Worship is what we were made to do, and it is the most fulfilling, and long lasting joy we can find on earth. As covered in the previous post, worship is an “expression of reverence” which comes from every part of our life. This series will touch on multiple areas of life reminding us that we truly can worship God in every area of our life.
Starting off these areas is the one that seems most obvious: Worshiping God in Song.
The Bible is full of singing. In the Psalms alone the word sing or singing is found 76 times, and song or songs is found 118 times (in the ESV version). That is a lot of calls for singing! Later in scriptures Paul even writes that we should be singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs together with thankfulness to God (Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:19).
The reality is, singing is meant to be a big part of our worship to God, and there are many benefits to worshipping through song. This article (http://www.unlockingthebible.org/why-singing-matters) gave 7 great Biblical reasons why singing matters, and I’ll summarize each point below.
Obedience
There are many times we are told to do things in God's Word, and one of these is to sing in worship to Him (see verses above). God knows best and the reality is that we are blessed when we obey Him. James 1:25 says that the person who follows and obeys God "will be blessed in his doing.” Although the blessings of God don’t always come in the form of a job we enjoy, a pay raise, popularity, or even the things we pray for - God’s blessings do come in a way that is best for us. God, being God, knows our needs and is a loving Father who desires not only for us to enjoy good things, but to have our character built to be more like Him.
All of these subsequent blessings listed flow from this first one. When we obey God we are blessed. Below are 6 blessings we receive from obeying God by worshiping in song.
A Focus on God’s Word
Many worship songs are written with the intent to speak the truth of God through the voices of His people. This truth comes from and points back to Scripture. As Colossians 3:16 reminds us to have the "Word of Christ dwell in you richly” we are given one way to do that through “singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs."
Encouragement
Singing truth about God solidifies it inside of our hearts and will remind us of the truth as we go about our day. We all have experienced having a song stuck in our heads, why not have the words to those songs be uplifting, truthful, and God focused?
Spiritual Warfare & Spiritual Strength
When we’re focusing on God’s Word, we will naturally be spiritually strengthened. In addition, God has wired us in such a way that we are built up by song. When we combine these two things, we enjoy a spiritual strengthening from God. We see a perfect example in Acts 16:25 when Paul and Silas were in jail. It says that they sang! Singing to God refocuses our attitudes and hearts and prepares our spirit for the spiritual warfare right in front of us.
A Pathway to Joy
In the Bible we oftentimes see joy and singing hand-in-hand. Sometimes joy leads to singing, while other times singing leads us to joy. The most obvious of these calls is found in James 5:13: “Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.” It doesn’t get any simpler than that. However, if you’re struggling with finding joy, sing to God the truth of His Word and preach/sing God’s truth to your own heart as well (Psalm 42 is a great example).
Gives Glory to God
Last, but certainly not least, singing gives glory to God. This brings us back to the purpose of these posts on worship: We are called to worship God, to give an "expression of reverence” to Him. Singing is a large part of worship both now and forever. In Revelation, John has a vision of heaven and in chapter 7 verses 9-10, He writes a scene in heaven when everyone is gathered around the throne of God and singing to Him. This is what singing is about. Singing to God on earth is, and will be, one of the most intimate forms of worship and we’ll get to enjoy it for eternity.
