Praise Among the People

When we meet together for worship, we typically begin our services with congregational singing.  How you sing praise among the people tells where your heart is with God.  To sing these hymns “with grace in your hearts to the Lord”, Col 3:16, requires several things that we find in Ps 57.  You must:

Fix Your Heart on the Lord – Ps 57:7.  To fix is to hold or direct steadily.  You get your heart fixed on the Lord.  Our hearts must be directed to the Lord and not to the calamities, Ps 57:1.  We must trust the Lord like David, who was under the shadow of his wings.  See Ruth 2:12.

Cry Unto God – Ps 57:2.  This is prayer.  David was facing the horrible calamities of a king who wanted to kill him and the sons of men who were like lions, both of whom had digged a pit for him.  David learned to pray to the Lord throughout the day.  And we must learn to pray about everything throughout our day.  And remember that prayer to God is different than worrying out loud before the Lord.  Prayer draws your affection to God most high, Ps 57:2.  And then you will sing praise among the people.

Exalt The Lord – Ps 57:5, 11.  Going through difficult situations is our opportunity to lift the Lord up.  It is through him that we are not consumed by the things of life.  But rather through tough situations the Lord is glorified in our lives.  People can see the Lord in us and the hand of the Lord in our circumstances, Ps 57:6.

Wake Up to the Lord – v.8.  To be awake to to be totally attentive, like a sentry on duty.  If you wake up to the Lord here when you start singing hymns to him, you are aware of his presence in here and in your own life.  The words of the hymns come off the page and come forth from your heart in praise.  As a matter of fact, when you wake up in the morning, these hymns will be on your mind and in your heart.  You’ll be ready to sing praise among the people.

Conclusion: Sometimes I pray, “Lord are you here”?  And he replies, “I’m here, but you’re not”.  And he’s right.  Consider that how you sing congregational hymns is a reflection of how aware you are of the Lord’s presence in your heart.  And tune up your heart with the truths of Ps 57.