“Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.” – Psalm 147:1
“Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, His praise in the assembly of the godly!” – Psalm 149:1
Oh, I forgot to tell you…this story…the “One Story” has a sound track! Yes! Our God, the Author of our story is a lover of the arts…music, poetry, dance…etc. In fact, all creative expression started with Him and comes from Him. Looking at the world around us we see and experience the creative work of God with all our senses. Our most prolific song writer in our story, David, tells us that,
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the end of the world.” (Psalm 19:1-4).
Our God is an Artist! He understands that a good story must speak to all the senses in order to reach us on the deepest levels. He has created this world with a rhythm that can be experienced most deeply when set to music. So, it is no accident that the largest Book of the Bible is a song book and that it is set right in the middle of our story. Yes, our God, the Author of our story is a music lover.
By the way, although there are 150 chapters in this musical collection, there are lots of songs scattered throughout the Scriptures. In fact, many significant events in the Bible are accompanied by music. Why?
Most will acknowledge that the music and the arts communicate to us on a deeper level than mere words. There is something special that happens when music is integrated into a story. It can move us in ways that touch us emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. A great musical score, for example, can pull us into the movie and we find ourselves “caught up” in a moment. Words alone can feed our minds but, when put to music, can pierce our hearts. The tears begin to flow or the feet begin to dance and we are brought into a whole new experience. Let me give you a few examples from our story:
After the crossing of the Red Sea:
“Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, ‘I will sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider He has thrown into the sea.” – Exodus 15:1
After David killed Goliath in the Valley of Elah:
“As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. And the women sang to one another as they celebrated…” – 1 Samuel 18:6, 7
From beginning to end we find poetry and music in the Scriptures. Mary, the mother of Jesus, sings before going to Bethlehem (Luke 1:46-55). Jesus quoted words of a song from the cross (Mark 15:34). Paul and Silas sing in the prison of Philippi (Acts 16:25). In Revelation all of heaven is filled with singing!
Today, I want you to realize that this story is not just a dry narration to feed you with information. It is a production for you to experience! God has brought together this symphony of details and set them to music in order to reach us in on a deeper level. The Book of Psalms is a wonderful illustration. Within its verses we find comfort in our darkest hours, encouragement when we are defeated, assurance when we are lonely, and joy in victory! But, most of all, we find a God who calls us to love with all that we are.
Yes, your life has a sound track. Go to your favoritie Psalm today…hit “play”…and enjoy your story!