I got this email this morning and it just hit me. I tend to think of worship as David dancing for joy when the ark came into the city. The Bible says, "And David was dancing before the LORD with all his might" (2 Samuel 6:14).
It has been a while since I have been there. But like a dear friend told me recently, I can still put on the music and let it speak what I cannot. I've come to realize the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, bringing our petitions to God and so, even now, with a broken heart and a tired spirit, I hope it still is.
The word “sing” occurs over one hundred times in the Bible—more than sixty of them in the book of Psalms alone. Verses 4 and 12 in today’s passage (Ps 30) both tie singing and giving thanks together. There are a number of illustrations in Scripture of the powerful effect of praise through music.
When I talk with women who are struggling with chronic discouragement or depression, I often ask two questions: (1) Are you memorizing Scripture? and (2) Are you singing to the Lord? These aren’t magic “pills” that will make every emotional struggle go away, but I’ve found them to be extremely effective at recalibrating my heart and restoring inner peace. At times, when I am deeply distraught or discouraged, I’ll open my hymnal and just begin to sing. As I sing to the Lord, my heart and mind are re-tethered to His goodness and love, and invariably, the cloud begins to lift.
Whether it’s a cloudy or sunny day in your heart, sing! Right now, if possible. Put on a CD or your iPod and sing along with others, or just sing to Him on your own.
Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Right now JJ Heller's new CD is on repeat, it is amazing and fills me with joy and peace.
Some other songs I use frequently when I want to worship:
- Add to the Beauty - Sara Groves
- At the Foot of the Cross - Kathryn Scott
- Desert Song - Hillsong United
- In Christ Alone - Adrienne Liesching
- The Stand - Hillsong
- When the Saints - Sara Groves
- When you Come Back - JJ Heller
- World's Apart- Jars of Clay
- Your Hands - JJ Heller
What artists do you turn to? What songs do you turn to when you want to sing out and praise?
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