Throughout
the Psalms, the importance of singing is often addressed. In
Psalm 147:1, we are told to praise the Lord with singing (singing is
implied by what follows) and given three reasons why we ought to sing.
First, it is good.
When something is "good," according to the Scriptures, it
does what it was made to do. God called creation good partly
because it worked just as God intended. In our sin-tainted
world, where it is hard sometimes to find genuine goodness, it is
refreshing to experience the goodness of something we were made to
do, such as singing the praises of the Lord.
Second, we are told that singing
God's praises is pleasant. I find that it is great fun
to sing for the Lord. It often happens that following a choir
rehearsal, someone comes up to me and says, "I was so tired
tonight, I almost didn't come to practice. But I'm sure glad I
did. Singing together in rehearsal has really picked me
up. I feel great now!" There's also something very
special about people who come together to sing for the Lord.
The tend to be very fun people, which probably accounts for all the
laughter and light-hearted moments that so often accompany choir rehearsals.
Finally, we are told that praise
is becoming. This means it fits us well. It looks
good on a person.
I love to watch people who are
engaged in singing God's praises. They look great! It is
a wonderful luxury, I am told, to go to a tailor and have clothes
made for you. The reason tailor-made clothes are so special is
that they really fit you. Clothes bought off-the-rack can only
fit approximately, at best, because they are made to general size
specifications, not for you personally. Well, God made for you
something that fits like a glove and looks really good on you - the
activity of praising him in song.
So, if you want to do something
that is truly good, brings great pleasure, and makes you look great,
sing your heart out in worship Sunday mornings as we praise our
wonderful God together! If you want to maximize the benefits of
singing for the Lord, be sure to choose from all the choral
opportunities available! In either case, KEEP SINGING!
To the praise of his glorious grace!
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