First and foremost, the focus and purpose of singing in worship is to praise and glorify God! Let us never forget that! Still, as is usually the case with God’s requisites, the obedience blesses the obedient. Singing affects the singer, when the heart is close (Matt. 15:8), when the heart is attuned (Eph. 5:19), when the heart understands what it is singing (1 Cor. 14:15).
Certain song writers are able to word and phrase thoughts in poetic ways that are just different than the way one might usually think. The words of songs can touch the heart, stretch the mind and move the soul…if we will allow them to do so! All of these are familiar, but meditate on them slowly.
“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” “Alas! And did my Savior bleed? And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?” “See, from His head, His hands, His feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down.” “When for stronger faith I seek, Hill of Calvary! I go to thy scenes of fear and woe.” “Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown?” “My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!” “He could have called ten thousand angels to destroy the world and set Him free. He could have called ten thousand angels, but He died alone for you and me.”
“Can He still feel the nails every time I fail?” “Over every thought, over every word, may my life reflect the beauty of my Lord!” “The world has nothing left to give, it has no new, no pure delight.” “We’ve got Christian lives to live, we’ve got Jesus’ love to give, we’ve got nothing to hide because in Him we abide!” “Lord, You mean more to me than any earthly thing!” “Build your hopes on things eternal, hold to God’s unchanging hand.” “Won’t it be grand to hear Him say, ‘Well done!’”
“How sweet to hold a newborn baby, and feel the pride and joy He gives; but greater still, the calm assurance, this child can face uncertain days because He lives.” “I don’t know why so many things seem to get in the way of seeing my God’s glory.” “God is so good, He’s so good to me.”
“Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee, how great Thou art, how great Thou art!” “Father, I adore You, lay my life before You, O how I love You!” “I love You more than any other, so much more than anything!”
Touches the heart, stretches the mind, moves the soul!