Mar 18

Psalm 98:1
Memorise Colossians 3:16
“O sing unto the LORD a new song…”

Who are we singing of? Psalm 98 is a psalm of praise – it exhorts us to praise God for the marvellous things He has done, and for His righteous- ness. God Himself is the clear object of our worship when we sing.

But who are we singing to? We are told to sing and make a joyful noise “unto the LORD”. This phrase appears thrice in this psalm, along with a similar phrase that exhorts God’s people, and God’s creation, to make a joyful noise “before the LORD”. Therefore, when God’s people sing in worship, it is both of God, and to God.

Music is an integral part of worship – indeed Psalm 98 mentions various instruments along with the instruction to sing. True worship makes us think upon all that God is and all that He has done. This stirs in us a reverential fear and lifts our spirits as we remember that He is our God. When we are thus moved, singing is the natural outpouring and expression of our worship.

However, we must remember that all these things must be done as unto the Lord. In our day and age, it is easy to allow the attitude of singing for our own listening pleasure to creep into our worship service. While there is nothing wrong in taking pleasure in the music that we make when we worship God, we must remember that ultimately, it is God’s pleasure in our worship that is the most important. The question we should ask when we sing to God is not “Am I melodious and pleasing to listen to?” but “Is God pleased with my singing?” The answer to that question lies in whether or not our worship is done according to His Word.

Thought: “Take my voice and let me sing, always, only, for my King.”
Prayer: Lord, help me to make sure that my singing is acceptable unto Thee.