Psalm 95:1 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
I’ve always liked this verse because I can’t carry a tune in a bucket. The people in my church who sit in the pews around me are very understanding. But occasionally I still apologize because certain hymns won’t be content to stay inside me – I have to make a joyful noise when I hear the music! I always sing in the car (with the windows rolled up of course) when a great praise song comes on the radio.
But today, I began to think of the many joyful noises that surround us in our daily lives. Birds singing in the early morning announcing a new day. The laughter of children on a playground. The rumbles of thunder after a long dry spell. The tingling of my wind chimes given to me as a going away present by a dear friend I doubt I’ll ever see again. The guttural purr of my cat when I stoke his fur. At times, my coffee pot gurgling right before that fresh aroma fills the kitchen. My cell phone tone signaling me my grown son is calling his mom.
How often do I not thank God for each and every one of them? I know I should, because they all come from Him.
So do the sounds of sirens wailing that someone is in need. As does the tornado warning tone that penetrates our town when a bad storm is approaching. The beeps of machines in a hospital room where death lingers at the door. My cell phone ringing signaling my grown son is calling when I just talked to him yesterday.
If I truly believe God is in control and that all has a purpose, I must believe these not so joyful noises are from Him as well, and stop to praise Him anyway. That means releasing the desire to control and handing it all back to Him – the good and the bad, the times I feel like singing for His ears only and the times I want to cover my ears to block out the noise around me.
Come, let us sing to the Lord- let us shout for joy at the rock of our salvation. For He is the Lord our God and we are His people.
