"I Sing for Joy at the Work of Your Hands..."

“You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done.”—Psalm 92:4, New Living Translation

To every fellow singer getting ready to sing God’s praises and encourage others to do the same:

It’s November. Your voice may be dry, your nose may be stuffed up, your throat may feel like it is filled with all sorts of marbles and bullfrogs. You like the idea of staying home instead.

Sing anyway.

At the first chord, the first downbeat, you will hear that first note in your head like you know your own name, and yet what often comes out is ... shocking—something not even close, or pitchy, or lacking energy. You want to stop and start over.

You really wish you had followed that idea of staying home instead.

Sing anyway.

Make note of the mechanics that can be seen and heard, strive to sing with excellence and skill, and as best as you know how and how God has uniquely built your voice.

Drink plenty of water.

Warm up by singing silly songs in the car.

But don’t compare yourself to those ruby-throated singers on your iTunes mix.

They have the magic of studio production to hide the marbles and bullfrogs and pitchiness.

Sing anyway.

Purpose instead to focus more not on the “what” of the sound but the “why” of the interior—the heart that is doing the real singing.

Keep cultivating your heart of worship that is built to beat to all sorts of heavenly rhythms throughout all eternity.

It’s November, and your voice may not sound the way you’d like.

But sing anyway. And never stop singing.

Sing for joy for the works of His hands—creation, provision, salvation, friends and family, life itself.

It all comes from Him and through Him for our pleasure as beloved children and all for His glory.

Sing anyway and always, and sing this:

“I will sing to the LORD as long as I live

I will praise my God to my last breath!

May all my thoughts be pleasing to Him,

For I rejoice in the Lord.” (Psalm 104:33-34, NLT)

And especially sing this:

“Fix your thoughts on what is True,

And honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable

Think about things that are excellent

And worthy of praise.” (Philippians 4:8)

And then keep singing, just as they do in heaven...

“Day and night, they never stop saying:

Holy, holy, holy is the LORD God Almighty

Who was and is and is to come!” (Revelation 4:8)

Feed your soul with what and Who is good, so that no matter what comes out of your mouth, even marbles and bullfrogs, it is fragrant and pleasing—to the One who is cheering on every one of us with one resounding, joyful, Biblical command:

“Sing!”

Even if it is November.

“Have a passion to never close the door of worship in your life—never stop singing!”—Tim Arroyo, worship leader, Maine Worship Lab 11/10/18