3 Verses from the Psalms That Teach Our Families About Singing
We Are All Called to Sing
All of Scripture calls us to sing. There is a hymnbook in the middle of the Bible, a songbook that every family can use. It’s called the Psalms. Each psalm gives us words to sing, words to pray, words to share. The very first psalm is a wonderful place to start. It describes the one who worships and listens and follows the Lord:
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers. (Psalm 1:3)
Like the tree in this book we become a blossoming tree, full of life, as we learn to love and follow and trust the Lord. As we listen to and obey his word, it becomes like a stream of water in us. It blossoms good and lasting fruit in our hearts and minds. One way to always keep his word near us is to sing it.
Pippa and the Singing Tree
Kristyn Getty
In this rhyming, illustrated book, celebrated singer and hymn writer Kristyn Getty teaches children ages 5–8 how to answer Scripture’s call to worship.
Many of the psalms actually talk about singing. Here are three verses, from a few of my favorite psalms, that teach us about singing to the Lord.
Singing Is Praise to Our Savior
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! (Psalm 95:1)
Psalm 95:1 gives us the reason we can sing to the Lord. It describes the Lord as the rock of our salvation. We sing not because our voices are strong or are actions are good but because he is our strong and good Savior! The cross of Jesus has taken away our sin. Everyone may come and be forgiven and free to sing praise to him.
Singing Is a Good Fit for Us
Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. (Psalm 147:1)
Psalm 147:1 tells us that singing to the Lord fits us. Just as two puzzle pieces fit together, so do our voices and a song of praise to God. That means we can sing every day, and it’s always good for us. God designed singing to help our memories. When we sing, we’re reminded of all the things we know to be true about the Lord—truths we don’t want to forget and truths we want to share with others!
Singing Is for Today and Forever
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have being. (Psalm 104:33)
Psalm 104:33 reminds us that singing is for all of life. Day after day these songs travel with us. Year after year we sing them as they remind us of God’s faithfulness. Then one day we will be together with all God’s family in heaven. We will sing forever as we live and breathe and work and play in that perfect place.
So with all of creation and all of God’s people and all the angels of heaven:
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together! (Psalm 34:3)
This article is adapted from Pippa and the Singing Tree: Joining the Song of All Creation by Kristyn Getty.
Related Articles
10 Key Bible Verses on Singing
Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts; his name is the LORD.
4 Psalms You Didn’t Realize Point to Christ
Again and again I have seen a psalm come into focus when I relate it to Christ, similar to a fuzzy scene through a camera viewfinder coming into sharp focus when the lens is properly adjusted.
Podcast: Hymns and the Joy of Singing (Kristyn Getty)
What are hymns, and how are they still relevant in a Christian's life today? What are the benefits of learning hymns and congregational singing?
Podcast: How Jesus Is Both the Singer and the Subject of the Psalms (Christopher Ash)
Christopher Ash discusses how we should understand the psalms in light of Christ and what role they should play in our lives today, both personally and corporately in the church.
