opinion. Some books name their writer, some do not, and honest study says which is which. Paul calls every Scripture God-breathed, and Peter says no prophecy came by the will of man but that people spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, which is the Bible's own account of how both authors are involved at once.
Can the Bible be trusted?
Scripture claims to be true and invites examination rather than avoiding it. It says God's word is truth and that it stands when everything else fades, and the New Testament writers appeal to eyewitnesses, named places and public events rather than to private experience. Trust in Scripture is finally trust in the God who speaks in it, and the clearest reason a Christian gives for that trust is that Jesus treated these writings as God's own word.
How should I pray?
When the disciples asked this, Jesus answered with a pattern rather than a technique. Pray to your Father, in private, without performance and without needing many words, because he already knows what you need. The prayer he gave begins with God's name, kingdom and will, then asks for bread, forgiveness and protection. Scripture adds that we may bring everything, that the Spirit helps our weakness, and that we can ask with confidence when we ask according to God's will.