“Is anyone cheerful? Sing praise” (Jam. 5:13). With that simple command, Jesus’s brother James said a lot. For one thing, he connected our emotions to our worship. He even framed worship as the best response to our feelings: because we feel cheerful, we sing praise. As we recognize God’s goodness welling up in our lives, we let it flow from our hearts and into the world around us by singing. Framed that way, you might even say that if you worship without emotion, you are doing it wrong!
James stood on solid ground with this command, too. So many of the psalms God inspired through the ages were psalms of joyful praise. Israel’s King David cheerfully intoned, “I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High” and “Sing praises to the LORD, O you His saints, and give thanks to His holy name” (Ps. 9:2, 30:4). The Sons of Korah contributed, “Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy…For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm!” (Ps. 47:1, 7). An anonymous psalmist famously wrote, “Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise!” (Ps. 95:2). The book of Psalms ends, “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!” (Ps. 150:6). God’s people had no shortage of praise songs to sing when they felt cheerful.
Now, every psalm wasn’t cheerful: more weren’t than were. “My tears have been my food day and night” laments one of my favorites (Ps. 42:3). You can feel the anguish of the Sons of Korah in their repeated refrain, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” (Ps. 42:5, 11). The fact that God inspired words like these can give us comfort if we will have it. We don’t have to put on a happy face, pretending to be cheerful when we aren’t. God not only gives us permission to be sad, but He even gives us words to express our hurt faithfully until He ultimately brings us back to praise. Because what is the repeated answer to Psalm 42’s anguished question? “Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God” (Ps. 42:5-6, 11).
No matter our situation, hoping in God is always the way back to praise. That was true as Israel sang their way through exile. It is even more true now that Jesus has died for our sins and rose again. “Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name” (Heb. 13:15). Jesus has given us an incredible reason to be cheerful. He has given us hope that won’t disappoint, even when we hurt. No matter our situation, let us continually bring God that gift He has always wanted most: our heartfelt praise.
Experience passion in your worship as Keith Lancaster presents a Praise & Harmony Songfest weekend with the Georgetown church of Christ on Saturday 3/19 and Sunday 3/20/22. Learn more at https://www.georgetownchurchofchrist.com/songfest.