I have a little thing I wrote in 2020 at the start of lockdowns and I thought I’d share it again today.
This year as I’ve been reading through my Bible, a couple of phrases have stood out to me—sacrifices of praise, sacrifices of joy, sacrifices of thanksgiving. “Sacrifice” seemed like an odd word to me to put before praise, joy, and thanksgiving.
A sacrifice is something we give up, especially something we want to keep, right? I’ve been pondering this for a while—several months, really. I’m not a Bible scholar, so I’ll let you all figure that out yourself if you want.
I do know, however, that the Bible clearly commands us to sing and play instruments to the Lord. Maybe it’s a sacrifice to do it when we don’t want to?
We did Homeschool Sunday school on Sunday, but later, I was a little sad when I thought of all the dark, quiet churches across America and all the singing and praise and music that usually happened on Sunday but didn’t. So, since I know that, for some reason, God desires it of His people, I went in and sat down at the piano and spent some time playing through a hymnbook. It’s something I love to do anyway, so it didn’t feel like a sacrifice. But it’s time that I might have spent doing something else. Maybe that’s all God asks?
We don’t all play instruments, but everyone can sing and make a sacrifice of praise. : )
I know it shouldn’t, but it always amazes me when science “proves” there are benefits to what God commands us to do. You can Google it yourself, but singing is a natural antidepressant, it releases endorphins, it relaxes muscle tension, improves sleep, and actually strengthens the immune system, and those are just a few of the many benefits. Isn’t it crazy good how God commands us to do something that is so beneficial for us?
I’m sure playing instruments has benefits as well.
This month, I had to stop giving piano lessons to the children I’ve been teaching for six or seven years now. (It’s not because of the virus.) I’ve never charged them; the only thing I required was that they practice for thirty minutes every day. Yesterday, they stopped in to say goodbye and to give me thank you notes. I wanted to share a part of one of the thank you notes: Before we started piano lessons, we had (and still do) a piano in our dining room. I wondered what we would do with it, since none of us, other than Dad, played. It turns out that God had a plan for it.
You know, just like my young student, I’ve often looked at things I don’t understand and wondered what God’s plan could possibly be?
I have no idea.
Walk on and just say yes, right? : )
In the meantime, we can use some of our extra time to sing. Not just because God commands it and wants that sacrifice of praise, but because it’s good for us. : )
Thanks so much for spending time with me today!
Hugs and blessings!
~Jessie 