This song is part of a brand new studio album from Church Works Media titled Shout Out for Joy, now available to stream and download everywhere! (Links: CD | Stream | Digital Download)
SHOUT OUT FOR JOY (PSALM 66)
Words and Music by Paul Keew
Tune name: SHOUT FOR JOY
Chorus:
Shout, shout out for joy to God all the earth!
Sing, sing out the glory of His name!
Say, say unto God, “How awesome Your deeds!”
Give, give to the Lord His glorious praise!
O come, come and see how the name of the Lord is revered.
All the earth is alive with a worshipful song!
O come to the cross, and be free of rebellion and pride.
O come and rejoice evermore in all God has done!
So great is His pow’r that His enemies crumble and fall.
Forever He reigns and He rules by His might!
His eyes are ablaze, keeping watch on the nations of men.
All the kings of the earth do His bidding and all His delight!
I will bless You, O God, when You lovingly test and refine.
Though I walk through the fire I will offer You praise!
You will shepherd my soul to a place of abundance and rest.
I will come to Your house and an offering of thankfulness raise!
O come, come and hear, all who fear God and call on His name,
How I cried to the Lord, and He answered my prayer!
Had I cherished my sin, all my words would be empty and vain.
Bless the Lord, for His mercy and faithfulness crown all our days!
© 2009 Watchsong (ASCAP) (adm at IntegratedRights.com). All rights reserved.
Recording arrangement © 2023
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NOTES
by Paul Keew
As I was reading through the Psalms, Psalm 66 captivated me. It just seemed to sing itself right off the page. The first few verses present an opening refrain, with all the following verses setting forth reasons to “shout for joy to God” and “give to him glorious praise!”
The only phrase that was not directly influenced by the Psalm is in the first verse of the song, shedding New-Testament light on its reading: “O come to the cross and be free of rebellion and pride.”
The song can be approached a few different ways: You can start with the chorus or the first verse. Since it is a rather lengthy, wordy song, I’ve added an optional turn that takes you from the first to the second verse directly, skipping the chorus. (The album version turns Verse 3 into a Bridge.)
