Sing to God, sing praises to His name; extol Him who rides on the clouds, by His name Yah, and rejoice before Him. (Psalm 68:4)
Children, by nature, like to sing and dance, and I might add with great enthusiasm. All four of my children certainly did and without the inhibitions that seem to overtake us as we grow older. Breaking into song comes quite natural to them which convinces me that all of mankind was created with the innate ability and desire to sing. And if we were created with this ability, then obviously the Creator intended that our song and celebration should be dedicated to Him. In short, we were created to praise and honor God and to rejoice before Him. That being said, He doesn’t force into this; He desires that we would praise Him of our own volition.
Though we are born with this inclination to express ourself in song, as I alluded to, something seems to happen as we grow older, at least with some. We become self-conscious, embarrassed and intimidated to sing out loud which then spills over into our expressions of worship of God. For some reason, we are hesitant to sing praises to His Name in the company of others — this should not be. To the contrary, we should gladly rejoice and sing and inspire others to do likewise. We need to reclaim some of that child-like enthusiasm to sing with all of our hearts regardless of who is around. It is a good thing when we can block out all the mental distractions and lift up our voice to God and “extol Him who rides on the clouds.”
Not everyone has the greatest singing voice, and unfortunately, that influences some to keep silent in a congregational setting. However, the voice we have is the one given to us by our Creator. Who are we to withhold from Him what He gave to us to sing praises to His Name? It may not sound that great to the person next to us, but if it is an authentic and heartfelt expression of our love for Him, I have to believe it is truly music to His ears. As I write this, I can’t help but think of a young man I know who, frankly, can’t carry a tune in a bucket, as the old saying goes. When we sing as a congregation, he always sings out of tune but his voice, which rises above all others, is one of the loveliest sounds you can hear. I say that because he sings praises to God with all his heart and soul. May we all do the same.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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