daily java

Daily Java: It is good to praise the LORD 
            and make music to your name, O Most High,
to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,
to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp.
For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; 
           I sing for joy at the works of your hands. (Psalm 92)

There is nothing much better than singing praise, especially if I can do so with my family.

In the 1990’s,we sang a lot together. Sam, our son, played drums and I played guitar. Ella and Abby, our daughter, sang with us. We sounded good together.

One reason we sounded so good together was because we just enjoyed the praise. I guess, in retrospect, my son less than us, but we did like to sing.

Much of it is the proclamation of the Lord in harmony. We have always sang in harmony, coming from the Church of Christ as we did. The sang in four part acappella harmony all the time, so we came from that background.

The psalmist also liked to sing. He would pick up his harp, a small stringed instrument, and sing into the night as he watched the sheep. I imagine that after he was king, he kept a harp nearby so he could sing when he wanted to. The people who hung around the king’s court probably knew that any minute he was liable to do that.

Compared to some of the kings, that was pretty pleasant. And it reflected his relationship with God. He was called a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). He was always searching ways to make God pleased.

That’s where the psalms came from. They were original songs written mostly by David. Some were by others, one even by Moses. All were written in response to the heart’s cry to God. They were prayers and petitions, but mostly they were praise.

And nothing is better than good full throated praise.

We went to a church in the mid 90’s that had a Friday night service. The reason we went is because one of the pastors told me on the phone that they had “blow your face off music.” They did, too. It was full bore rocking praise and it was good. It made me realize what could be.

I decided that I would lead no more boring songs services. I wanted to lead or have in my church real live praise to God, praise like in the Old Testament, loud musical, people shouting praise.

I haven’t gotten it yet, but I will one day.

And it will be good.