Celebrate!

It is a day I will always remember. It was hot and humid, and the black gowns and colorful “hoods” provoked more sweat than satisfaction. It was a day that brought three long and difficult years of study to a conclusion, and I was now going to be identified as “Doctor Guido!”

As I stood in a line with my classmates who had struggled with me, we could not help but wonder what changes the degree would make in our lives. A new day had dawned. Things would be different for us from that day forward. We would have new opportunities and new status. People would look at us differently. It was time to celebrate. We believed that we had earned it! But only if we could find it!

Psalm 98 begins with a call to celebrate: “Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things.” This call to celebrate was not for anything that the people did or had accomplished. It was indeed a call for celebration. But it was a call to celebrate the “marvelous things” that God had done for them. This phrase “marvelous things” refers to God’s direct, supernatural interventions in the life of “His people.” It refers to God’s power and authority, His protection and care, His interest in the well-being of His people on His earth. And as important as those gifts of God are, they cannot compare to the gift of His salvation and hope.

There are many special events and days in our lives and the life of our nation that give us reasons to celebrate. But nothing provides a greater cause or reason for us to celebrate than the hope we have in Christ our Lord!

Prayer:  Lord, fill our hearts with this “New Song.” May we find a song of joy to celebrate Your gift of salvation! May we enjoy our life in You. In Jesus’ Name, AMEN!  

Scripture For Today: Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. Psalm 98:1