697 – Shout With Joy To God, All The Earth!

Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
Sing to the glory of his name;
offer him glory and praise!
Praise our God, 0 peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard;
he has preserved our lives
and kept our feet from slipping.
For you, 0 God, tested us;
you refined us like silver.
You brought us into prison
and laid burdens on our backs.
You let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a place of abundance.

I will come to your temple with
burnt offerings and fulfill my vows to you
vows my lips promised and my
mouth spoke when I was in trouble.
Come and listen, all you who fear God;
let me tell you what he has done for me.
I cried out to him with my mouth;
his praise was on my tongue.
If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;
but God has surely listened
and heard my voice in prayer.
Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me!
– From Psalm 66, N.I.V.