May 25, 2012 …. Sing Praises To His Name

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Psalm 131 … To study these chapters, go to this link - 
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Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Psalm 138-139 … To study these chapters, go to this link - 
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Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Psalm 143-145 … To study these chapters, go to this link - 
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Highlight Passage : Psalm 131 … 1 My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. … 2 But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content. … 3 Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.  
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Highlight Passage #2: Psalm 139: 13-14 … 13 For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. … 14 I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful; … I know that full well.  
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Highlight Passage #3: Psalm 143: 10 … Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. 

My Journal for Today: Six more Psalms from the life and pen of King David in my chronological read through the Bible; and they all take on one theme which is captured in a more modern psalm (song) written by Terry MaCalmon; and if you’re reading along with me today, I’d like for you to click on this link with your computer speakers or earphones on to hear MaCalmon’s song and get into the mood of my devotional journal entry today. Here is the YouTube link .

When we hear a song like that and we are captured by the message of the song – to praise our worthy and wonderful God – aren’t you set into an uplifting attitude of thankfulness and humility? I certainly am; and I can just image King David, who was driven to honor His Lord with the talent for music and poetry which God had given him, sitting down and writing songs which express his thankfulness and praise to a God Who created us all in His image, … created us WONDERFULLY MADE as David wrote in Psalm 139: 13, … and created for us to be led by our God for His glory [see Ps. 143: 10 above].

Have you ever wondered why lyrics, like those from David in these six psalms, which are put to music, have such a deep impact on our worship of God? The Psalms, especially those written by David, are some of the most quoted verses in the New Testament. Well, … songs, with understandable and meaningful lyrics, which are put to a soothing and scintillating melody, utilize ALL of the brain when they are heard by one who understands the lyrics and is touched by the accompanying instrumental music. If you go back and re-listen to the song I linked you to above, just closing your eyes and taking in the words and the melody line, if you feel identified with the message of the song, it will take you to a place which the lyrics alone cannot. Music with meaningful lyrics uses all of what God created in our brains to bring us closer to Himself.

When we read a poem or the lyrics to a song alone, we use mostly the left cortex of the brain, where the language integration circuitry lies in almost all brains. When we hear certain types of instrumental music alone, written into a soothing melody line, the right side of our brains are activated; and if the melody is an harmonious and pleasing one to our liking, the instrumental music will cause our body to become more relaxed and help to lower our heart rate and blood pressure. So, when we listen to a lyric, set to a melody line by instrumental music which is pleasing to our mind, both sides of our brain are active; and our complete neurological being is used to interpret and take in the song.

That’s why church worship leaders in church services use uplifting music, written with God honoring lyrics, to take a congregation in a Sunday morning service to what they would likely refer to as “The Throne of Grace.” And I know I’ve been a bit medical or scientific in describing this; but I feel God led David to write these six, and many other, psalms so that David could lead God’s people into God’s very presence when they came together singing his songs in corporate worship.

 Often, in my journal entries you find me linking you, my fellow readers, to songs as I did above; and all I’m doing is sharing how uplifted I feel when I do that in my personal quiet times; and I very often do so when I come to this quiet place to worship God – very personally – in my devotional time. And these songs take me closer to God and allow His Spirit to capture my countenance with feelings of thanksgiving and praise, … feelings which David was trying to capture with the Psalms he wrote.

So, I hope and pray that you can feel the loving arms of God wrapping around you when you listen to the song to which I’ve linked today; and when you read today’s Psalms from David, imagine him singing to His Lord, along with God’s people, his own expressions of praise … to the glory of our worthy and wonderful God.

My Prayer Today: … I sing glory to my Lord in praise this very day!!! Amen