Online House of Prayer

Aneel Aranha is an author, preacher, and evangelist who has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people around the world. You can find a huge selection of his reflections, articles, sermons, songs and other resources on his website www.aneelaranha.com.

All Episodes

Online House of Prayer

Psalm 96 - Which God is God?

July 26, 2023 • Aneel Aranha • Season 3 • Episode 96

0:00 | 4:23

Given the world has a plethora of "gods," how do we determine which is the true God?

Psalm 96 - Which God is God? - Aneel Aranha

Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary.
Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come into his courts.
Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth.
Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns. ”
The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.
Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes,
he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples in his faithfulness.

In this psalm, David invites us to worship God as he says that God is not a local deity meant only for Israel but for the entire world. There is often a tendency to view religion and spirituality as something specific to one's own culture or community. However, Psalm 96 reminds us that God's salvation is for all people, regardless of their background or nationality.

This message of universal salvation is also echoed in the New Testament. In the book of Acts, Peter declares, "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right" (Acts 10:34-35). Peter had previously believed that salvation was only for the Jewish people. However, through a vision from God, Peter comes to understand that God's salvation is for all people, regardless of their ethnicity or background.

In this psalm, David also speaks about how he is to be feared above all gods. Given that the world has a plethora of "gods" and we tend to follow the one we have been taught to follow since birth, how do we determine which is the true one assuming, of course, that we are brave enough to ask the question.

The simple answer is to ask God to reveal himself. God wants to be found. He reveals himself through creation, Scripture, and personal experiences. The prophet Jeremiah wrote: "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13). Those who earnestly seek God with their whole heart WILL find him.

Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened" (Matthew 7:7-8). Jesus encouraged us to seek God, telling us that those who seek WILL find.

If you are confused about which God to follow, throw the ball into his court. Tell God you are confused and to show you the way to him. And he is God enough to do it.

God bless you.