Psalms of praises I will ever give to Thee. . .

 

A son of our close friends wrote and sang to his bride on their wedding day, a special expression of his love for her. This touched the hearts of all who heard it.

Today I am reminded that music is important to God too. In the OT, He had people trained to sing to Him, and on special days, the “priests praised the Lord day by day, singing with all their might to the Lord.” Psalm 100:2 says, “Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!” Even the mountains, forests, and waste places were called to “break forth with singing” to express the joy of God’s goodness. But His creation isn’t all that sings . . .

Zephaniah 3:17. “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”

The word PSALM literally means to make music. This verse says that making music begins with God. He rejoices over His people, calms us with His love and lifts us up with loud singing. This means that I must listen for God in the music — during worship services, when I play music at home or in my car, and even when I sing, for He may be speaking to me in the melodies.

He certainly speaks to His people in the book of Psalms — which is His song book. Many psalms are filled with joy. Some are sad. Some identify with my problems and sorrows. Others challenge my selfishness. Some praise God’s creation. Some describe Jesus, the coming Messiah. All of them point to the God who sings, who inspired His people to write psalms that reveal truth about His goodness and remind readers how we can live to honor Him.

Psalm 47:7. “For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm!”

Psalm 95:1–2. “Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!”

Psalm 34:11. “Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”

Psalm 90:12. “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

Psalm 94:12. “Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law.”

In the NT, the singing continues. Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

This is powerful. First, it makes me realize that singing this way is being like the Lord. He sings — I am to sing also. Besides, His singing has great power. Even the thought of God singing fills me with unspeakable joy. How could I be troubled when I could listen to my Creator’s voice making music!

Not only that, He shows me the power of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs in my own life. When I am kept awake by worries or a busy mind, singing “Jesus Loves Me” always calms those thoughts and lets me sleep. When I feel fearful, or am in physical pain, singing drives away all fears and stops me from grumbling and feeling sorry for myself. When working at a difficult or challenging or boring task, songs of praise change the chores to delightful duties. Music is powerful. God sings over me and when I sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs back to Him, I am blessed.

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY . . . today this application should read LISTEN TO HIS VOICE. He whispers His presence and His love, and often His directions for the next step. He shouts when I am in danger or doing something stupid. He laughs when others challenge my faith, or when He hands me unexpected blessings. He hums when I need to hear a gentle thought. And sometimes He sings — reminding me that I need to just stop and listen.

 

Growing in grace includes this . . .

The idea of God disciplining people carries many connotations. Some will liken it to the actions of an abusive parent. Others will dismiss it as if God doesn’t care and looks the other way. Scripture says much on this matter and quite frankly, for me the bottom line is that I’m glad God accepts me as I am but equally glad that He isn’t leaving me that way. He teaches, trains, disciplines, even punishes me so that I will be more like a reflection of His image — His intent in creating all of us.

In the OT, DISCIPLINE is often translated from a word that essentially means “to punish in order to gain control or enforce obedience.” This is used as a strong warning to God’s people who are deliberately disobeying Him.

“And if by this discipline you are not turned to me but walk contrary to me, then I also will walk contrary to you, and I myself will strike you sevenfold for your sins. And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute vengeance for the covenant. And if you gather within your cities, I will send pestilence among you, and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. When I break your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in a single oven and shall dole out your bread again by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied. But if in spite of this you will not listen to me, but walk contrary to me, then I will walk contrary to you in fury, and I myself will discipline you sevenfold for your sins. (Leviticus 26:23–28)

As harsh as this sounds, the same word is in this verse about Solomon who became King after his father David died.

I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. (2 Samuel 7:14–15)

The psalmist realized that God’s discipline is a blessing: “Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law.” (Psalm 94:12) God wants the best for us.

Another word translated DISCIPLINE seems easier to receive. It means “training to improve strength or self-control” yet the intention is the same. God knows that “The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray.” (Proverbs 5:22–23) He also knows that “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.” (Proverbs 12:1) and explains His discipline this way: “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.” (Proverbs 13:24)

This is loving discipline that wants the best for a child, not the selfish discipline of ‘quit it because you are annoying me.’

The NT has parallel word translated as DISCIPLINE. One means “to be or become subjected to a penalty (as pain, shame, restraint, or loss) for an offense in order to induce some behavior.” Most parents know that some children need tough love to stay out of trouble. Our son was only 3 or 4 when he kept running across a busy street to play with a friend. He didn’t look for cars or listen to our warnings. I told him if he did it again, he would stay in bed all day. He did it the next morning and had lunch and supper in his crib. Harsh? Maybe, but he never did it again.

God also uses this word to say, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” (Revelation 3:19)

Another word translated DISCIPLINE means “upbringing or teaching, the whole training and education of children (both the cultivation of mind and morals); includes commands, admonitions, reproof, and punishment.”

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4)

I understand this to mean I’m to be the same kind of loving parent that God is toward me.

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. Hebrews 12 points out that God disciplines those He loves. I am treated as His child.  If He didn’t discipline me, this would indicate that I am not in His forever family. Therefore, I should not get tired of His training, even the chastening part because God adopted me into His family and wants me to share in His holiness. Discipline isn’t fun at the time, but the results are the “peaceful fruit of righteousness” and that makes discipline a genuine blessing.