Why should I sing?

One of the ways that God has currently called me to serve our church is by being part of the team that leads worship. Because of that, I try to be alert to Scripture that refers to songs and music. Why do we sing? What is music’s purpose? And what if I don’t feel like singing? Won’t that make me fake?

Recently in my morning devotions, I came to Psalm 13:5,6: “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord because He has dealt bountifully with me.”

Sometimes the dealings of the Lord with us don’t seem too bountiful. How often have I thought that I wouldn’t mind just a little more of His bounty in my life? A little more abundance? And then I could sing.

Yet, this Psalm didn’t start out from a place of overflow. In the opening, David questioned God, “how long will you forget me?…will I have sorrow in my heart all day?...how long will the enemy be exalted?” David feels forgotten, sorrowful, and victimized. Not really reasons to sing.

But.

His trust isn’t contingent upon God suddenly showing His face. His trust isn’t based on God immediately wiping away his sorrow or completely destroying his enemy. His trust is that God’s steadfast love endures when God is invisible; God’s steadfast love remains when sorrow is deep; God’s steadfast love holds him up when the enemy puts him down.

And David’s joy comes from a steady source: his salvation. Jesus pointed his disciples in that direction in Luke 10:20: “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” The source of our joy isn’t even having a good day of God working through us; rather, it’s our eternally secure salvation, rain or shine. 

“But God shows His love for us 

in that while we were still sinners, 

Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

“In this is love: not that we have loved God, 

but that He loved us and sent His Son 

to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10

The bountiful dealings of God toward us are His steadfast love and His gift of salvation. When we believe that, then even if we wake up next Sunday morning and feel like David in verses 1-4, our song raised in praise can still be authentic.