"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song. The Lord is the strength of His people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one." (Ps.28:7-8)
"The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation." (Ps.118:14)
"The mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands." (Isa.55:12)
Just a little reminder that we have a singing, joyful God. And what should be our response? Well, if life is going really well and all our needs are being met and all our family is doing great and we have plenty of toilet paper, all-purpose flour, and chocolate, then yes, we're to join in the chorus and praise Him, right?
Wrong, wrong, wrong!
"I WILL give thanks to Him in song"..."The Lord IS my strength and song"....or how about "MAKE a joyful noise to the Lord, ALL the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! COME into His presence with singing!" (Ps.100"1-2). I didn't see any qualifications in any of those. Did you?
How about any exceptions for pandemics or shortages or unwanted isolation? Nope. Maybe a teeny tiny loophole when we're simply at the end of our rope or life feels cramped and hard or the people around us are getting on our last little nerve? Ah, no once again.
Praising God, singing (or just making a joyful noise--and we can all do that!) is not a suggestion nor is it qualified in any way. It's a command. But here's the thing--like all of God's commands, this is a life-giving, strength-infusing, perspective-correcting, joy-reviving command. We don't do it based on our feelings but based on our love for God. We don't do it because our lives are wonderful in every way, but because our great God is worthy and He promised to make all things beautiful in His time.
And goodness gracious, I surely don't want the mountains and hills to out-sing me! All of creation sings of His glory, and we have both the choice, the privilege, and the joy of joining in the chorus and magnifying God's praise and glory.
I love how Charles Spurgeon puts it: "The material world has latent music in it, and a renewed heart knows how to bring it out and make it vocal. Mountains and hills are the bass of the chorus, while the trees of the wood and all things that have life take up the air of the melodious song."
Maybe you're feeling constricted or discouraged or downright desperate at this moment. Well, then now is the perfect time to stop and make the choice to praise God. Put on some music and belt out your praises. Or walk outside and notice the astounding beauty of spring exploding all around you--and give God thanks! He made it all, and He's given you the ability to see and savor it--so thank Him! Or simply listen to the constant and magnificent chorus of the birds outside your window--and give their Creator glory! Or breathe deeply of the sweet scent of honeysuckle or refreshing smell of fresh mown grass--and praise their Maker!
Consider the courageous front-line health care workers or the folks doing all the essential labor of getting food on the grocery store shelves--and thank the Lord for all they are doing to protect and help us. And let's not forget the restaurants providing take out (praise Jesus for Casa Carbone spinach calzone!) or friends like Julie making delicious casseroles to feed our families (making us look like rock stars!) or Hayes Barton Cafe cake (YES, Lord!)--don't you want to thank someone? A thousand times yes! Thank them, of course, but also praise and thank your loving Heavenly Father who is the Author and Creator of all good food and who is the Giver of great fellowship that seasons and sweetens every one of those meals!
So thank You, Lord, thank You. You have given us such an extravagant abundance, but please we ask You, give us one thing more--thanking, praising hearts. In the words of John Baillie's A Diary of Private Prayer: "give me today, I beseech Thee, the mind and heart to rejoice in Thy creation. Forbid that I should walk through Thy beautiful world with unseeing eyes...Forbid that when all Thy creatures are greeting the morning with songs and shouts of joy, I alone should wear a dull and sullen face...And above all give me the grace to use these beauties of earth without me and this eager stirring of life within me as means whereby my soul may rise from creature to Creator, and from nature to nature's God." Lord, we love You, we praise You, we thank You, we worship You. In Jesus' mighty and beautiful name. Amen.
To God be all the glory forever and ever.
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