Singing Praises of JOY

I really enjoy praising God through song!  There is something that just wells up inside me when I listen to or sing songs that lift up the name of Jesus or give praise and honor to our Savior.  Psalms 95:1-2 says, "Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.  Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song."  I will never forget one particular Sunday morning during a worship service at our home church of White House First Baptist, the choir sang a special song during the middle of the service.  It was a song called, "Move Mountain Move." This song gives declaration to moving the obstacles within our lives that keep us from the sweet communion with God that we need.  Things such as: addictions, financial struggles, marital problems, abuse, lack of self worth, etc.  I was singing in the choir that morning and when the music began and we started proclaiming the words of the song, we literally saw mountains move!  It started a Revival within our church right then.  People got out of their seats, walked to the alter and let go of sins and baggage they had been holding on to for a long time.  It was amazing!  I had never been part of a worship service that incredible.  God's overwhelming presence enveloped everyone that morning and the JOY of the Lord overflowed within the congregation!

Music and words can have a powerful impact on people!  Working with kids and teens, we are constantly challenging them to make sure the music they listen to is pleasing to God.  Good or bad, music speaks to our head and our hearts.   

I love what the Psalmist David says in Psalms 28:7, "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.  My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."  Part of having true JOY leads to an overpowering urge to worship through praise.  Giving God the honor and esteem He so deserves.  Exalting God and rejoicing with hands lifted high and hearts wide open!  As Jesus rode into Jerusalem in his last days, before taking our shame on the cross, and came to the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began JOYFULLY to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen.  They were singing praises to the King of Kings!  The Pharisees asked Jesus to make them be quiet.  Jesus' reply was, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." (Luke 19:40)  If we fail to praise the very one who gives us JOY, we miss the incredible blessing of peace in our life.  We open the door for distrust and unbelief.  We start trying to take back the things in our life that cause us to pull away from God.

There have been so many times in my life where I get so desperate and try to take control and make things happen on my own.  Those times are very exhausting and usually don't end well!  Yet, more times than I would like to admit, I do this.  It's in these times that God reminds me of one of my favorite passages of Scripture, "I am the vine, you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5  As long as I stay connected with my Father and allow Him to have control, the JOY that can only come from Him will allow me to move any mountain that comes my way!

My encouragement to you is to give your whole heart to God.  Allow Him to permeate your entire life and His JOY will give you strength to move obstacles you never thought or even realized you were clutching so tightly.  Matthew 17:20 says, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you."

I will end this Blog with the song Move Mountain Move.  I pray God speaks to your heart through the words of this song  and if there are obstacles, big or small, give them to Him once and for all.  Allow His JOY to overflow from your life and prove victorious to conquer any mountain!

 

Much Joy!

Angie Burkeen