“For it is good to sing praises to our God.” – Psalm 147:1
“The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and He adds no sorrow with it…The prospect of the righteous is joy.” – Proverbs 10:22, 28
“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the Good Shepherd.” – John 10:10, 11
“Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…” – Ephesians 5:18-20
“Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.” – James 5:13
Our story is a really good story! It is a story of Good News that should bring us joy. When we receive good news we clap and shout and dance and, many times, sing! Let’s stay parked another day at the oasis of the Psalms. We learned yesterday that our story has a sound track and today we are invited to join into the chorus. God, the Director, Producer, and Writer of our story, also has composed the music of our journey. You see, God wants your life to SING!
Many, however, do not see it that way. They read the Bible and see God as a cosmic killjoy. They see God as a tyrannical deity that wants to rule over us as slaves…to burden us with rules and regulations and call it “religion”. In other words, God is set on taking all the joy out of our lives. It’s no wonder that people flee from the church rather than embrace it.
Let me tell you today that nothing could be further from the truth! Our heavenly Father who loves us, wants us to experience life “abundantly” and joyfully! God wants you to be happy and fulfilled!
Why are we so skeptical of good news? I confess that many times when I receive good news my first thought is, “OK, but what’s the catch?” I am waiting for the proverbial “other shoe” to drop. The Scriptures above give quite the opposite perspective of the God who adores us. The wisdom of Proverbs tells us that when God blesses He does not add sorrow to it! God is not interested in blessing you just to “pull the rug” out from under you.
The words of Jesus clearly show us His intention and purpose as our Good Shepherd…too give us life…but not just life…life ABUNDANTLY! The truth is that we can never experience the abundant life that God has designed for us without a relationship to Jesus. Unfortunately, this is the polar opposite of what the world thinks of Jesus.
Therefore, people search high and low for the things that will give them joy in life. They confuse pleasure with fulfillment and chase every vice the world has to offer. Unfortunately, they always end up empty and, most of the time, in a worse place than before. The noise of this world drowns out the symphony of God’s love and their ears grow dull to the music they were designed to dance to. The joy that God intended for them seems an unbelievable fantasy…”what’s the catch?” Have you ever been there? We all have. You are not alone in this story.
Please don’t misunderstand, life is not always a picnic in the park. The songs we sing are sometimes sad and in a minor key. Our story’s playlist has songs from all genres expressing many emotions. To experience abundant life is to experience all of life. This Book of Psalms is a testament of that truth. There are happy ones, sad ones and downright angry ones, but all are sung in the context of a relationship. An “abundant” and growing relationship with a loving Father.
O Believer, no matter how you are feeling today, let your heart sing to the Lord. He waits to hear from you. “It is good to sing to the Lord”.
Right now, in your story, a song may be just what you need.