More than once in the Old Testament are we challenged to sing or shout to God in a loud voice! Now some say, "Well that was for the Old Testament". Mostly in the Psalms do we see those declarations. Do we forget that Psalms was the worship guide for the New Testament Church?
There is nothing more basic than God's people singing in worship. There is nothing the gathered people of God participate together in more than singing unto the Lord! It is a powerful way for our extolling Him and a way of welcoming His ruling power into our midst in worship. When God's people praise, the devil and his angels tremble and the Lord rises in strength and vigor to move among His people.
Because of scriptural foundations and our own experiences we know that God manifests Himself among His people who wholeheartedly, not half-heartededly, worship Him with "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs . . . singing out loud and making melody in our hearts before and to the Lord" (Eph. 5:19). As we "let the Word of Christ dwell richly in us . . . singing" (Col. 3:16) in our daily lives, song becomes a powerful experience of sustenance, triumph, and our ongoing discipleship and growth in Him! mjm
