When the Music Fades?

Praise & worship is a confession commanded by God to strengthen the Church: “When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification [of the body, not the individual - the context of 1 Corinthians 12-14]...be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs...let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (1 Corinthians 14:26; Ephesians 5:18,19; Colossians 3:16). Praise & worship is vitally horizontal by the decree of God Himself – may we be just as careful to make sure our lyrics are scripturally accurate as we are opinionated about melody or musical style!

Our Psalmist today does his part, teaching the Church this confession through the choir director: “My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken” (Psalm 62:1,2).

Out of the worship-confession of the congregation the Psalmist teaches us to continually sing the confession to ourselves: “My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken” (62:5,6). This is another reason the words matter so much more than our culturally-bound pickiness over style & melody: truth taught to the heart will move us to endure much more than a catchy tune on the lips in the day of difficulty: “How long will you assail a man, that you may murder him, all of you, like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence? They have counseled only to thrust him down from his high position; they delight in falsehood; they bless with their mouth, but inwardly they curse...men of low degree are only vanity and men of rank are a lie; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than breath. Do not trust in oppression and do not vainly hope in robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart upon them” (62:3,4,9,10).

Sing it to the Church, sing it to yourself: “My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken” (62:1,2). Lyrics matter.