Praise is one of our great privileges. When we are praising, we cannot help but be filled with joy. Have you ever been frustrated or sad, then a song comes on the air or you put on music. It isn’t long until begin to sing along with a song and all the words begin to fill your head. Sometimes the words get “stuck in your head” and the rest of the day you are singing that song in the recesses of your mind. What a wondrous gift God gave us in music. David recognized the importance of music. There were appointed singers and songwriters whose only job was to praise both day and night. (I Chronicle 9: “33 And these are the singers, chief of the fathers of the Levites, who remaining in the chambers were free: for they were employed in that work day and night.” Instruments of music were made from the finest wood. I Kings 10: “12 And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the Lord, and for the king’s house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.”
Psalm 89 (NIV) 1 I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known
through all generations.
2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
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God’s Great gift of Music can change our hearts from sorrow to joy as we praise Him.
As with all of God’s gifts we can recognize also how music can also alter our minds to think about sorrow, frustration, and anger driving our minds away from God when we focus too much on music that is not praise or that is in itself filled with hostile lyrics. I love music and am not saying that we should avoid all secular music—not at all; but, we should when sad, weary, or frustrated turn to Christian music. What we need to remember that our greatest treasure is God and when we focus on praising Him our whole demeanor changes. If you are saying, but today it is hard to praise Him, I have so many worries. Well, perhaps Isaiah can help you
to remember that we can be joyful in His Salvation and His promise of faithfulness to cover you with His robes of righteousness.
Isaiah 61: 10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
This is what Habakkuk did. Trouble appeared to be surrounding him and his response was: “17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.19 The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.” Habakkuk 3
Music was a gift of God and when we use that gift to praise Him, our hearts are transformed because:
1. Our focus returns to what is important—God.
2. We are reminded of all that He has done and how much He loves us.
3. The rhythms soothe the soul.
If you want a song for today, maybe try this one. Sing a Song of Praise.
New International Version (NIV)
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© 2014 Effie Darlene Barba
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to any brands, products or services that I have mentioned with the exception of my own book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides regarding the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”