Let’s face it – 2020 has been a strange year.
But God was not surprised by all the events that have happened.

Would you join me in a four-week countdown to Thanksgiving?
When we stop for a moment, we realize we have much to be thankful for.

¹ Oh sing to the Lord a new song;
    sing to the Lord, all the earth!
² Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
    tell of his salvation from day to day.
³ Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous works among all the peoples!
⁴ For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
    he is to be feared above all gods.
⁵ For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens.
⁶ Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

(Psalm 96:1-6, English Standard Version)

I am so thankful that God created music.

And I am thankful that God gave music to all of His creation – to insects, to animals, to birds, to the wind, to the waves, to us – all so that we can praise and give glory to Him who made us and sustains us.

And how great is it that God has given us the gift of linking music and words together to make and sing songs, and express our thanks to God with our whole being – our hearts, our minds, our emotions, and our relationships as we sing together with others?

Singing is not about skill – it’s about our heart attitude. Some are able to carry a tune of pure joy in a tiny teacup. Others of us need a five-gallon bucket.

But what does God ask us to do? To make a joyful noise (Psalm 95).

May we carry a song of joy and gratitude in our hearts and minds today, and express it back to God as an act of worship.

Here is David’s heart, expressed in another way:

¹ Go ahead—sing your new song to the Lord!
Let everyone in every language sing him a new song.
^2–3 Don’t stop! Keep on singing! Make his name famous!
Tell everyone every day how wonderful he is.
Give them the good news of our great Savior.
Take the message of his glory and miracles to every nation.
Tell them about all the amazing things he has done.
⁴ For the Lord’s greatness is beyond description
and he deserves all the praise that comes to him.
He is our King-God and it’s right to be in holy awe of him.
⁵ Other gods are absolutely worthless.
For the Lord God is Creator-God,
who spread the splendor of the skies!
⁶ Breathtaking brilliance and awe-inspiring majesty
radiate from his shining presence.
His stunning beauty overwhelms all who come before him.

(Psalm 96:1-6, The Passion Translation)

Lord, thank You for creating music, for giving us a way to express our souls to You, with all of who we are and who You created us to be.

Some days, Lord, my heart is light and joyful; other days, it’s heavy and sad. Thank You that You welcome us in to express what we’re experiencing and feeling, no matter what, and give us the ability to express it through music.

And Lord, thank You for giving music to all of Your creation – to the nighttime chirping of the insects, to the song of the bird, to crashing of the lightning and the percussion of the thunder, even the lilting melody of a gentle breeze – all are expressions of glory and thankfulness of who You are.

Lord, put a new song in our hearts, we pray, so that we can give it back to You in return, and share it with others to tell of Your wonders and love.

Amen.

Blessings,
~kevin