Thoughtful Praises

Read: Psalm 47

God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with understanding. --- Psalm 47:7

The Bible In One Year:
1 Corinthians 1-4

I wonder what God thinks about the way we sing at church. I'm not talking about the quality of our voices, but the honesty of our words. If we're being truthful, the following rewritten hymn titles might more accurately express what's in our hearts as we sing:

"Just As I Am" is "Just As I Pretend To Be."
"O How I Love Jesus" becomes "O How I Like Jesus."
"I Surrender All" is actually "I Surrender Some."
"He's Everything To Me" means "He's Quite A Bit To Me."

Jesus said that we are to worship Him in truth [John 4:24]. Singing sincerely and with understanding is a serious challenge [Psalm 47:7].

Let's take up the challenge by seeking God's help to make the original titles of these hymns true for us. In repentance and without pretense, let's turn to Him just as we are. In His forgiving presence, let's declare total love for Jesus by surrendering all to Him. As a result, Jesus truly will become everything to us. Then we will be able to sing honestly about Jesus Christ and our love for Him.

As we make melody in our hearts to the Lord [Ephesians 5:19], let's worship in spirit and in truth. --- Joanie Yoder

You are the chosen of the Lord
To sing His highest praise,
And through the melody of song
To show His wondrous ways. --- Anon.

TO SING GOD'S PRAISE, KEEP YOUR HEART IN TUNE WITH HIM.