AP

Psalm 57:7-8    My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.  Awake, my soul!  Awake, harp and lyre!  I will awaken the dawn.

The rubric at the beginning of this Psalm says it was ‘a miktam’ written by David ‘when he had fled from Saul into the cave’.  The meaning of the Hebrew word ‘miktam’ is not clear, although it is thought it could be a ‘golden poem’ or ‘epigram’.  Only six of David’s psalms (16, 56-60) bear this title and it probably means that when they were written they had very special value for the hunted future King.

David had both a powerful gift, and a love, for music.  He had discovered its power when he was first associated with King Saul, as he saw the calming and soothing effect his playing had on the emotionally and mentally disturbed monarch; and he discovered its value in giving himself the courage, confidence and faith/trust needed in difficult, challenging circumstances.  David confirmed that his ‘heart is steadfast’ and his soul is invigorated whenever he sings and makes music.

I have not been gifted with any musical ability at all, but I can, nevertheless, identify wholeheartedly with David’s music therapy.  I especially find amazing strength and solace in singing the words (to beautiful, predictable – and therefore memorable and easy to sing – tunes) of the old hymns by people like Charles Wesley, John Newton, Isaac Watts, William Cowper and Robert Robinson, to name just a few.

How important is singing to you in corporate worship?  Do you find it as spiritually uplifting – a powerful and effective panacea for sadness and depression – as David did?  And it wasn’t just a personal thing for David.  Twice in this psalm (verses 5 and 11) David says, “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.”  In these confusing and difficult days when hope is in such short supply, let us all take a cue from David and employ enthusiastic hymn singing to cheer ourselves up, while at the same time being an encouragement to those around us.  We have a young overseas student attending our Church at the moment. On his own admission, he is trying his hardest to remain an atheist, but he keeps coming every Sunday because of the way we sing!

– Bruce Christian