When The Lord Sings

“Can you turn the music on, Mama?” Is my 6-year old Dylan’s usual last sentence of the night, pretty much every night…well, not counting, “can I have chocolate milk?” which is his relentless pitch.-if you know Dylan, you know about his love for that beverage and also his sense of “perseverance.”

At any rate, my boys, 6 and 10, share a room and also a love for music which carries out all the way down to their sleeping habits.  They usually fall asleep to the melodies of praise music or some classical tunes and lullabies.  I share that same love for music. Though I can’t play any instrument much less carry a tune, music is a very important part of my life and Christian walk.  I am convinced that the Lord has used music to reach me in ways nothing else could. 

Praise and worship music are part of my daily encounters with the Lord and I am so very thankful for Christian radio stations which help me come into His presence regardless of place.  I believe that the Lord rejoices in our musical acts of worship and that He is blessed as the notes ascend to heaven from earth,-even if clumsily performed by the musically challenged like me-.  Who knows, He might even tap His Holy Feet at the beat of Toby Mac and smile at Mandisa’s “Good Morning” song at the dawn of each new day?!  However, I rarely, or never rather, have thought about the possibility of the Lord Himself, singing.  

So, when I discovered this passage in Zephaniah, chapter 3: 17, I was completed awestruck. The passage speaks about Israel's remnant after a series of woes and a season of unrepentance. The verses that caused me to pause were:

 “He will take great delight in you;

    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,

    but will rejoice over you with singing.”

I cannot fathom the image of The Lord our God, the Creator of the Universe, The Most High, singing…it is such a great picture, audio/visual rather, that I can’t help but dwelling in it.  Can you imagine?  I have no words.  What could He possibly sound like? Can you imagine?  What a privilege to hear the LORD our God singing.  Should I someday be so blessed to join in such heavenly chorus?  I certainly cannot imagine.

There are recorded instances in the Bible of Jesus singing while walking on Earth.  We see it in Mark 14: 26 when, after He and his beloved disciples had finished the Last Supper, “they had sung a hymn, [and] they went out to the Mount of Olives.”  The One and Only Christ, singing…

Scholars say that they probably sang psalms at this occasion.  Psalm 118 was one of the songs they probably sang that fateful night. I encourage you to stop by Psalm 118 sometime today and read it carefully.  As you read it, imagine Jesus himself singing it.  The God in the Flesh, the Physical God who came down to be the perfect sacrificial lamb, tortured and killed for our transgressions so we could be acceptable to appear in the presence of The Father in heaven…singing these words.  It will move you and give you a divinely inspired perspective that will hopefully remain with you until you see Him singing in person as He takes great delight in you.

I pray my sons’ love for music carries through their entire lives, and that it becomes as transforming for them as it has been for me.  I pray that someday they may be in the midst of a heavenly concert and get a chance to hear the tunes out of the mouth of Our Great God.