A Song of Birthing.
When we think of the idea of birth several pictures may
instantly come to mind. A little baby
taking its first breath, likely in the form of a loud cry. An expectant mother in the final stages of
labor, both exhausted and in full anticipation of the expected joy at the end
of what has been an arduous nine-month journey.
A nervous father, wondering what lies on the other side of this life
changing event. Regardless of what images
the word birth may evoke, they are all the signs leading up to a tremendous
change. Cries will cease, pains will
diminish, and nerves will settle. And
the family will have expanded by one.
In our Made to Worship series we’ve been looking at
different ways we worship and how that can deeply impact our spiritual and
personal lives. One simple, yet profound
way to receive more of what God has for us is by singing. In Isaiah 54, the Lord likens the exiled
Israelites to a barren woman. They
probably felt hopeless, in pain, not knowing what the future had for them and
their once thriving nation. That’s the
opposite of a birth story. There was no
anticipation of the future. No joyous
moment awaiting. God’s command to them
in the midst of this? Sing. Even more, ‘…burst into song, shout for
joy…’ When we sing the praises of God we
are declaring among other things His promises for us, His hopes for us, and His
righteous view of us. And in so doing we
will ‘Enlarge the place of [our] tent..’
God wants immeasurably more for us than we could imagine and singing is
a powerful way to enter into that. One
pastor I used to know would say that, ‘When faith is in the heart, praise in on
the lips.’ When we’re declaring the
praises of God with our voices, that’s taking a step of faith, no matter how
big or small. And just like with the exiled
Israelites and their eventual return to the promise land, God will honor our
worship. He will enlarge our tents. His kingdom will expand here and now by the
choral proclamations that burst forth from our mouths. He will be made known more deeply in our
hearts and serve as a witness to others who have yet to hear of His
promises. The next time we worship the
Lord, together or individually, let’s remember the power of singing. And let’s sing just a little more
confidently, in anticipation of what new thing God would birth in our lives.
--Chris Canfield
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