Sing Songs of Praise to the Lord

Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”

I have a friend named Randy Simpson. He is a wonderful Gospel singer and has blessed us numerous times at CLA with his vocal talents. He wrote a song about a man who has an awful voice, but who desperately wants to sing in the church choir. Year after year, he is turned down until one Sunday when they find out he was accepted into the choir in Heaven. It is a fantastic song, and I love hearing Randy sing it.

The sad truth is that I can relate to it! In my 53 years, I have never had anyone say to me, “You have a fantastic singing voice!” And I probably never will, but I do love to sing. I believe music is a gift God has given to us and, if performed with the right heart, helps us get closer to Him, particularly when we sing songs of praise.

The entirety of Isaiah 36 is “A Song of Praise to the Lord.” Psalms 95, 96 and 147 talk about singing to the Lord. Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:18-19 also discuss singing to the Lord. When we sing with “grace in [our] hearts to the Lord,” all the pretense, all the walls come down and enable us to be closer with Him, allowing His presence to be with us in such a deeper, more personal way.

I am aware that it is much easier to sing songs of praise when things are going well or during celebrations. How much easier is it to sing songs of worship during Sunday morning services when hundreds of people are singing alongside of you as we usher in the presence of God? The gift that comes with singing songs of praise to the Lord that is often missed is when we sing during times of hardship, grief or trouble.

Isaiah 26:3 is a song of praise, but it is also a promise from God to give us His peace. When do we need peace in our lives? “Always” is the right answer, but we find the need for His peace even more during the storms of life.

When we trust in the Lord completely and keep our eyes focused on Him, even during those seasons on need, His peace will break through the darkest storms and the violent seas…but we must trust Him without doubt or questioning His goodness or sense of justice.

I can write this to you because I have found Isaiah 26:3 to be true. Despite my lack of giftings in the vocal arena, when I open my heart and sing songs of praise to my Lord during even the most horrific trials, I am graced with His presence and given His “perfect peace.”

So, allow me to encourage you today. If the storms of life are raging, and you are feeling overwhelmed or tossed around, sing! Trust the Lord! And praise Him with all your heart and see if He doesn’t calm the storms and give you His “perfect peace” too.

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (Isaiah 26:3)

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