SINGING PAEAN TRIGGERS PROFOUND ELATION

TUESDAY 17 DECEMBER 2024

God's faithfulness and unfailing love prompt us to be grateful with singing. The wonders of His goodness and mercies throughout this year has been unfathomable, and His faithfulness to His Word is beyond disputation. A Scripture says, "Hallelujah! Yes, praise the Lord! How good it is to sing his praises! How delightful, and how right!" (Psalm 147:1 Living Bible). So singing praises is the right spiritual practice for God's own people.

Reference: Psalm 89:1 New Living Translation (NLT)

"I will sing of the LORD’s unfailing love forever! Young and old will hear of your faithfulness."

Singing praise in worship to God has a rich history in the Old and New Testaments. Though Ethan, one of the appointed singers from the family of the Levites - wrote the above versified reference, king David is our main focus because he loved to sing praises to God.

Oftentimes, musically satisfying acclamations moved King David in every direction that pleased God. Why did the Psalmist sing a lot? He loved to sing because He always had something to sing about. He experienced so much of God's love in his earthly life which often inspired him with a heart of gratitude - to write many songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

King David held a peculiar and exalted position in God's plan under the Old Testament. He occupied the kingly office in theocratic state, fulfilling God's purposes concerning Israel. So He was specially appointed by God as a King; thus He was greatly and magnificently blessed in that role. With such consciousness, He often sang of the Lord's unfailing love and faithfulness.

To praise God means nothing else than to remind Him of His excellencies and glorious perfections which He possesses. It is to acknowledge, express, and revere the supremacy of His aboveness, beyondness and perfect ways, thereby exalting Him for who He is. Did you know that God Himself sings? What does He sing about? You and me! He rejoices over His children with gladness of heart and with loud singing! (Zephaniah 3:17 WEB).

This is to show you the passion God Himself has for singing. And God wants us to have and sustain such a relationship with Him that we rejoice in singing about Him. Ephesians 5:18-19 reveals to us that one advantageous effect of being "filled with the Spirit" is to address one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with our hearts. Although we have great songs of praise and worship in our generation today, any time you listen to any gospel song, learn to pay attention to the lyrics carefully.

Always ask yourself this question: Is this song pleasing to God, as well as edifying to my soul and spirit? This is because the world is full of songs that celebrate and exalt the flesh, which in turn, dishonour God. Those songs abase righteousness and celebrate the works of the flesh. If you fill your mind with ungodly messages being transmitted in such songs, you'll be carried away by the flesh. As for Christian songs, the wordings of any paean speak louder than it's melody, timbre and tonality. Most times, you will notice that you can't fully express why you've enjoyed a quality worship that has moved your heart and spirit to experience God's glory until you ponder the lyrical denotation.

Singing the right lyrics (based on the Word) can evoke the pleasantness of divine grace, manifest the tangible influence of the miraculous, as well as trigger a bountiful experience of profound elation because the concept of truth is in effect. So the impact of the right and gracious words in any spiritual song cannot be undermined or disregarded because it doesn't just matter that we sing paean; it matters the dictions that make up the paean we sing. Therefore always endeavour to sing paean filled with uplifting and edifying lyrics - sourced from God's truth or the true character of His Word. Praise God!

Scripture Reading - 1 Chronicles 16:28; Psalm 9:11; Jeremiah 20:13; Ephesians 1:16.

Guided Prayer:

Heavenly Father, it is good to sing of your goodness and to praise your Holy Name. I praise you because you are the same yesterday, today and forever. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne while steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. You are my solid rock, my shield, my salvation and my strength. Your understanding is unsearchable, your way is perfect and the whole earth is full of your glory. I will sing praises to your Holy Name forever, in Jesus' Name, Amen!