Why Singing in Praise to God Is Enough

The other day I stopped at a goodwill on my way home after delivering Carrie to her job.

Somebody must have just cleared out a lot of good music CD's, because I found a stack of wonderful music, almost all of which were half off the small goodwill price.

Good music truly enriches my life.

While driving Carrie to work or back, I listen to Family Christian Radio, which is mostly hymns and songs in traditional style, and Bible reading.

How I enjoy the arrangements they play!

Recently I realized how few new CDs we've purchased in the last many years. To be honest, I'm a bit worn out on the music we have.

So how thankful I was to find a whole bunch of fresh CDs, even if they were used!

There were several nice Christmas CD's, a couple Easter ones, and even a Cowboy one from the Wranglers. 
 There was choral music such as Mormon Tabernacle Choir, patriotic music, and hymns played by traditional Salvation Army bands.

Recently I've thought a lot about how we worship and praise God, especially as we see others around us giving expression to their praise in ways that are louder, more emotional, vocal, and intense than ours.

What if we don't shout, wave our arms, run the aisles, jump, burst into tears, or throw songbooks in the air like we've heard of some saint doing?
Does that mean we aren't spiritual enough?
Is simply singing praise to God enough?

According to Scripture it is.

There are times when testimonies, shouts and other forms of praise are also acceptable and good before the Lord, as the Psalms clearly teach.

But simply singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord can be enough--

especially if we are feeling under pressure to perform in other ways for somebody besides the Lord.

I read these thoughts recently from desiringgod.org, how that music can lead us astray, 

or it can stir us for God.

"Why do we sing on Sunday morning? What do we hope to “get out” of church? Do I find my joy in Jesus and his gospel, or merely in an emotional experience? We should repent of singing for mere comfort and self-satisfaction, and seek the larger joys which have their source in God alone."

 "We can become infatuated with the emotional high of singing instead of relishing the splendor of our Savior. We can marvel more at the skills of the musicians than the majesty of our Maker. All too subtly, we can begin to delight more in the praise we offer to God than the praiseworthiness of God."

The "war against any hint of idolatry calls us to examine our own hearts."

 "Too often, even if unconsciously, we have operated according to the mantra, 'I’m so happy, therefore I’ll praise God!'" Rather we should "respond, 'I’ll praise God, so that I can be truly happy in him.'

Brothers and sisters facing persecution, pain, doubt, and depression may not feel like singing when Sunday morning shows up. But...God has given us music to stir our affections. Congregational song connects the wires of God’s truth to our depleted hearts and revives us in seasons of coldness.

I always encourage struggling saints to sing, even if their voice feels faint. Singing in faith is a declaration of truth, but it’s also a plea that the Spirit would make the truth more vivid to our hearts."
--Matt Merker

Following are a few more thoughts from another article:

"Pastor and theologian Jonathan Edwards discussed the relationship between singing and love when he said,

The duty of singing praises to God seems to be appointed wholly to excite and express religious affections. No other reason can be assigned why we should express ourselves to God in verse, rather than in prose, and do it with music, but only, that such is our nature and frame, that these things have a tendency to move our affections."

 " We don’t only sing because we feel. We also sing in order to feel.

"Singing requires a great deal of physical involvement: demanding posture, deep breathing, vocal exertion, bodily energy. It has a unique capacity to take mental truths and involve our whole person in response. It can help fan sparks in our affections into flame."