Sing It! (Devotional written by Jeff Wells)

I LOVED this so much, I had to share it!  I definitely had no part in writing this, but I will have a part in sharing it.  This is one of my greatest passions!!!  :)  Thanks Jeff!

Sing It!

September 26, 2011

But let all who take refuge in you be glad;

let them ever sing for joy.

 Psalm 5:11a

 

When you are singing to God, singing is praying. Singing is part of our prayer life. Songs of joy, songs of praise, songs of love. God says to us, "Let them sing! Let them ever sing!"

It's rather surprising, in fact, how often the Psalms mention singing. Consider, for example, this flurry of verses beginning with Psalm 95:

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;

let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving

and extol him with music and song.

Psalm 95:1-2

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.

Psalm 96:1-2

Sing to the Lord a new song,

for he has done marvelous things.

Psalm 98:1a

Worship the Lord with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

Psalm 100:2

I will sing of your love and justice;

to you, O Lord, I will sing praise.

Psalm 101:1

That's a flurry! And there's more.

But why? Why all this emphasis on singing?

Music is powerful. Music is emotional. Music is passionate. Music so often is the language of love. At time mere words, music-less words, just won't do. We need to sing if we are going to adequately express the love and joy and exuberance we fell. Psalm 98 describes the heart that newly bursts with love and praise: Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music (98:4).

I love singing to God. I do it practically every day. And I can't sing worth a flip! But still, sing I do. I love it. And when we sing together, and the skilled musicians are playing and the praise singers are singing, and we are expressing the depths of our grace-filled hearts to God, and the presence of God fills the room, it just doesn't get much better. Our hearts are so full.

It's a gift. A gift from God. Songs of joy. Songs of love. Songs to Jesus.

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