The Power of Singing

Readings for today: 2 Chronicles 18-20, Psalms 75

Yesterday, we wrapped up our training conference in northern Uganda. As is our custom, we held a commissioning service to send out our church planters. We prayed for them. We encouraged them with Scripture. We heard testimonies. But the part that always gets me is the singing. These men and women are headed into some of the most difficult to reach places on earth. They will face food insecurity and potential starvation. They will lack access to clean drinking water. They will sleep in the bush. They will leave their families for days at a time. They will be attacked along the way. Persecuted for their faith. Some might be imprisoned. We even had one brother martyred for his faith in the past year. And still they sing. Still they go forth with praises on their lips. It’s awe-inspiring.

It reminds me so much of what we read in today’s passage. King Jehoshaphat is so confident in his victory over his enemies that he sends a choir out to lead his army. “Then he consulted with the people and appointed some to sing for the Lord and some to praise the splendor of his holiness. When they went out in front of the armed forces, they kept singing: Give thanks to the Lord, for his faithful love endures forever.”(2 Chronicles‬ ‭20‬:‭21‬ ‭CSB‬‬) This is par for the course for Jehoshaphat. He’s a faithful king. A godly king. One who places his trust in the Lord. So when he hears news that the nations around him have banded together and brought a mighty army against him, he doesn’t panic. He declares a fast. He calls on the people to pray. They cry out to the Lord and He delivers them from their enemies. All that is left for them to do is sing. Sing of His goodness. Sing of His faithfulness. Sing of His steadfast love forever.

Over the years, I’ve had a lot of people ask me why Christians sing and my answer is always the same. We sing because we know the Lord has delivered us. We sing because the Lord has saved us. When the mighty powers of sin and death and devil came against us, we sing because God has protected us and scattered our enemies. In fact, when Christians in the churches I’ve led start arguing over the singing, it’s a sure sign we’ve lost sight of all God has done for us. When we fuss and fight or withhold our singing out of spite, we are making a mockery of the Lord’s salvation and He is not pleased. God has performed a miraculous work for us. How can we not help singing? How can we not join our voices together and sing of the goodness of God? How can we not praise the Lord for all His benefits? The next time you have the opportunity to sing, sing with all your heart. Sing with all our soul. Sing at the top of your lungs. Sing for joy. Sing for love. Sing for God.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Chronicles 21-24, Psalms 76 (No devotionals on Sundays)

A Life of Praise

Readings for today: 2 Chronicles 1-4, Psalms 71

God wants us to live a life of praise. A life of continual thanksgiving for all He has done for us. A life of faith with our eyes continually focused on our Savior. God wants us to understand all of life is in His hands. All our days are numbered according to His sovereign will. All our resources counted out in advance by His plan. All our experiences - good, bad, and otherwise - are sovereignty used by God to shape us into the image of His Son. When we see life from this perspective, we cannot help but praise the Lord. We cannot help but fall to our knees in awe and wonder. We are humbled and honored and blessed and life takes on a glory we could never create for ourselves.

I find myself sitting in a cafe in Uganda reflecting on God’s goodness to me. Who could have known He would send me to the ends of the earth over and over again to proclaim his gospel to the nations? Who could have planned for my life to work out the way that it has? Since the day God delivered me on the campus of the University of Colorado in Boulder, He has used me to advance His Kingdom on the earth. Who am I that God would choose me? Who am I that God would use me in such a way? Who am I that God would honor me? I am nothing. My life is but a breath. My days pass so quickly. And yet God has favored me. Perhaps this is why the Psalm we read this morning hits so differently today.

“Lord, I seek refuge in you; let me never be disgraced. In your justice, rescue and deliver me; listen closely to me and save me. Be a rock of refuge for me, where I can always go. Give the command to save me, for you are my rock and fortress. Deliver me, my God, from the power of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and oppressive.” I can look back and see where God has answered this prayer in my life. He has been a refuge for me in times of trouble. He has never let me be disgraced. He has rescued and delivered me in so many situations. He has remained close to me and protected me. He has not allowed the wicked to triumph over me. My life is a testimony to His goodness and grace.

“For you are my hope, Lord God, my confidence from my youth. I have leaned on you from birth; you took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is always about you. I am like a miraculous sign to many, and you are my strong refuge. My mouth is full of praise and honor to you all day long.” From the day I said “yes” to Jesus, God has been my confidence. He has been my stronghold. He has filled me with His Spirit and anointed my days. He has made my life a miraculous sign to many. What can I do in response to all He has done for me? I can praise God. I can praise Him with my lips. I can praise Him with my heart. I can praise Him from the depths of my soul.

“Don’t discard me in my old age. As my strength fails, do not abandon me. For my enemies talk about me, and those who spy on me plot together, saying, “God has abandoned him; chase him and catch him, for there is no one to rescue him.” God, do not be far from me; my God, hurry to help me. May my adversaries be disgraced and destroyed; may those who intend to harm me be covered with disgrace and humiliation. But I will hope continually and will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell about your righteousness and your salvation all day long, though I cannot sum them up. I come because of the mighty acts of the Lord God; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.” Now I am growing older. And as I age, I fully expect my outer body to waste away even as my inner body is renewed day by day. The days will fly by more quickly. My strength and energy will diminish over time. My wisdom and knowledge will eventually fail. But God will remain my hope and I will praise Him more and more. I will use every breath to tell the world of your righteousness and your mighty works.

“God, you have taught me from my youth, and I still proclaim your wondrous works. Even while I am old and gray, God, do not abandon me, while I proclaim your power to another generation, your strength to all who are to come. Your righteousness reaches the heights, God, you who have done great things; God, who is like you? You caused me to experience many troubles and misfortunes, but you will revive me again. You will bring me up again, even from the depths of the earth. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again. Therefore, I will praise you with a harp for your faithfulness, my God; I will sing to you with a lyre, Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you because you have redeemed me. Therefore, my tongue will proclaim your righteousness all day long, for those who intend to harm me will be disgraced and confounded.” (Psalms‬ ‭71‬:‭1‬-‭24‬ ‭CSB‬‬) What an incredible privilege it is to proclaim God’s power and works to yet another generation. To remind everyone yet again of the glory and honor and power and splendor and majesty of God. To teach everyone to number the days they’ve been given and count the hours God has blessed them with and use all the time they have to tell others about Christ. God has taught us from our youth…so we proclaim His good works. God has blessed us in our old age…so we proclaim His power to another generation. God has caused us to go through trials and temptations, good times and bad…so we tell of His deliverance and salvation. God has brought us up over and over again from the depths of the earth to increase us in honor and comfort…so we praise Him yet again. Praise Him with all that we are and all that we have and all the energy we have left. We proclaim His praise all the day long!

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Chronicles 5-8, Psalms 72

Humility

Readings for today: Job 40-42, Psalms 146

Worship is intimately tied to humility. In fact, I would argue it is essential. It’s why we struggle to worship. It’s why we struggle to develop a passion for worship. We have little to no understanding of the vastness and splendor and overwhelming majesty of God. We also have little to no understanding of the depths of our sin and brokenness and weakness and insignificance in this universe. We think too highly of ourselves and too little of God. This is why worship can seem so foreign and so boring. This is why we struggle to find any consistent connection with God. The final chapters of Job offer an antidote to our pride. They reframe our understanding of our position in the world. They put us in our place.

I love how Job responds to God. “The Lord answered Job: Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who argues with God give an answer. Then Job answered the Lord: I am so insignificant. How can I answer you? I place my hand over my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not reply; twice, but now I can add nothing.” (Job‬ ‭40‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭CSB) Job is humble. Job acknowledges his insignificance. Job sees the error of his ways. He knows he has no right to demand anything from God. “Then Job replied to the Lord: I know that you can do anything and no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, “Who is this who conceals my counsel with ignorance?” Surely I spoke about things I did not understand, things too wondrous for me to know. You said, “Listen now, and I will speak. When I question you, you will inform me.” I had heard reports about you, but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore, I reject my words and am sorry for them; I am dust and ashes.” (Job‬ ‭42‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Job repents of his ignorance. He repents of his foolishness. He repents of speaking of things to wonderful and infinite for him to know. Job sees God and bows before Him. Job hears God and kneels in the dust and ashes.

I have often thought it would be good to read these final chapters from Job on a daily basis. Just to remind myself of who God is as Creator and who I am as creature. It is healthy to know my limits. It is good to know my place in God’s world. It takes all the pressure off to know how deeply insignificant I am in comparison to God. To know how weak and ignorant I am when it comes to the things of this world. For all my knowledge and understanding. For all my training and education. For all my experience and travels in the world. I know so very little. I am able to do so very little. The impact I make is so very small. And yet - because of God - there is a ripple created that He uses to change so many things. Because of God, even the faith of a mustard seed can move mountains. Because of God, even the meager offering a few loaves and a few fish can feed thousands. Because of God, even the smallest and most insignificant acts carry eternal weight and glory. When I repent of my pride and arrogance. When I empty myself of all my selfishness and greed. When I bow before the Lord and kneel in the dust and ashes of my own life, God is more than able to fill me and restore me and take me to heights I’ve never dreamed of and show me things I could never have conceived of on my own. When I am weak, He is strong. When I am ignorant, He is wise. All He asks for is trust.

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 1-2, 147

Praise

Readings for today: Job 38-39, Psalms 145

When God reveals Himself to us, there is only one response…worship. Praise. Thanksgiving. Falling on our faces before Him as we realize how infinitely wide the gulf is between us. Today’s reading is a great pairing of some of the most awe-inspiring chapters of the Bible - where God answers Job from the whirlwind - and some of the most beautiful words of praise from the Psalmist. As I read them, I found myself on my knees before God offering up the words of the Psalm as a prayer.

“Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind. He said: Who is this who obscures my counsel with ignorant words? Get ready to answer me like a man; when I question you, you will inform me.” (Job‬ ‭38‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭CSB‬‬) How often do I obscure God’s counsel with my ignorant words? How often do I try to remake God after my own image? How often do I lean on my own futile and finite understanding? For all my theological training, I have barely come to scratch the surface of my understanding of God. For all my years of ministry, I have barely begun to see the edges of His ways. For all the time and energy I put into my daily devotional time and weekly worship of God, I have barely dipped my toes into the depths of His love and grace. How can I then respond to Him? What words can I offer that won’t obscure His counsel or expose my ignorance? I can only offer words of praise. The words of the Psalmist. The Spirit-inspired words of David.

“I exalt you, my God the King, and bless your name forever and ever. I will bless you every day; I will praise your name forever and ever. The Lord is great and is highly praised; his greatness is unsearchable. One generation will declare your works to the next and will proclaim your mighty acts. I will speak of your splendor and glorious majesty and your wondrous works. They will proclaim the power of your awe-inspiring acts, and I will declare your greatness. They will give a testimony of your great goodness and will joyfully sing of your righteousness. The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and great in faithful love. The Lord is good to everyone; his compassion rests on all he has made. All you have made will thank you, Lord; the faithful will bless you. They will speak of the glory of your kingdom and will declare your might, informing all people of your mighty acts and of the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; your rule is for all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words and gracious in all his actions. The Lord helps all who fall; he raises up all who are oppressed. All eyes look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all his acts. The Lord is near all who call out to him, all who call out to him with integrity. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry for help and saves them. The Lord guards all those who love him, but he destroys all the wicked. My mouth will declare the Lord’s praise; let every living thing bless his holy name forever and ever.” (Psalms‬ ‭145‬:‭1‬-‭21‬ ‭CSB)

These words are worth meditating on. They are worth reading over and over again. Let them sink into your heart. Let them settle into your soul. Let your mind be shaped by them. Let your actions be inspired by them. Take up the challenge and declare God’s works to the next generation. Speak of His splendor and majesty to everyone you meet. Share His greatness. Offer your testimony. Tell others how good and gracious and loving our God is and how He has compassion on all He has made. Let the hurting know He is near. Let those who have fallen know the Lord is there to help. Let those who seek Him know He will be found. Bless His name day after day after day. This is our call.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 40-42, Psalms 146

Praise the Lord!

Readings for today: Psalms 146-150

I love these final Psalms. My heart leaps every year when we get to this point in our Bible reading. Probably because I love to sing. I was taught to sing by my mother from the moment I came into this world. She was a gifted musician and teacher who instilled in me a deep love for music. It didn’t matter the style. The instrumentation wasn’t important. We sang in the home around her piano. We sang in church at her side. We sang as we did our chores. In fact, I still sing while I do the dishes to this day! Making up words to silly songs to simply pass the time. My family looks at me like I’m crazy. Ha!

The Psalms are songs. I know it sounds so basic and yet it’s so easy to forget. Reading the words in English just doesn’t do the Hebrew poetry justice. We lose something important in translation. We aren’t familiar with the tunes and so we reduce the Psalms to just words on a page rather than songs in hearts. But the Psalms represent the hymnal for ancient Israel. These were the songs they sang when they came to worship. Over and over again, they would repeat them. They knew each of them by heart. They sang them with all their might in the congregation, especially when it was time to gather for festivals in Jerusalem. These songs focus their attention on God. His greatness. His faithfulness. His goodness. His grace. Very little attention is paid to us or our feelings or our experiences. The Psalms send our thoughts soaring as we contemplate the immensity of the Lord. Can you imagine worshipping with God’s people at the Temple? Can you imagine joining all of Israel at the Temple and singing them at the top of your lungs.? Wave after wave of sound ascending to the heavens? Hearts on fire? Passion for God enflamed? Love for Him crescendoing? The worship of God overwhelming the senses? It must have been so powerful to witness and experience

I have worshipped with Christians around the world. I have worshipped with Christians in cathedrals and stick huts, in beautiful auditoriums and living rooms in homes, in prisons and in stadiums. I have worshipped in formal and informal settings. I have worshipped in churches with elaborate ritual and liturgy and churches that were free-flowing and extemporaneous. I have worshipped with Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, Baptists, charismatics, and Pentecostals. I have worshipped in African-American churches, Asian-American churches, Latino-American churches, ethnic/immigrant churches, and suburban white churches. Again, the style doesn’t matter. The format doesn’t matter. The instrumentation doesn’t matter. What matters is the heart. Worshipping without any self-conscious pride or ego or insecurities or worries or anxieties. Worshipping without any sense of judgment or personal preference. In such places, the joy is palpable. The sense of love is extraordinary. The fellowship is rich. And the worship is powerful.

How do we get from here to there? We worship like Israel. We praise the God “who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.” (Psalms‬ ‭146:7-9‬) We recount God’s goodness. We praise God’s greatness. We sing about God’s provision. God’s protection. God’s miraculous healing. God’s deliverance from evil. 

Like Israel, we praise the God who “determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure...He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry...He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes...He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.” (Psalms‬ ‭147:4-5, 8-9, 16, 18‬) We thank God for the rain that brings life to our dry land. We praise God for the flowers as they bloom, the crops as they rise, the herds as they flourish, the grass on the hillsides as it grows rich and full and green.  

Like Israel, we acknowledge that when we praise our God, we are joining our voices with the heavens and the earth. The heavenly host and the saints who have gone before us. We join the great cloud of witnesses around the throne of God to give Him the worship due His Holy Name. “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!” (‭Psalms‬ ‭148:1-4‬) 

Oh, how I hope and pray for the day when we can abandon ourselves to worship in the way Israel once did! Oh, how I hope and pray for the day when we can put aside all pretense and pride and self-consciousness and insecurity and consumeristic thoughts and attitudes and worship God like so many of our brothers and sisters throughout history and around the world! Oh, how I long for the day when we would come face to face with our God! See Him for who He is! Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth! Give Him the praise He deserves! The worship He demands! Fall on our faces before His throne, casting all our crowns before Him! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Kings 9, 2 Chronicles 8, Proverbs 25-26

Praise the Lord

Readings for today: Psalms 97-99

Today’s Psalms are songs of praise. They declare the truth that God is king over all the earth. He is the sovereign ruler of the universe. As such, He deserves our praise. He deserves our thanksgiving. He is worthy of all honor and glory. His name is above every name. Because He is good and just and righteous, we can trust Him. We can submit to Him. We can gladly give our hearts to Him.

It’s impossible to overstate the utter uniqueness of the Jewish - and later, Christian - view of God. Human beings have always worshipped gods. The earliest records of Homo Sapiens found deep in caverns across the globe depict humans engaged in worship. We worship animals. We worship the weather. We worship nature. We worship each other. We make up names for these gods. We create elaborate rituals to appease these gods. They are capricious and arbitrary. Often cruel and malicious. They are selfish and greedy for their own gain. In short, we make gods in our own image. Gods that reflect what we know of human behavior. It’s all we can understand.

The great 20th century rabbi, Abraham Heschel, once described the Scriptures not as man’s search for God but God’s search for man. This is what sets Judaism and Christianity apart. We didn’t create God, He created us. We didn’t make God in our image, He made us in His own image. We didn’t seek God or find God or discover God, He revealed Himself to us. He has come to us over and over again throughout history starting all the way back with a guy named Abraham and then culminating in the Person of Jesus Christ. The Word made flesh and blood. Over the course of thousands of years, as God interacted with humanity, He revealed His nature and character. He showed Himself to be good and just and righteous and trustworthy. He is the source of all wisdom and power. He reigns sovereign over all He has made. He sits on His throne as judge and king over all the earth. And this is why we praise Him. This is why we compose new songs to sing to Him. This is why we rejoice in the Lord and all He has done for us. This is why we love Him.

One of the most important things we can do as we seek to cultivate a deep, intimate prayer life is learn to praise God. Praise God for who He is and all He has done. Praise God for the ways He has impacted our lives and blessed us with every spiritual blessing. As we learn to praise God, giving Him the honor and glory due His name, we find our hearts lifted up. Our souls find rest. Our minds are at peace. For we know God is still sitting on His throne. There is never a moment He is not in charge. And because He is a good and righteous and just and loving God, we can trust Him. We can trust Him with our lives. We can trust Him with our families. We can trust Him with our needs, wants, and desires. We can trust Him with our future. This is why we praise the Lord!

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Samuel 24, 1 Chronicles 21-22, Psalm 30