I was feeling a bit glum and grumpy yesterday when I read these words in the apostle Paul's letter to the Ephesians:
"Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord."
This verse is part of a wonderful section in Ephesians 5:19-20 which is all about thanksgiving and joy - a foretaste of heaven.
Me? Sing? I'm a monotone. Family members can't help but smile when I sing - and I sing robustly.
But, in my heart I can sing like an opera singer. One of my favourite pieces of music is the "Hallelujah Chorus" in Handel's choral masterpiece "The Messiah". Sometimes, I feel the music swelling up within and I imagine the hallelujahs pouring out of me in song.
There is a great picture of heavenly worship in Revelation 5:11-13 where the apostle John sees in his vision "ten thousand times ten thousand" angels surrounding God in heaven and singing praises to Jesus. As they sing, all the creatures in creation join in.
Imagine that. What a chorus!
There is something about song that ushers us into the presence of God. I noticed that again last Sunday evening when we were praying in our church for the people we wanted to enter the kingdom of God. Worship songs prepared us to seek God for our loved ones.
As I say, Paul's words that I read are part of a section about praising God.
We are to come before him in prayer, offering songs of joy and worship in our hearts.
Then, we are to give thanks to God for everything. Always - not sometimes.
Of course, many will say that we can't give thanks for bad things that happen to us or our loved ones.
Paul certainly believed we could because in 2 Corinthians 12, he says that he asked God to remove a "thorn" in his flesh but God refused, telling him that "his (God's) grace is made perfect in weakness". Paul said he would boast in his weakness so that "Christ's power may rest on me".
Paul knew that God had a plan for his good and was working it out in his life, no matter what happened.
But even if we find ourselves unable to go as far as Paul, we can certainly praise God in tough circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). We need simply remind ourselves about God's character, his love and mercy to us, and the good things he has given us.
Paul is telling me that I must make a habit of singing in my heart to God and thanking him. I must do it always - particularly when I feel glum and grumpy.
There is no better antidote to glumness and grumpiness.
"Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord."
This verse is part of a wonderful section in Ephesians 5:19-20 which is all about thanksgiving and joy - a foretaste of heaven.
Me? Sing? I'm a monotone. Family members can't help but smile when I sing - and I sing robustly.
But, in my heart I can sing like an opera singer. One of my favourite pieces of music is the "Hallelujah Chorus" in Handel's choral masterpiece "The Messiah". Sometimes, I feel the music swelling up within and I imagine the hallelujahs pouring out of me in song.
There is a great picture of heavenly worship in Revelation 5:11-13 where the apostle John sees in his vision "ten thousand times ten thousand" angels surrounding God in heaven and singing praises to Jesus. As they sing, all the creatures in creation join in.
Imagine that. What a chorus!
There is something about song that ushers us into the presence of God. I noticed that again last Sunday evening when we were praying in our church for the people we wanted to enter the kingdom of God. Worship songs prepared us to seek God for our loved ones.
As I say, Paul's words that I read are part of a section about praising God.
We are to come before him in prayer, offering songs of joy and worship in our hearts.
Then, we are to give thanks to God for everything. Always - not sometimes.
Of course, many will say that we can't give thanks for bad things that happen to us or our loved ones.
Paul certainly believed we could because in 2 Corinthians 12, he says that he asked God to remove a "thorn" in his flesh but God refused, telling him that "his (God's) grace is made perfect in weakness". Paul said he would boast in his weakness so that "Christ's power may rest on me".
Paul knew that God had a plan for his good and was working it out in his life, no matter what happened.
But even if we find ourselves unable to go as far as Paul, we can certainly praise God in tough circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). We need simply remind ourselves about God's character, his love and mercy to us, and the good things he has given us.
Paul is telling me that I must make a habit of singing in my heart to God and thanking him. I must do it always - particularly when I feel glum and grumpy.
There is no better antidote to glumness and grumpiness.
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