Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Isaiah gives us two commands here, and they are inseparable. The first one is to sing, and the second one is to make known His praise around the world. As God's people, we are called to sing to Him. It's a command. We're called to praise Him. You might praise God in private. You might sing to God in your home when you're by yourself. You might sing to God when you are in your car. But praise is not meant to only be private. Praise is meant to be a public thing.
Joy Does Not Stay Quiet
When you've experienced God's goodness, when you have joy because of what God has done in your life, the reflex should be to communicate that to others, to tell others. Think about it this way: if you landed the job that you've always wanted, you're going to tell others. If you got engaged, if you beat cancer, if you welcomed a baby, you are going to tell everyone because joy does not stay quiet. It naturally spills out. That's exactly what Isaiah is calling for here.
But compared to those other forms of good news, there is something unique. It's what makes biblical praise different from just sharing good news. Isaiah specifies the reason for singing. It is this: "He has done wonderful things." This isn't being generally optimistic. It is about responding to the mighty acts of God in your life, which means that you need to slow down and you need to think about what God has done in your life.
What Has God Done?
You think about your salvation. You think about God's provision in your life. You think about how God has cared for you. You think about how God has comforted you. When you think about those things, your heart might be filled with gratitude. Your heart might be filled with joy. That joy should spill over into praising God and not only praising God in private, but praising God in public so that it makes known to others the wonderful things God has done.
If you're a part of a worship service every week—and I hope you are—the New Testament says that when you gather, we sing songs to God, but we're also singing songs to one another. What are we doing? We're encouraging one another by praising God in front of one another, by declaring how good God is, how wonderful He has been to us, and praising Him through song. Not only does God receive worship, but those around us are encouraged as we lift our voices to God.
A Happy Bond
Charles Spurgeon put it very directly. He said, "It is a happy bond to be bound to praise and bless God. Praise is no more a burden to a true heart than song to a bird or perfume to a flower."
The command here is clear. If you have been shown God's goodness, tell the world about it. What has God done in your life? What are the wonderful things that you could thank God for, that you could praise God for, and make known to those around you?
