David Sings
Psalm 108:1
“My heart is steadfast, O God;
I will sing and make melody with all my being!.”
Written by T.D. of Watkinsville Baptist Church, Watkinsville, GA
In the opening of Psalm 108, David offers up a declaration of his heart before God, calling it steadfast. The Apostle Paul uses the same word in 1 Corinthians 15:58 as a command to the Corinthian church in relation to being immovable and confident in God.
If you are reading this and have a heart, you know that the ability to remain unwavering in our faith is no cakewalk! We are people of strong feelings and deep emotion. So how is it that David can say with such confidence that his heart is steadfast? He sings.
All throughout the book of Psalms, David responds to his questions, doubts, or confusions with song, lifting up praises to God even in the midst of troubling circumstances and great fear.
I’m a fan of Gallup’s CliftonStrengths® Assessment, a short test to determine your personal gifting and how it plays out in different aspects of life. On the assessment, “positivity” ranked high in my top five strengths. I see this play out in optimistic estimations of turnout for events, consistently holding a smile during every interaction throughout the day, and a tendency to overlook any inkling of negativity or criticism. One day to my surprise, my boss flipped on a song as I walked into the office called “Good Day” by Forrest Frank. I was taken aback by the beautiful tune and words of, “I’m ‘bout to have a good day, in every single way. The God who made the universe knows me by my name so it’s a good day!” My boss exclaimed, “this song reminds me of you!” For the next four months, he playfully assigned it as my walk-up song to the office each morning. Some days, my feelings matched the beat. I felt giddy and ready to start the day. Other times, despite what a personality test had to say, I would hear the upbeat tune but feel opposite in my heart. Long nights, sick friends, and family struggles all made it hard to remain positive, but when I heard this song (even if against my will) and began to sing along, I’d start to smile, and my entire demeanor would change. My circumstances remained the same, but my attitude towards them shifted.
I began to believe that having a good day was not based on everything working out or getting what I wanted, but it was entirely grounded in the good God that I serve.
Singing confirms in our hearts the beliefs we have written on paper. Singing is vulnerable. Unless you are Ed Sheeran, you miss a note or two, or ten. Whatever your level, singing places you in a position where those around may judge, laugh, cheer, or join in. Yet, the reward of singing far outweighs the risk. Singing strengthens in our soul what we know to be true. It solidifies the truth where thinking and study cannot go.
Regarding missions, it has been said that “there is no transformation by aviation” when referring to how you share the gospel and make disciples. A flight to a foreign country will not cause you to become an evangelist. The same goes for how we worship God. You will not worship God differently by living among an Unreached People Group. The way that you sing, pray, and worship now will follow you wherever you go.
What do you hope to replicate with the way you worship?
John Piper says that “missions exists because worship doesn’t.” The entire purpose of our mission to spread the gospel to all nations as disciples of Jesus is that others will cry out and sing to God just like we do. Glory, honor, and praise to God is the aim. Revelation 7:9-10 paints a glorious picture, where all the saints of God from every nation, tribe, tongue, and language gather before his throne and begin to sing loudly (and clunky, I presume!) to the One who has redeemed us.
Psalm 108:1 is a plea for Christians who desire to orient and reorient their heart and soul toward God. It calls us to find a song that awakens our entire being to the reality of God and the implications of his existence. He is working in every corner across the world, drawing the nations to salvation. Today, join the song of all the redeemed!