“Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
~ Psalm 124:8
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you like to sing? Your grandpaa cannot sing. Your grandpaa’s mouth will not do what your grandpaa’s mind tells it to do. There is a reason for this. Your grandpaa stuttered when your grandpaa was in grade school and in high school. Do you know what it means to stutter? Do you have a kid friend who stutters? A kid who stutters sometimes just cannot say the word that his or her mind is trying to tell his or her mouth to say. Your grandpaa’s mouth sometimes refuses to cooperate with his brain. Your grandpaa stopped stuttering before your grandpaa met your grandmaa. Even though your grandpaa does not stutter now, your grandpaa’s mind and your grandpaa’s mouth still sometimes have trouble getting together. There are times when a guy or a gal thinks – because of the look that your grandpaa sees on his or her face, that your grandpaa is upset with him or with her. Your grandpaa sometimes will get upset with himself because your grandpaa knows that what his mouth is saying is not exactly what your grandpaa’s mind is thinking. Your grandpaa can see in the face of the guy or the gal who your grandpaa is talking to that he or she is not getting it what your grandpa is trying to say – which leads to your grandpaa feeling frustrated with himself that he is not communicating what he wants to communicate. Have you ever heard your mouth saying something different than what your mind was trying to tell it to say? Are you able to hear – like your dad can, the exact tone of a note? Do you think that it is important to be able to sing? Singing or chanting is something every culture does. God talks about singing in the Bible. There are Psalms in the Bible which are songs which God’s specially chosen people sang to Him. Psalm 124 is one of these songs. No one knows who wrote this Psalm, when it was written and the reason why it was written. This Psalm is a praise Psalm. This Psalm was sung to give thanks to God for what God has done for the guys and gals who were singing the Psalm. A lot of songs are written today which thank God for what He has done. God wants to be praised through songs. God wants to be thanked through songs. Singing to God is one way to praise and to thank God. Do you think that God wants only the guys, gals and kids who can sing notes perfectly as the guys, gals and kids who are to sing to Him or do you think that He wants every guy, gal and kid who believes in Him to sing or to chant songs and choruses to Him? God has asked you to sing praises and songs of thanksgiving to Him. Even though you may not be able to find a note like your dad can to sing to God the notes of a song, whatever is sung to God is going to sound beautiful to God. God created our minds and our voices. God sees our hearts and our attitudes.
Do you like sports? Do you hope to be able to play sports when you get big? Your grandpaa likes sports a lot. Just as singing is inherit in every culture, so is sports. Your grandpaa used to do okay in whatever sport he played. Most sports involve two teams playing against each other. Do you know how teams are sometimes formed? One way a team is chosen is to have two different kids choose alternately the players who they want to be on their team. The two kids will keep choosing kids for their teams until all the kids have been chosen. A sport leads to having physical fun. A sport teaches you to depend on and to trust in other kids. A sport teaches you to compete fairly within established rules. A sport is a venue where other kids can be met and where friendships can be forged. What is singing to you? Singing is a way to express feelings and emotions. Some singers today use songs or chants to say whatever it is that is on his or her heart. Singers – who are singing to God, are edifying God by singing His words back to Him. Singers – who are not singing to God, are singing words for self-aggrandizement. There are songs which are not sung to God which are fine to sing. It is natural that you want to sing. God has given guys, gals and kids the ability to enjoy making music and the ability to enjoy and to hear music. The guys, gals and kids who have been born again through believing what God has done through His Son – Jesus Christ, especially enjoy singing the songs which praise God for what He has done for them. God will bless you while you bless Him when you are singing praises to Him.
Do you feel thankful for what God has done for you? When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you find out that God is on your side. You find out what verse 8 tells you “Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” There are two teams on planet Earth. One team of guys, gals and kids does not have God on their side. The team of guys, gals and kids who all have made decisions of faith to believe in Jesus Christ has God on their side. Which team of guys, gals and kids do you think will win in life? God never loses so . . . the team of guys, gals and kids without God thinks that it will win but that team will not win. The winning team of guys, gals and kids will because of their obedience to Him have God on their side. The other team of guys, gals and kids will lose in life because of their disobedience to God. If God is on your side – and if you ask Him, God will help you from being disobedient to Him. God will have you join guys, gals and kids who believe in Him. These guys, gals and kids will help you to depend on and to trust in God. These guys, gals and kids as true, caring friends will help you learn to contend fairly in life. If you believe that God is the Captain of your team, then you are on God’s team. God’s team of guys, gals and kids live lives that are hope filled as they have been guaranteed the victory by God. The opposition team of guys, gals and kids will never live hope filled lives as they have been fated by God to lose.
Psalm 124 (72)