Singing together, forever
Jo Black
June 30, 2026
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Psalm 89: 1-4, 15-18 (NIV-UK)
1 I will sing of the Lord’s great love for ever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known
through all generations.
2 I will declare that your love stands firm for ever,
that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
3 You said, ‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant,
4 “I will establish your line for ever
and make your throne firm through all generations.”’15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
16 They rejoice in your name all day long;
they celebrate your righteousness.
17 For you are their glory and strength,
and by your favour you exalt our horn.
18 Indeed, our shield belongs to the Lord,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.
In a world of click bait headlines, money grabbing marketing and life hacks — the bizarre association between the idea of something that is ‘life changing’ and short-lived fads is rarely questioned. Life changes all the time, so why would we expect any kind of shift to last?
The psalmist (in this case the wonderfully alliterative ‘Ethan the Ezrahite’), however, is not willing to limit their chorus to the short term, seasonal, or as a prelude to the next big thing. This psalm is about a change ‘forever’ and ‘through all generations’ that needs to be sung ‘all day long’ that comes exclusively through God.
The goodness of God sung about here has not got a thirty-day manufacturer’s guarantee with a return address linked to the factory of origin, but an eternal covenant of love, bound in faithfulness established in ‘heaven itself’. This is not a claim that can be made on any world-made products, relationships or contracts. And while a chorus may be sung in glee at a flash in the pan moment, it’s not going to date well and become a life-long anthem.
When we encounter the love of Jesus it does not just exact a difference in one aspect of our lives, but it becomes the filter, template and foundation for everything. It reshapes how we view and interact with the world around us by completely altering our understanding of who and why we are. Wonderfully, as we read this Psalm we see Ethan moving from his own proclamations of what “I will” do in response to God’s wonderous paradigm shifts in his life, to a vast choir of all “those who have learned to acclaim you”. That’s worth remembering if you feel you are singing a perpetual solo – there are billions of others who will help you carry this particular tune!
As individuals and as worldwide Church we have a shared understanding of who God is and what He has done. Just like our shared calendar, there is our life B.C. and then there is the paradigm shift - Jesus. Once we have met him we have an every day reason to praise.
Prayer:
Lord, may we raise the rafters together so the whole world catches the tune and finds they can’t resist a singalong.
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