I love singing, especially in church.  Whenever I sing a hymn or praise song I remember other times I have sung that song.  I think about the first time I sang the song.  Music touches my mind and heart in ways nothing else does.

So I love to sing the songs of God.  On a recent hike the view was so spectacular I had to sing, “Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee:  how great Thou art!”  Singing opens my mouth – and my heart – to God’s wonderful love.  I have more hymns and praise songs memorized than I do Bible verses.  But that’s okay because they are all songs of God.

There are lots of Bible verses about singing:

Exodus 15:2. The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.
     This is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

1 Chronicles 15:22.  Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skillful at it.

Isaiah 35:10.  And those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Acts 16:25.  About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

Colossians 3:16.  Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, knew that music was important to the Christian soul.  He wrote instructions for singing and included them in his first hymnal.  You can find them at the beginning of any United Methodist hymnal.  Here is a link to them.  One of them says, “Sing lustily and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength.”

Singing gives us strength and courage.  We sing to celebrate God’s love and what he has done for us.  The songs of God comfort us and speak to us in the darkness of night.  I am so thankful for the gift of song that I will always keep this verse in my heart:

Psalm 42:8.  By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me—
     a prayer to the God of my life.