A Song of My Heart

Life Lesson 14: When I think about the goodness of the Lord, I can’t help but sing praises to His great name because my soul rejoices in Him.

“Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things He does for me.”

-Psalm 103:1-2 NLT

How wonderful it is to praise the Lord! When I consider the goodness of God and His great love for us, I am humbled by the thought that a sovereign and holy God would want anything to do with sinful man. We are constantly rebelling against God, yet His Word tells us that every day He welcomes us with a new supply of His faithfulness and His great compassion. In Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT) we are told, “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.”

What I am learning from Scripture is that God has an infinite supply of love and mercy for all people everywhere. He keeps His promises. He never changes, and He can be trusted. Even when we ignore or reject Him, the Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love (Nehemiah 9:17; Numbers 14:18; Exodus 34:6; Psalm 103:8). Because of who God is, He is worthy to be worshiped and to be praised forever (Revelation 4:11; Psalm 145:3). That is why my heart rejoices in God alone.

Because I am constantly in awe of the Lord and His unfailing love for humanity, my heart exalts Him with thanksgiving and praise for the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6). When we give our hearts to the Lord, He can do amazing things in and through us.

One of my secret desires as a child was to sing before massive audiences. I can now say, without reservation, that I have long accepted that’s not God’s will for my life, and to tell you the truth, I am okay with that because I admire and enjoy so many of His talented musical artists, whose songs inspire and uplifts my spirit every day. To be frank, it doesn’t really matter whether you can carry a tune or not. You may never record a gold or platinum album or sing a solo in church, that’s not the point. What matters is allowing God’s love to shine through you by singing praises to Him in whatever capacity He chooses to make that happen. Listen, we may never get a chance to sing on the big stage competitions like the “The Voice” or “American Idol” and that’s okay because praising the Lord is not about talent and popularity, it’s about honoring God with all your heart and with the voice He has given you. What is your instrument of praise to God today? For me, writing is one of the ways I express praise to God. Here now is a look at my personal expression of praise to the Lord based on inspiration drawn from Psalm 145 and 150:

Great are you O God! Your greatness is unsearchable.

You are worthy to be praised on high.

Your everlasting love cannot be compared.

I love Your Word. It is a compass for my life, guiding my every direction.

Your Word gives me wisdom, insight, and understanding.

I meditate on Your Majesty, Your wonderful works, and Your splendor.

I shall be excited to tell others of your goodness and speak of Your power.

I shall joyfully shout of Your righteousness, Your lovingkindness, and your mercies.

You are good to all and Your mercies surround all Your magnificent works.

I shall give thanks to You always for everything.

I shall bless Your name and tell of the glory of Your everlasting Kingdom.

I shall make known to those who don’t know You, the power of Your mighty deeds.

You sustain me when I fall. You raise me up because I look to You.

You provide all my needs. You are never late. You are always on time.

You are generous and You satisfy my every desire according to your perfect will.

I shall worship You in spirit and in truth.

You hear and answer my prayers.

You refresh my soul and You saved me.

You forgive all my sins and You rescue me from myself.

You are my Father and I trust in You.

I shall serve You and love you with all my heart, mind, and strength.

My lips shall continually praise you all the days of my life.

To you, O Lord my God, be the glory forever!

Is your heart praising God right now? Then sing a song to Him! It doesn’t have to be fancy and it may never get a record deal or an award here on earth, but one thing is for sure, it will get God’s attention, and it will do your heart a world of good by lifting your spirits and by keeping you safely in His holy presence.

Think about the words of a favorite song that brings you joy. Now, think about the goodness of God and all He has done for you. Why not write your own song of rejoicing to Him and let it be the endless song of praise to God in your heart?

“Praise is the honey of life which a devout heart extracts from every bloom of providence and grace.”

– Charles Spurgeon