This past Sunday, we were singing the hymn “I Need Thee Every Hour.”
Every once in a while, I pause as I did this Sunday, to remind the people to pay attention to what they are singing.
Here it was a prayer to God acknowledging our need for Him.
Sometimes as in “I Surrender All” we’re actually promising something to God – something pretty big in fact.
So often we sing the great hymns of the faith with gusto because they are so familiar. Or because they are our favorites, Or maybe our mother’s favorite. In the moment, we forget what we’re actually saying when we sing the text of the hymn. I know I’ve done it.
In my Bible reading this week, I actually found a text that I believe we can adapt to this subject.
And behold, you are to them like a love song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words but they do not practice them. Ezekiel 33:32 NASB
God is talking with His prophet Ezekiel and telling him that when he prophecies the people will listen thinking how eloquent he is and what great things he is saying, but they won’t do it.
For us, we have great texts: texts that are prayers to God, texts that are words from God, and texts that are directed to each other about the things of God. We sing the lovely words to the beautiful melodies, but our hearts and our lives are not impacted.
So, the next time you sing, look at the words. What are they saying? And do you mean it?
Blessings,
Richard