"Bursting Into Song"
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I like musicals, but some people really, really don't. America's founders bursting into song in a tavern? Gang members dancing through a knife fight? And let's not even start on those people dressed up like cats! It's all too much!
We can debate the virtues of Broadway shows, but Scripture leaves no doubt about the value of singing. In songs of victory (Ex. 15:1-21), lament (2 Sam. 1:17-27), and praise (Ezra 3:11), the saints of old opened their hearts and participated in God's gift of singing.
The Big Idea
Singing expresses what's inside us — what we believe, feel, and decide. God's grace brings out grateful praise (Col. 3:16) as we sing with our "spirit" and our "mind" (1 Cor. 14:15).
Singing is a heavenly art we get to practice on earth (Rev. 5:9; 14:3; 15:3). It can make joyful worship a habit (Phil. 4:4). So God says, "Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise" (James 5:13). But our songs also express our sorrow and help us find hope in the night, like Paul and Silas singing in prison (Acts 16:25), or Jesus before heading to Gethsemane (Mark 14:26).
Melody and harmony can lift or comfort us, but in Scripture, the purposes of singing come from the words. We learn them "by heart," and their messages become portable, guiding wisdom. When we sing — if we mean it — we take a stand for truths we believe in, like, "It is well with my soul." We make and renew commitments, like "I'm not ashamed to own my Lord." We can even discover deeply held longings as we sing of our hope, our need for mercy, and our desire for God's presence. But our songs also challenge, teach, and support one another.
It's great to hear one person teaching, but you know what's better? Singing "together ... with one voice" (Rom. 15:6). It's a uniting bond. And when we sing together, we need to hear each other and heed the teaching (Eph. 5:19).
The Big Question
How have psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs impacted your life?
