The other day I was flipping through some channels and I came across some kids shows. They were singing. I flipped to another channel, another kids show, more singing. I started thinking about the myriad of kids shows that completely revolve around singing. Barney, The Wiggles, Blue’s Clues, Veggie Tales, and well, just about every animated Disney movie in history. Speaking of Disney, did you know that the song Let it Go from their movie Frozen, sold over 3.5 million copies the first year, won a Grammy and an Oscar and was translated into 41 different languages? I would say that the power of a song really sings to people. (bad pun intended)
You have to admit that we are at heart, musical creatures. We love music, we enjoy music, and we seek out the music that speaks to us. And what varied types of music there are. Jazz, blues, rap, classical, pop, rock, reggae, cumbia, synth, show tunes, country, soul, and on and on. Whatever your taste, there is a musical genre to suit. And even for those of us that can’t carry a tune in a bucket, we sing. When the mood strikes us, whether it be in the shower, in the car, or working around the house, admit it, you’ve been known to sing out loud with your favorite song. The curious thing is, why do you sometimes feel like singing and sometimes it’s the last thing you want to do?
Disney released Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in 1938 and in it was the song, Whistle While You Work. (told you all Disney movies sing) As the seven little guys were scampering off to work singing “Hi Ho, Hi Ho, off to work we go”, Snow White was left at home to clean up the mess they left behind. But she apparently really enjoyed the work, and she broke into a song that stands the test of time. The birds and squirrels lend her a hand and they all happily wash dishes, sweep floors, and wring out laundry in the nearby stream. The sound of it doesn’t make me want to whistle.
But when it comes to music, I have intentionally omitted a major genre, worship music. Music that is meant to worship, honor, and praise Almighty God and His only Son Jesus Christ. You can hear it constantly on the radio, you can pick your own specialized Christian genre on Pandora, and of course if you go to church, you can hear it live. But it’s one thing to sing out loud to your favorite song as you cruise down the highway on a sunny day, it’s another thing to sing out at the top of your lungs to God because the song in your heart is too big to be contained.
Singing to God is important to God. In our exhaustive 9-chapter list of genealogies in 1 Chronicles, we come to a few names today that interest. A few names that had a very specific job, to sing to God. That’s all they did, and it was important enough to make it into God’s Word.
“These are the men whom David put in charge of the service of song in the house of the Lord after the ark rested there. They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting until Solomon built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they performed their service according to their order.” 1 Chronicles 6:31-32
As I stand in church on Sunday mornings, I look around. I see some people that are singing out loud, making a joyful noise to the Lord. And they do it with a smile on their face as wide a cattleman’s hat brim. And then I look to the other side and I see some people with their lips as tight as a blacksmith’s vise. And the look on their face is as if they’d rather be washing dwarf dishes with Snow White than be here singing to the Lord. Why the huge difference?
One of my favorite verses is Matthew 12:34:
“For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.”
The idea is that whatever is on the inside of a person will inevitably come bubbling out. Jesus was specifically rebuking some Pharisees here for attempting to teach on the righteousness of God while they did it with darkness and evil in their hearts.
“O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.” Matthew 12:34a, 35
Your face can’t fool what is in your heart. Is your heart light and carefree, free from the burden of rampant sin in your life? Watch God put a song in your heart and watch it easily find a place to rest there. And as it does, that song will come bubbling to the surface as easily as a Disney princess on cue. Or is your heart heavy and burdened with the countless problems that sin brings? Are you struggling with addiction, pride, sexual immorality, or selfishness? Are these causing constant friction for you at home and at work? As a result are you feeling angry at the entire world around you? Trying to live and coexist with your sin will cost you all you have. Sure, sin seems pleasurable in the moment, but over time it will steal your joy, your peace, your freedom and even your sanity. And as a result, it will steal your song.
Today, is there a song in your heart? How easy does it pass your lips? Do you whistle while you work knowing that God has blessed with your work, or do you drag out of bed and then curse your boss and co-workers when you get there? Do you see your work as a curse instead of a blessing? Then I would venture to guess you don’t have a song of praise raised to God. If you’re struggling to find your song today, God can help. In fact, God can not only help, He can fix your problem. Ask Jesus to work on your heart. Ask Jesus to inhabit your heart and change it. In order to do that you have to give up your sin. Admit that sin has beat you and ask Jesus to clean out your heart so that He can move in and do what He does...purify lives. And friend, as you allow yourself to draw near to God, He will work on your heart.
Life is too short to hate what you do, hate who you work for, and hate who you work with. Life is too short to be in constant conflict with your spouse and your family. You see, you can change jobs 100 times and you can change families just as many, but without a new heart, the result will always be the same. You see, the song is not found in the circumstances, the song is found in a heart that is full of Jesus.
May you sing a sweet song to the Lord today, for He is worthy of our Praise.
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