Have you ever been in the fray of a concert or propping the bar up at a gig and, without warning, you have felt the hairs on the back of you neck stand tall? Something has happened in the music that has resonated with you deeply and that has caused a physiological response. Or it might be that a tear inexplicably wells up. Music does stuff. It affects us. It moves us.
But more than this, music and song moves the unseen spiritual realm as well as our bodies. In the Bible, David played the harp for his leader and King, and at the stroke of his hands evil spirits left Saul who was being tormented by selfishness and insecurity. Music brought Saul relief from evil. (1 Samuel 16:23)
This is an Old Testament picture of the way that in the 21st Century, in the New Testament blessing that we live in today, music is bringing relief and healing from evil. Music and song, but more specifically praise and worship rooted in love for Jesus, is bringing healing to the Nations and peoples of the world.
Psalm 96 is a prophetic cry for all of creation to sing new songs of praise to our God. Poetically, the psalmist pictures the fields, trees and forests rejoicing in response to the exceedingly eternal worth of Jesus. Prophetically, it is a call for the day when He will make all things new (Revelation 21) and creation will be liberated from its bondage to decay, being brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God, (Romans 8: 20-22).
In our day God is doing a precious and historic thing in worship, music and song within the Nations. There is a call of mission and justice coming from within the worship of the hour too. It is is the cry of the Father that all Nations would know Him as He is and that they would sing praise to Him, giving Him the honour due to Him….”Ascribe to Him…declare among the Nations”.
There is a turning in the songs of the hour that is healing people and the Nations of our world as Jesus is revealed through them.
Sing, O Nations!
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the test of a true time of worship is that even those who don’t like music can participate. amen for this, i agree and promise to sit down at the piano more often like old times 😉 rob
Get your Card book out though, not Mary Poppins. Even God dislikes that.
i can’t tell you how many trials, tribulations, and distresses i’ve “worshipped my way out of”… the enemy of our souls really does flee as God inhabits our praise. thanks for this reminder.
Absolutely! James 4:7’s resisting of the enemy is arguably done best by worshipping through song and music eh. I love the way Paul refers to rejoicing as being a ‘safeguard’ for the Philippians…
Cheers for stopping by!
Blessings, Nick