Bringing The Presence of God
What if God created a tool for you to be able to bring his presence to wherever you are? I’ve got great news for you. He has and it’s called ”singing.”
Believers in Christ and unbelievers alike have already discovered the many surprising health benefits of singing. Did you know that singing is a natural antidepressant. Time Magazine reported that singing releases endorphins that give one feelings of pleasure as well as a release of oxytocin, a hormone that is found to alleviate anxiety and stress.
Research conducted at the University of Frankfurt found that higher levels of cytokines and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol were present in those who sung for an hour in a choir.
If those health benefits didn’t get your attention, maybe a snoring solution will. A 2008 study by the journal Sleep Breath found that singing strengthens muscles in the airway that can reduce snoring. Maybe it’s time to encourage your snoring spouse to join the church choir.
The list of health benefits from singing goes on from reducing dementia, Alzheimer’s, and loneliness while at the same time boosting confidence, improving memory, helping immune function, and providing cardiovascular exercise.
The general grace of God, in everything he’s created, is extremely vast and still being discovered. Unbelievers and believers alike enjoy this gift of singing from God, the greatest singer/songwriter of all time and eternity. As good as the natural gift of singing is, there’s something supernatural that can happen when your singing transcends the temporal. The Psalmist, David, points us in an upward direction when he says,
“But You are holy, enthroned in the praises (tehillah) of Israel.” (Psalm 22:3)
Imagine the reality that God, through the Holy Spirit, has given something special to the born again child of God. That special gift is called specific grace that comes in various forms from salvation to singing. Singing for the non-believer has a glass ceiling called earth, but singing for the child of God can reach the God of the heavens. And what’s even more captivating is that the God of the heavens will come to where you are as you praise him with a song.
Tehillah is the Hebrew word for praise that means a hymn, a song of praise, or a new, spontaneous song. Has God touched your heart and transformed your life? Well then tell him that, with a spontaneous song of praise, in the moment, from the depths of your own heart. If you’ll take that step of faith, the Word of God promises that the holy God that you worship will be enthroned in your praises. That means he will inhabit or live wherever you praise him. If you praise him in the closet, he’s there. If you praise him in the car, he’s there. If you praise him on a quiet trail, he’s there. Wherever you lift tehillah praises to God, he will be there in a hurry.
Growing up and working in my grandfathers McDonald’s franchise, I would sing spontaneous songs of praise to God while flipping hamburgers. Believe it or not, many of those spontaneous songs turned into congregational praise songs that blessed God and many others. And let me tell you, the presence of God came into that hot McDonald’s kitchen making my happy meals even happier.
Singing the presence and power of God into the room is not something that started recently. In fact, it can be traced all the way back thousands of years to a singing shepherd. In 1 Samuel 16, we’re introduced to the youngest of Jesse’s eight sons, David. The scripture makes it clear that God was more impressed with his heart than his outward appearance, however scripture describes David this way,
“He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.” (1 Samuel 16:12)
Above and beyond the physical features that made David appealing, his heart to please God and his burning desire to spend time singing spontaneous songs to God set the spotlight on him to replace Saul, as the new king of Israel. Listen to the word of the Lord to the prophet Samuel,
“Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David.” (1 Samuel 16:12-13)
What I find interesting is that as important as family and friendship was to David, it was the Spirit of the Lord coming powerfully upon him that made all the difference in the world. David put the Spirit of God first in his life and in doing so, God chose to be with him and use him mightily. Let me assure you, the presence of God is greater than the presence of your family and friends. In fact, his daily presence will enhance every other relationship you have if you simply put him first.
For example, take a look at how the newly anointed and empowered David added value to King Saul.
“Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him…Whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.” (1 Samuel 16:14 & 23)
David knew how to bring the presence of God to wherever he was. In this instance, he brought the presence of God through music and song to a troubled, fearful and even tormented King Saul. Scripture says,
“In Your presence is fulness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)
Imagine the joy and pleasure that the God of the universe wants to bring into your life through singing his Tehillah praises. The more you sing and make music in your heart and out loud to the Lord, the better you will get at it. Before long you could be like David, the psalmist, skillfully setting yourself and others free from trouble.
“The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.” (Psalm 9:9)
My friend, let me encourage you to reflect on the goodness of God in your life and then sing a spontaneous song of praise to your Heavenly Father, even today. Bring his presence to wherever you are and watch what he will do. I believe, good things are going to happen to you!