The fragrance of young grass responding to the rains made a magic like nothing else ever known. It rose upon a new warmth, gentle, moist, and living, from the unlocked vitality of the earth itself—the smell of hope, of promise, of a world reborn. Under the ground and upon it and in the air, every winter-deadening thing awoke, turned young and eager; and human hearts rose singing in answer.”
–Alan LeMay (The Unforgiven)
“‘But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight,’ declares the LORD.”
–Jeremiah 9:24 (ESV)
———————————
Always wanted to sing, never was much of a hand at it though. In my teenage years the youth of our church would go to Denver for YFC meetings where they often had singings or if the Blackwood Brothers were nearby go listen to them. A couple of my friends and I thought we’d give it a whirl. We had a trio and sang in church. Of course the church folk enjoyed seeing the youth involved; either that or they were too polite to say anything. One day we taped ourselves and played it back. Needless to say, that was the end of my singing days. That to some would be a song in their ears and they were probably singing praises that I wasn’t taking it up as a profession.
Psalm 149 is a song of praise. It is a call to praise God and “was used by the army of Israel as well as by the people in their worship of God” (NKJV Study Bible). It is a new song, one that comes from the heart, one that comes from being in the family of God. I believe that much of our praise is phony and we praise only when God intervenes in our lives, but we should be giving Him the praise all the time. Matthew Henry wrote, “Be not afraid of saying too much in the praises of God; all the danger is of saying too little.”
1 — Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, and His praise in the assembly of saints.
2 — Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
3 — Let them praise His name with the dance; let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.
4 — For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation. (NKJV)
“Praising God is the highest privilege afforded to the saints.” (Steven Lawson) If we have been born again, we have been given a new song. Your song, my song, are similar in that respect but after that we sing from our own experiences with the Lord. We are similar in that we recognize the glory of the Lord, of who He is, but each of us have been ministered to by the Holy Spirit in different ways, thus giving us a personal song.
George Wood puts it this way, “Your solo is quickly surrounded by the voices of the mighty choir to which you belong. Sorrow banished. No tears. Just joy–undiminished infectious joy.” Worshiping God, giving Him praise should never become ritualistic, but should come from who we are in Him. Remember, praise is an act of the will. We must choose to praise Him. We are no longer in bondage to sin, we are no longer exiled from His presence. Why, just to think of that makes me want “to clog in the kitchen” (private joke). But there is truth. I’m no waltzer, and I surely don’t tip-toe through the tulips, if I do any dancing it will be clogging, or maybe now at my age, “shuffling in the hallway.”
Lawson relates that we are to sing a new song which is the song of the redeemed. However it can “be an old song sung in a new day with a new awareness of its truthfulness and importance.” By praising we are “boasting in the Lord.” Paul writes, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord,” (1 Corinthians 1:31, ESV) and again in 2 Corinthians 10:17, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (ESV) Brag on what God has done for you. Praise Him, boast on His glory, His working in your life, what He has done and what He will continue to do.
Just because I cannot carry a tune. Just because I sound more like the howling of a wolf does not mean I do not praise or sing. My heart is always singing. I recall the words to a song we sang often in church when I was growing up:
“I have a song that Jesus gave me,
It was sent from heav’n above;
There never was a sweeter melody,
‘Tis a melody of love.
In my heart there rings a melody,
There rings a melody with heaven’s harmony;
In my heart there rings a melody;
There rings a melody of love.”
–Elton M. Roth
I try to begin each morning with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. Another night, another day He has given me. Songs ripple through my soul, and though I don’t always verbalize them, for the sake of your ears, they are there–my song of redemption, my song of praise. Say, why don’t you add yours to it?
“‘But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight,’ declares the LORD.”
–Jeremiah 9:24 (ESV)
———————————
Always wanted to sing, never was much of a hand at it though. In my teenage years the youth of our church would go to Denver for YFC meetings where they often had singings or if the Blackwood Brothers were nearby go listen to them. A couple of my friends and I thought we’d give it a whirl. We had a trio and sang in church. Of course the church folk enjoyed seeing the youth involved; either that or they were too polite to say anything. One day we taped ourselves and played it back. Needless to say, that was the end of my singing days. That to some would be a song in their ears and they were probably singing praises that I wasn’t taking it up as a profession.
Psalm 149 is a song of praise. It is a call to praise God and “was used by the army of Israel as well as by the people in their worship of God” (NKJV Study Bible). It is a new song, one that comes from the heart, one that comes from being in the family of God. I believe that much of our praise is phony and we praise only when God intervenes in our lives, but we should be giving Him the praise all the time. Matthew Henry wrote, “Be not afraid of saying too much in the praises of God; all the danger is of saying too little.”
1 — Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, and His praise in the assembly of saints.
2 — Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
3 — Let them praise His name with the dance; let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.
4 — For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation. (NKJV)
“Praising God is the highest privilege afforded to the saints.” (Steven Lawson) If we have been born again, we have been given a new song. Your song, my song, are similar in that respect but after that we sing from our own experiences with the Lord. We are similar in that we recognize the glory of the Lord, of who He is, but each of us have been ministered to by the Holy Spirit in different ways, thus giving us a personal song.
George Wood puts it this way, “Your solo is quickly surrounded by the voices of the mighty choir to which you belong. Sorrow banished. No tears. Just joy–undiminished infectious joy.” Worshiping God, giving Him praise should never become ritualistic, but should come from who we are in Him. Remember, praise is an act of the will. We must choose to praise Him. We are no longer in bondage to sin, we are no longer exiled from His presence. Why, just to think of that makes me want “to clog in the kitchen” (private joke). But there is truth. I’m no waltzer, and I surely don’t tip-toe through the tulips, if I do any dancing it will be clogging, or maybe now at my age, “shuffling in the hallway.”
Lawson relates that we are to sing a new song which is the song of the redeemed. However it can “be an old song sung in a new day with a new awareness of its truthfulness and importance.” By praising we are “boasting in the Lord.” Paul writes, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord,” (1 Corinthians 1:31, ESV) and again in 2 Corinthians 10:17, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (ESV) Brag on what God has done for you. Praise Him, boast on His glory, His working in your life, what He has done and what He will continue to do.
Just because I cannot carry a tune. Just because I sound more like the howling of a wolf does not mean I do not praise or sing. My heart is always singing. I recall the words to a song we sang often in church when I was growing up:
“I have a song that Jesus gave me,
It was sent from heav’n above;
There never was a sweeter melody,
‘Tis a melody of love.
In my heart there rings a melody,
There rings a melody with heaven’s harmony;
In my heart there rings a melody;
There rings a melody of love.”
–Elton M. Roth
I try to begin each morning with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. Another night, another day He has given me. Songs ripple through my soul, and though I don’t always verbalize them, for the sake of your ears, they are there–my song of redemption, my song of praise. Say, why don’t you add yours to it?