- Grasp eternity in singing
People, yes, even Christians, have this idea that prayer is mandatory, but singing is meant only for those special few or is reserved only for special occasions like a church-gathering! But I want to encourage you today, it does not matter whether you have a gripping voice or not, whether you can sing the tunes to perfection or not, it is important for each one of us to start singing, and join those innumerable voices already involved in singing.
People spend so much time in doing the things that are temporal, but let me show you how singing is for both now and for ever. Yes, singing started much before time began, and will continue even in the life hereafter.
Singing in the Beginning
Job 38:6-7 NKJV: To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Singing by the heavenly hosts
Rev. 5: 9 : And they sang a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood, Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
Singing by the 144,000
Rev. 14:3 : They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth.
Singing by the Victorious
Rev. 15:3 : They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the lamb, saying:
“Great and marvellous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!”
2. Get acclimatised to singing
And when we sing, we bring the heavenly atmosphere down here on earth, and as we sang today, there is refreshment that enters our spirit, when we sing “You bring times of refreshing in my soul”. So, go ahead and bring in times of refreshing - start to sing!
Decide to sing
I have decided no matter what the circumstance is around me, I will let out a joyful song of praise to my Lord. It is a decision, and does not depend on what goes on around me, or whether I feel good or not so good. This is one secret of a victorious life in Christ.
If you lack singing in your personal life, and if the only moments you sing are those in the church service on Sundays, my beloved brothers and sisters, you are in a sorry state. It is necessary to cultivate, start, and habituate singing as an integral part of your life.
It is written about Jesus, thus in Heb. 2:12,
saying: “I {Jesus} will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.” We read and hear much about the prayer-life of Jesus. But do you know that Jesus had a singing life, too? The writer of Hebrews quotes the Psalmist (Ps. 22:22) that Jesus’ earthly ministry had something to do with singing praises to the Father, too. And again, we see that between the Passover feast and the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus took time out to sing a hymn together. As it is written,
Matt. 26:30 : And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
And for us who know now of what Jesus underwent in that Mount of Olives, how He would be betrayed by one of His own, we may well wonder what gain would Jesus gather, in this His hour of gravity, just by singing a hymn. Why? Isn’t prayer supposed to be sufficient? Isn’t it interesting to you that Jesus sang a hymn before He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane? And it is here that we again learn the secret that refreshment in the spirit happens because of singing.
And we know the familiar passages of the Scripture where Paul and Silas, when thrown into prison started praying and singing hymns.
Acts 16:25 : But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
The further sequences of events are only too familiar for us-the sudden earth-quake, the open prison doors, and the saving grace to the Jailer… Have you started singing?
3. Greet one another in singing
Eph. 5:19-20 : Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
The Apostles not only practiced what they saw in Jesus, but they also preached what they practiced. Here is Paul’s letter to Ephesians, asking them to have a ‘singing’ conversation with one another – psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
What a privilege to have a good voice or to be proficient in playing an instrument! But even without that, one must start singing-making melody in your heart. Paul emphasises the same again in the letter to Colossians.
Col. 3:16 : Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
If you think that you do not have the right words to make a song, delve deep into the Scriptures and the word of Christ. There is a entire book of Psalms with 150 songs. King David who wrote more than 70 of those. David had a variety of experiences: As a small boy ignored by his own folks at home, he tended sheep but came closer to the heart of God in songs. Once pursued by king Saul, he had to hide in a cave-but then came a song of praise; once he feigned madness just to escape from Achish-the king of Gath, again came a song of praise.
In times of exhilarating victories, in times of despairing anguish, in times of deepening sin, in times of delightful deliverances and in times of overwhelming pain, running, hiding, fleeing, fighting, resting, dancing-in every circumstance of his own life, David could grasp the eternity of song, gather his wits to find refreshment and climb out of the deepest of pits in his life, by surrounding himself with songs of deliverance.
Psalms are those written in a very personal way in our every-day circumstances.
James 5:13 says: Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.
Hymns are those written for singing together in gatherings-songs of encouragement and hope. And spiritual songs are those sung from the very depths of your spirit.
Gather yourselves, greet one another. Start singing! Is singing important in a believer’s life? Absolutely.
If you are still in doubt, you may take the four-fold test to convince yourself of this truth on this or any other subject: 1. Did Jesus talk about this? 2. Did Jesus practice this? 3. Did the Apostles preach about this? And 4. Did the Apostles practice this?
With respect to singing, you will find all answers are in the affirmative.
1 Cor. 14:15 : What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
Start singing!
No comments:
Post a Comment