Feeding a Hungry Soul: Linger In and Ponder the Melody of His Word

Do you participate in the time set aside in your church service for singing,

or do you arrive late hoping the 'music part' will be over by the time you get there?

Let's pull up a chair to His table today and let God show us

how He uses music to feed our souls in a powerful way.

"Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly"

What a beautiful picture of what we do when we sing God's word together!

Through music, the message of Christ dwells among us

definition of dwell:

to linger over, emphasize,

or ponder in thought, speech, or writing

When we sing corporately:

We linger in the presence of the message of God
We ponder His message as we sing it repeatedly
We emphasize His message as we sing it with more intensity.

I don't know about you, but this gives me reason to pause and consider:

Do I linger in the presence of His Word in song or am I focused on getting on with the rest of the service
Do I ponder the message of His word being sung over me, or am I just reading along and going through the motions?
When scriptural phrases are repeated in choruses, do I sing with more emphasis to magnify the glory of God's word or do I wonder if we are ever going to stop singing this song?

"teach and admonish one another

with all wisdom through

psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit"

LOVE this! God uses this time of singing of His word to teach and admonish our souls.

The teaching and admonishing doesn't just happen from the pulpit.

God's word, whether spoken or sung, does not return void. AMEN!

"singing to God with gratitude in your heart"

We are instructed very specifically here:

Sing TO GOD...not to people. And according to the words before this part of vs 16, God sings back to us with teaching and admonishing. LOVE!!

Sing to God with GRATITUDE IN OUR HEARTS. No qualifying statements of the circumstances of our life before we sing with gratitude; just straight out gratitude. { I'm reminded that if I am singing with a grateful attitude, it's almost impossible not to shine with the joy of Christ.

Prayer:

Lord God, thank You for the gift of song. What a joy it is to be able to linger in the presence of Your word sung as melodies and harmonies with fellow believers. Lord, forgive me for the times I rush through the songs and miss the opportunity to ponder the messages of hope, healing, comfort and instruction. Give me an ear to hear Your voice speaking to me in every psalm, hymn and song of Your Spirit. Make my heart ready to respond with each note You sing over me. May my voice be lifted up with a desire to glorify Your name, emphasizing the Your scriptural promises with repeated intensity. And Father God, when I come with a heavy heart, let me remember the hope found in the blood of Jesus so that I may sing to YOU with a heart full of praise and thanksgiving. I come before You in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Our recipe today is for Worship
The ingredients are from Colossians
The directions are Linger in the presence of His Word in song; ponder His Words as you sing them; sing with a heart grateful for the promises of the Cross.

{CLICK HERE for a printable version of today's recipe for the soul. Make notes on it of how God is speaking to you today, and carry it with you to feed your soul as needed.}

Other conversations held at His table that may feed your soul today...
Worship...a Response of the Heart or an Act of Obedience?
The Gospel...to be Believed and Worshipped
Dancing with God