Make A Joyful Noise

 

 

For me, there is nothing like the Psalms to hear the voice of the Lord. As I mentioned last time, I have gotten lackadaisical in my personal prayer time and when that has happened in the past, I have learned to return to the Psalms to restart my personal conversations with the Lord.  “The heavens are never bronzed, when I spend time in the Psalms.”

 

Ps 137:1 By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept When we remembered Zion.

 2 We hung our harps Upon the willows in the midst of it.

 3 For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, And those who plundered us requested mirth, Saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"

 4 How shall we sing the LORD'S song In a foreign land?

 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, Let my right hand forget its skill!

 6 If I do not remember you, Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth-If I do not exalt Jerusalem Above my chief joy.

As I read this Psalm this morning, I was struck by the importance of “joy in the Lord.” Nehemiah reminded the people that “the joy of the Lord is their strength,”

 

In this Psalm the Israelites are about to cross the river into captivity, and they are ready to hang up their harps! As they prepare for what appears to be the joyless drudgery of captivity.

Note that their captives ask a song of “mirth” (v3) from them. This tells me that songs of mirth were something the Israelites were known for, and it ought to be a trademark of Christians as well!

Ps 100:1 encourages us to: “Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!”

What a wake up call for God’s people as they ask the rhetorical question, “How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? And they answer themselves with “ How can we not?”

If we don’t desire to praise the Lord, may I forget how to play the guitar! (v5)

If we don’t desire to sing the Lord’s song, may my voice go on lock down! (v6)

Let my songs of praise to You O Lord, trump any and all joys of this world! (v6)

 

Maybe you are being roughed up a little today by the Babylonians (the devil and the world) Break out the praise songs! Open up the hymnal! Belt out a song or two praising our God!

In light of what Jesus has done for us, how can we not?