Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful. Praise the LORD with the harp; Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

The practice of Christianity places a heavy emphasis on music. Christian churches use much music in Sunday worship services, and many Christians also sing at home in family worship or listen to recordings of hymns and worship music. This emphasis, however, is not based on a simple love of music, but it is based on music directed in praise to the Lord God of heaven and earth. It is music that is religious in nature.

Our verses for today support this emphasis on religious music. The Bible is full of passages that say we should praise the Lord with music and song. The Psalms in particular are full of such passages. Psalm 92:1, for example, says “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to your name, O Most High” and Psalm 32:11 says “Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart.”

Why is the Christian practice like this? Why does it include such a heavy emphasis on religious music? No doubt it has to do with the very nature of God Himself. The God of Christianity is the personal, transcendent, omnipotent, omnipresent source of the creation. He invented the tones and harmonies and music theory that makes music beautiful. He should receive this kind of musical praise because He is worthy of it, because His greatness demands it, and because He can fully appreciate it.

In particular, our God deserves to be sung “a new song.” This does not mean that old favorites should not be sung, but it does mean that God’s most recent gifts of grace and mercy call for new expressions of awe and gratitude through music. Psalm 98:1 says, “Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.” Some of the greatest songs in the Christian cannon of songs were inspired by the experience of the grace and mercy of God in times of trouble and brokenness.

You don’t have to wait for Sunday morning and the church choir to make music before the Lord. You can sing and make new songs in your heart to God at any time.

By John Huisman, friend of Bible League International