I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

Psalm 104:33

Just Sing

I still remember the exact setting when I realized I could no longer sing because of a disease that hindered my vocal cords. It was one of the most discouraging times. I loved to sing!

I remember as a child and throughout my teens, I would sing with the radio, with records, in church, and at school. Songs had a way of transporting me out of the situation that I was in and bringing joy to my heart. I wasn’t a professional singer, although it was always a dream to be since I was a child. I wanted to sing a song so moving to an audience that it also brought tears of joy to their eyes.

God blessed me in later years by allowing me to co-lead singles worship at our church and permitting me to sing at some friends’ weddings. I then wished I would have pursued being a Christian singer instead of wanting to be a soft rock/ballad/blues singer. I never had the confidence when I was younger though. People and situations dissuaded me.

So when God gave me the privilege of singing in church groups, I was ecstatic! But then God allowed the disease to take what I cherished away. I even tried to bribe God by promising to only sing Christian songs if He would give me my voice back. I then tried to convince God that I would only use my voice to sing praise songs to Him privately in my home!

We get desperate when we plead for what we think we need.

I basically stopped singing. It embarrassed me that my voice would begin sounding husky just after a stanza because I was stressing my vocal cords, or the tune and tone would be off. I did not stop praising God. I just did so with words and not songs.

And then one day I heard a pastor elaborate on a passage in Acts in the Bible.

“But about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;”(Acts 16:25).

When I read that passage before, I have always imagined them standing up, hands held high, dancing with joy, like David (2 Samuel 6:14). It honored them to suffer for God.

No! Read a few verses before!

“They were severely beaten,… So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks” (Acts 16:23a, 24b/NLT).

They were on the cold ground, in the dark, parched, and could hardly move because of the severe beating and confinement. Yet, they raised whatever whisper of voice they had to praise God.

My attitude changed, and my pride was dispelled. God does not care if I cannot sing praise in harmony. He does not look at the ability or disability. God looks at the heart (I Samuel 16:7). What did I cherish the most?

What is holding you back from giving praise to God? Is it an illness? A disability? A loss? God honors praise that comes from the heart, whether it be a whispered song, or like my son who is nonverbal… who just makes a joyful noise of praise!

Dear Lord,

We praise You with all of our presence. Give us strength when we are exhausted and don’t have an ounce of energy. Strength when we have a debilitating illness and can hardly speak. Strength when we are in despair of things happening around us. Lift us up above the circumstances and remind us of Your love and all You have done and provided for us, especially when we feel we have lost something precious to us. Nothing we cherish is as beloved as You are. No one and nothing but You is worthy of our praise.

With thanksgiving, Amen.

I will praise the LORD as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath.

Psalm 146:2 NLT