Get Excited

Does anyone else get so excited about the things of the Lord while listening to or singing good Christian music? Do you feel like shouting, “Hallelujah”! at the top of your voice?

Do the words to a song lift your heart in such a way that you can’t help but close your eyes and think about God’s goodness and love that he showers upon your life?

Often times, on a Sunday morning, during the song service, I get so caught up in the meaning of the songs we sing, that I feel like shouting out loud and praising God with words of praise! I want to yell, “Amen!” and “Praise God!”.

During these times, I lift my voice to Him and I don’t care who’s listening. I don’t care that I may not be able to reach those high notes. I don’t care that my voice warbles and doesn’t quite stay on the note. I’m not singing for anyone except the Lord. He alone deserves my praise. He is the one that wants to hear me worship Him through song.

And yes, some may look at me and roll their eyes (and they do), and some may whisper something to the person next to them and snicker quietly (and they do),  but all I feel is pity for them. Pity that they are not able to get so caught up with thinking on spiritual things that all they can do is be critical. They sing their songs by heart, not even stopping to really think about what the words are saying and how they might apply them to their lives. They go through the motions. Stand up. Sit down. Shake the hand next to you. Sing a verse. Sing a chorus. Amen.

But where is there fire? Where is there zeal? Where is their excitement? Where is their passion for the things of the Lord? Is there not just a little spark of joy that wells in their hearts as they sing their songs of worship? Can they really sing the songs with no feeling whatsoever?

I see a lot from my vantage point up the front while playing the piano of a Sunday morning. I don’t think people realize how often I look around at the faces of the people in the congregation. (watch out, I could be looking at you!)

I look out and see people that are hurting. People that are in pain. I see people who are totally indifferent. But I also get to see the joyful faces. The faces of those who are really meaning what they’re singing, and it shows on their face. You can see that they are not just singing the words off by heart, mouthing without expression. No. They are excited. They are worshipping the Lord in song. And interestingly enough, often, these people don’t have the most beautiful voices. They are not trained singers. They don’t know how to sing parts. But they know the joy of the Lord and it comes out in their worship to Him through song.

There are times I can’t stop the tears streaming down my face as I play the piano. My vision blurs and I can’t see the hymn book through my tears, but God guides my fingers and keeps my hands moving while I close my eyes and worship him. I think seriously about the words I’m singing and what they mean to me personally and I am overwhelmed by God’s love and mercy to me, a poor and wretched sinner in need of a Saviour. 

I think of His Amazing Grace and His Wonderful Love and His Everlasting Peace and the Burdens that He lifted at Calvary. I think of Heaven and the joy it will be to live with the Lord forever. I think of the time I have here on this earth and how it will be worth it all, when we see Jesus.

Passages regarding music are found in many places in the Bible. God knows the importance of music and the way it can help us. Remember Saul and the effect music had on him as David played his harp for him.

1 Samuel 16:23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

And then we have the priests who praised the Lord so joyfully, that they couldn’t even minister because of the house being filled with a cloud because of the glory of the Lord filling the place! Oh, that that would happen on a Sunday Morning in our churches!

2 Chronicles 5:12-14 Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:) It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

I wrote a series of articles on praise in song a couple of years back and I was amazed to read of all the times that music is mentioned in the Bible.

We are continually reminded to praise God in song.

Psalm 98:1 O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.

Psalm 96:1 O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.

Psalm 40:3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

When we are walking with the Lord and praising Him as we should, He will put a song in our mouth and we will want to sing it. We won’t care who’s listening. We will just want to praise Him.

So, can I encourage you, as you stand to sing at church or wherever it may be, that you sing from your heart? Read over the words carefully as you sing them. Take time to really think about their meaning. Give thanks to God as you sing. Lift up your voices unto the Lord. Don’t be afraid of what people may think. Only be concerned at what God would think as you sing. Sing unto Him. Close your eyes if you need to. Or sing louder if you’re so excited about God’s working in your life that you can’t help but shout it!  Praise Him for what is to come. The promise of eternal life. A life where we will never tire of praising Him. An eternity of worshipping Him.

Get excited about what God has done for you and don’t be afraid of showing your excitement through your worship of Him through song. 

So yes, if you visit our church, you will find me singing and playing unashamedly, wholeheartedly and loudly unto the Lord and no, it won’t bother me if you roll your eyes or snicker. I’m not doing it for your enjoyment, I’m doing it for the Lord!

Psalm 98:4-8 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together.

Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us.

- Martin Luther