After prophesying of the gathering of Israel and the establishment of peace on the earth, Isaiah visualizes the joy we will feel by sharing two psalms we will sing. The first one is a psalm of gratitude, expressing the joy we feel because of God’s blessings. The second is a call to action, encouraging us to communicate the goodness of God in a variety of ways. Look at the series of active verbs in this psalm, as Isaiah urges us to make our voices heard:
- “Praise the Lord.”
- “Call upon his name.”
- “Declare his doings among the people.”
- “Make mention that his name is exalted.”
- “Sing unto the Lord.”
- (“for he hath done excellent things; this is known in all the earth.”)
- “Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion.”
- (“for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.”)
(2 Nephi 22:4-6, Isaiah 12:4-6)
I can’t help but think that this psalm influenced Nephi, as he found many ways to communicate his testimony of the gospel:
We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.
2 Nephi 25:26, emphasis added
Today, I will find opportunities to share my testimony of the Savior, my enthusiasm for the gospel, and my gratitude for the blessings I have received from God. I will recognize that this communication can take different forms, each appropriate to the situation and to the audience.
I hadn’t linked this chapter to 25:26…thanks for calling it out!
The thing that struck me as I was reading chapter 22 today was the end of verse 6, “in the midst of thee”. I love that imagery that God is in our midst / among us, particularly as we live faithfully in our covenants
That phrase caught my eye too. Thanks for mentioning it. It feels very personal, doesn’t it, to think of God being with us, not just aware of us.