Singing and Making Music

"Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to the God your father for everything, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:19-20 If you back up a bit to Eph. 4:29, you'll see where Paul is teaching us to talk about things that build others up. God did not intend for man to be alone. He created us for relationship. Relationship with him. Relationship with others. The relationships that I've had in my life, have taught me and encouraged my relationship with Christ. Fellowship and corporate worship are important parts of our lives. When we meet with one another, we are able to help others, encourage others, and pray for others. Now, don't expect me to walk up and start singing spiritual songs to you the next time you see me. I told you in the last post, I don't sing! I sing to God- but only to Him- because he loves me anyway! But when it talks about singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to one another, I believe that Paul is telling us to build one another up. Encourage one another. Pray for one another. Serve one another. When we gather together and sing spiritual songs, (that is loving and serving God and others), it unifies a body of people into The Body of Christ. "Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." We just recently started a new Bible Study by Beth Moore on the Psalms of Ascent. Something that she pointed out were all the different emotions that are in the Psalms. If you're like me, when you think of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, you think of praise and worship. When you hear, "sing and make music in your heart to the Lord," you think, "be thankful, joyful, happy". However, if you glance through the Psalms, you'll notice many different emotions that the psalmist felt. There were many times when he came before God professing to be tired, distressed, in anguish, forsaken, grieving and more. The psalmist came before God with his emotions and his feelings; he poured them out before God, but he always praised Him and gave Him thanks in every circumstance. For Example, if you look at Psalm 13, it starts out with David asking, "How long, O Lord?" He then ask, "Will you forget me forever?" Then, it ends in verses 5 & 6, "But, I will trust in your unfailing love, my heart rejoices in your salvation, I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me". The more we pour our heart out before Him, the closer we'll be to Him. The closer we are to Him, the more we will know Him. The more we know Him, the more we will believe Him. The more we believe him, the more we will trust him. The more we trust him, the wiser we will be: making the most of our opportunities, knowing his will for our lives, filling ourselves with His Spirit, singing and making music in our hearts to Him and others, always giving thanks to Him for everything, in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. "Be very careful then, how you live-not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in you heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the father for everything, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:15-20