Let us sing to the Lord

“Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!” Psalm 95:1 ESV

After spending all day in the triple digit heat and scorching sun Saturday for a 15-mile run with friends before working the Battle of the Bands concert (an all-day event where Christian bands competed for prize money to benefit their addiction recovery programs) I had the task of coordinating, I was beyond thankful for the early morning 70-degree temperatures and light rain the Lord blessed me with for my Sunday morning run before church (my favorite run of the week). “Oh Lord,” I thought to myself as I smiled and prepared to sing along with the praise and worship music streaming through my earbuds. “You are so worthy to be praised. Yesterday was hot but we lifted up our praises to You. Today is a cool day and I will praise You both now and later when I join my new friends (fellow believers I met at the BOTB whose church I would be visiting) in corporate worship. Oh how I love to worship You! Thank You for being “the rock of our salvation’”

And you know, when it comes to the praise and worship of the Father, the psalmist said, “Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!” I just love this because it’s a reminder that, while we most certainly can and should worship God with songs of praise when we’re alone, it’s important to do it with the community of God’s people with whom we share a love of Jesus Christ. There’s just something special about being a part of the “us” that sings and makes a joyful noise to the Lord as one body! There's just something about it that makes God's people more on fire to serve Him. 

So whether you’re alone or with a body of believers, offer your sincerest and heartfelt praise to God, lifting your hands as the Spirit leads you to my friend. After all, you’re not singing to be heard by the congregation but singing to be heard by the audience of One.

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that all of our praise and worship belongs to You. You are the rock of our salvation and the One to whom all honor is due. Stir our hearts to make a joyful noise unto You at every opportunity. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.

Happy Running!