Monday, June 2, 2008

Worship - Music & Singing

    (Donna Huber)

    What kind of week are you having? What does your next week look like? When you wake up on Sunday, does the week you previously experienced have your strength sapped? I know there are times when Sunday morning rolls around that I think it would be so nice just to lie in bed and relax. The world tells me that I had a really tiring week and lying in bed and relaxing a couple of hours is well deserved. After all, who would miss me in church? But there is something nudging me out of bed and I get myself to Trinity.

    On my short drive, I think about all the things I need to do before Monday rolls around again. So much for Sunday being my day of rest! But I walk into church, quiet my heart and something happens--the worship begins, the music of praise talks to my heart and the voices singing helps me to forget the three most important people I left at home--me, myself, and I. It doesn’t matter what type of music it is, the focus becomes on God. What a great blessing!

    Psalm 81:1-2 (NIV) says: "Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob! Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre."

    A commentary in The Handbook of Bible Application says*: "Worship and music go hand in hand. David instituted music for the temple worship services (1 Chronicles 25:1). Worship should involve the whole person, and music helps lift a person’s thoughts and emotions to God.”

    So go ahead, sing to the Lord. It will release your celebration and worship!





    *Barton, Bruce B., Beers, Ronald A., Glavin, James C., Taylor, Linda Chaffee, Veerman, David R., Copyright 1992. The Handbook of Bible Application. IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

    7 comments:

    Anonymous said...

    Thats so true! Sometimes the week can get to you and you just wanna lie in bed. But whenever i walk in church the joy of the Lord springs up inside.
    Thats very encouraging. =D

    Anonymous said...

    i agree with the comment above me! there are sundays when all i can think about is myself and how much i do not want to wake up, but once i get to church God always moves me in the most amazing ways through the music especially. instead of going through the rest of the day thinking about how tired i am, i leave church thinking, another great day to praise the Lord! :)

    Anonymous said...

    We make Jesus so happy when we sing hymns to Him. It's like praying~the more you pray the more things start to change for the better. On Sunday~I sang songs that I had not sung in 20years!They were so beautiful and I felt the love of Jesus so deeply. It's hard to express that feeling of exhilaration when you have not a worry in the world and for a time your mind is so at peace and so full of love for Jesus. The hymn~"Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing" was so soothing to me when I sang it. Imagine how Jesus must have felt~hearing His children singing songs of praise to Him! The last stanza says it all for me~"O to grace how great a debtor Daily I'm constrained to be! Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee:Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love;Here's my heart,O take and seal it; Seal it for Thy courts above. Amen. rose

    Anonymous said...

    I agree Donna! Sometimes my life feels like a vicious treadmill - going too fast and I can barely hang on! Intentionally praising God in worship really breaks that cycle. I find music gets my head and heart in the right place - whether I am driving in my car or cleaning up the kitchen. Currently, I am playing the DVD another mom created to help our 3rd graders learn their Scripture songs. God's Word is powerful and effective. Singing it somehow engages me more fully...

    Scott R. Davis said...

    I agree also. I only knock myself on my head at times knowing that I have access to thousands on songs on CD yet I rarely listen during the week. Being able to sing songs and often getting insight in how to live is what church is all about.
    And sometimes acting on an application that Pastor Dave suggested 20 plus years ago that the handicapped needed people to reach out to them to express the love of Jesus. And that is what I did and this week is the 20th anniversary of that effort with Gary. And it would not have been possible without the body. And Music is what stirs Gary's heart as well. And that partnership has made me a spiritual dad helping raise up one of His children.

    So peace to you all for your generous hearts and souls.

    julie said...

    Thanks, Donna. This was a really uplifting and encouraging post!

    Anonymous said...

    I have found that when I first open my eyes, if I thank God or just think of God, it makes my getting out of bed easier. Sundays are the easiest, our church rocks.