Worship: Come on and sing!

Psalm 100 (NIVUK)

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 
Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his[a]; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. 

Music is a mysterious gift! It has the power to move us from one mood to another. It can physically shift our pulse. It can open up our hardened hearts where words alone are powerless. It is a soothing comfort in the night or in dark moments. It can stir our spirits and motivate us into action. It can be quiet and soulful, triumphant and loud. 

Psalm 100 tells us to come before God with joyful songs. Why? Because as we sing, we remember that God Almighty is on his throne and he deserves our worship, our honour and awe. And because singing changes things! It brings separate people together around our maker and his attributes. Psalm 22.3 in the King James Version says God 'inhabits' the praise of his people. God is present in and honoured by our sung praise. Sometimes it’s a discipline, but as we choose to sing despite our circumstances, we will find that our hearts catch up, and our minds are fixed again on Jesus. Doubts and fears seem less powerful as truth, carried by a melody, fills the room and fills our minds and soul - and God is present. As you delight in the music, he delights with you. 

What song will you play or sing today? One that will encourage you and remind you of God’s faithfulness? One that will quiet you into a place of stillness and calm? Why not choose one now? Bring a joyful song before the Lord. Enjoy it with him.

Prayer - Lord I worship you today. I praise you for your goodness and mercy. Thank you for music and the mystery of its power. May my songs of worship bless you and encourage me this week.