October 20, 2024
“Come let us sing for joy to the LORD, let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation,” Psalm 95:1.
Have you ever felt so blessed or overwhelmed by the goodness of God that you just couldn’t keep it in? Has your heart been so filled to the brim you felt like you could sing a song or write a psalm?
Sometimes you just gotta sing.
All throughout the Bible, singing to the Lord is encouraged and displayed-in good and bad times.
Exodus 14-15 describes in great detail the Israelites crossing through the Red Sea on dry ground. Pharoah’s army chased after them and then were swallowed by the sea. The moment had been so frightful, the delivery so miraculous, Miriam grabbed a tambourine and joined her brother, Moses, as they sang a song of deliverance.
In 2 Chronicles 20, Jehoshaphat along with everyone in Judah and Jerusalem, sang on their way out to battle three armies. Before the fighting began. Instead of lifting swords, they lifted their voices to praise the LORD for the splendor of His holiness. (I’ve always loved that phrase.)
Paul and Silas sang. At midnight. In the deepest recesses of a prison. You can find it in Acts 16.
David loved music. He played, he wrote, he danced. When he and his people brought the ark back to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 16, 2 Samuel 6:14), he couldn’t contain his joy, writing: “Give thanks to the LORD…sing to Him, sing praise to Him, tell of His wonderful acts…”
Joy to the World, Silent Night, and Hark the Herald Angels Sing are a few of the melodious treats we enjoy at Christmastime. My favorite song at this time of year is a one-hit wonder sung by a teenaged girl who expressed her excitement and joy about what God was doing in her life. Known as “Mary’s song”, Luke 1:46-55 shows that Mary had a close and personal relationship with her Creator. When she sang, she glorified the Lord. Her spirit rejoiced. God had been mindful of her and it blew her away. Mary’s song reveals her deep and heartfelt appreciation for how God was working and using her.
I’m not a great singer. I’m more of a “joyful noise” kind of girl (Psalm 100:1). While I won’t be going on the road any time soon, I do love me some praise and worship music. I sing in the car, hum at work, and dance around the kitchen. God is so good and so very mindful of this humble servant that sometimes it’s hard to be still. When He works in His awesome ways, I often feel compelled to clap my hands-loudly.
Can you relate to all this singing and praising? Over the years, there have many singable moments in my life: after a mass on my son’s brain was declared benign, my beloved’s mini-strokes subsided, a daughter was released from bondage, a loved one was saved, and all the other days. When a heavenly Father sends His perfect gift to save the whole world …
Sometimes you just gotta sing!
“I will sing to the LORD all my life. I will sing praise to my God as long as I live,” Psalm 104:33.
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Dawn Reed is a pastor's wife and newspaper columnist. Reach her at preacherwife7@yahoo.com.
