Have a Voice? Have An Instrument?

Some of the grandkids at recital--okay, I'm proud! 

  Oh sing to the LORD a new song,
        for he has done marvelous things!
    His right hand and his holy arm
        have worked salvation for him.
    The LORD has made known his salvation;
        he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.

    Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;
        break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
    Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
        with the lyre and the sound of melody!
    With trumpets and the sound of the horn
        make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!
    Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
        the world and those who dwell in it!
    Let the rivers clap their hands;
        let the hills sing for joy together
    before the LORD, for he comes
        to judge the earth.
    He will judge the world with righteousness,
        and the peoples with equity.
Psalm 98:1-24-9 

 This Messianic psalm is such a joyful one, written to encourage praise and worship of the One who saved Israel and who will come to judge the earth in righteousness and fairness.  When I read it I thought of my grandchildren struggling through the first years of music lessons.  The first few years are tedious, not always enjoyable (to either the parents or the kiddos!) and very time-consuming if they are going to learn to excel.  But for the remainder of their lives they have a method by which to "clap their hands" to the Lord.

I believe that every time we sing a song to the Lord, whether it is a song we are just learning or one we have sung for many, many years, we are singing a new song to Him.  But the question is, are we just singing, or are we singing to the Lord?  How many times have we sung a familiar song and as we finished singing, realized that we have no idea what we just repeated?  I'd like to say I have never done that, but unfortunately I can't.  Our deserving God has the right to hear our heartfelt and cognitive praise and worship each and every time we open our mouths to sing His songs.

Can't sing?  Join with the earth and make a joyful noise!  Roar with the sea!  Clap your hands with the rivers!  Pick up your old rusty trumpet or horn (or piano or violin or guitar) and play joyfully.  Oh, go ahead, sing aloud to the Lord!  Sing a new song to Him.  Make up one! If it is genuine praise directed to Him, He will love it.  (You might want to wait until you have a little privacy if you really can't carry a tune!)

I am so glad that my grandchildren are learning to play instruments, and I pray that both their voices and the skills that they learn will be joyful noise to the King, the Lord of Hosts.  And if I can find 5 minutes today, I think I'll pick up my violin and make a joyful noise to the Lord myself!

I'd sing now but I'm the only one up!

Gloria