Shout to God with cries of joy. (Ps. 47:1)

I love musicals. Watching The Sound of Music or Beauty and the Beast never becomes monotonous to me. One reason I enjoy musicals so much is because, when emotions become high, suddenly one begins to hear the melodious sounds of a piano, violins, drums, and flutes in the background. On cue the actor begins to sing. I think the spontaneity of singing that takes place in musicals is so cool. Wouldn’t it be neat if life was really like that?

Psalm 47 reminds me that it is alright to have spontaneous emotions when it comes to our relationship with God. Being Chinese, I was brought up to be somewhat stoic. However, there are days that my emotions for God have a way of rising to the surface, and my feelings cannot be contained.

This happened to me a few weeks ago. Around 5:00 in the morning, I was in the Indiana Wesleyan University chapel auditorium, and my heart was full of love and gratitude for what God had been doing in my life. No instruments began playing in the background, but I found myself singing softly. Before long I was singing a chorus of praise with all the energy that I could muster. My singing was then accompanied by running and jumping. It was a wonderful time of praising God!

Don’t hold back expressing your emotions for God by singing his praises.

Jim Umf Lo is a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University, cross-cultural leader, intercessor, and author of several books published by Wesleyan Publishing House.

© 2020 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.