Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord. 

Psalm 150:6

In my life I have been blessed to be part of many different music groups. When people ask what instruments I play I often reply with the tuba and bass guitar. Those are by far the two I am the best at. Growing up I took 8 years of Piano lessons. Do I play piano today? Nope! Maybe you can relate to that. I didn’t like it. Instead I begged my parents to let me play the bass and I fell in love with it. It wasn’t until I went to high school where I truly fell in love with playing in larger groups. Once I was part of my school's band and I was encouraged to play the tuba and baritone (think baby tuba), I knew it would be part of me forever. Am I a great musician? Probably not, but does that stop me from enjoying it? Not at all. When I am part of a group of musicians I feel part of something greater than myself. Hearing the flutes and clarinets holding the melody while I sit on a C for 8 measures is pure joy. What I love about what music has taught me is, I can sound good but when put together with others we can accomplish so much more. I believe that God is conducting the greatest orchestra the world has ever seen. He is inviting you to be part of that wonderful orchestra. What do you think? Will you see what part He has for you? Are you curious what music He will have us play? Let’s do some sight reading and see what our great conductor has in store for us. 

Okay lets get this out of the way. Everyone has musical talent! Yes, I mean that. I have known people who do not think they can do anything with music, maybe they feel like they have no rhythm or that they cannot carry a tune or maybe they can’t read notes or their fingers won’t  do what they want them to do. I have been there. I know what you are thinking. The amazing thing about music is that it's not stagnant. It's always changing, it's also extraordinarily accessible. That’s why the ancient psalmist (music writers) could tell everyone to sing, play, or simply thump along in praise to God. Psalm 150 lists ways in which we should praise God. With trumpets, harps or lyres, with timbre or dancing, strings, pipes, clashing cymbals, and it ends saying everything that has breath praise the Lord! I think you would be hard pressed to excuse yourself from that. 

Psalm 57:7 My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. 

So what part do you play? In this wonderful orchestra God has a piece for everyone. Some are called to be a resounding cymbal while others get the wonderful opportunity to tap away on the glockenspiel. Some are called to be a steady trombone while others are soaring French horns. What’s beautiful about each part is that our principle conductor knows how to make your part shine for his purpose. 

 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 1 Peter 4:10

Our music can sound good by itself, sure, but it’s much better when we allow our parts to support each other. The apostle Peter was writing a letter a long time ago where he was encouraging early Christians to lean into what God has given them. He tells them that the purpose for these gifts from God is to “serve one another” 1 Peter 4:10. This service is support, love, selfless and harmonious. Each of us is given a unique part to play, our sheet music is a little different, but when put together and orchestrated by our maestro, it comes together in perfect harmony. 

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

     be praise and honor and glory and power,

for ever and ever!”

Revelation 5:13

IN heaven right now the angels are singing praises to our king. One day soon our voices will join them and our God will conduct a choir the likes of which the universe has never seen before. This group will be lead by the great conductor who brought us all together, who died so that we could be with Him. Isn’t that something worthy to be sung about? I think so. We don’t have to wait till heaven to sing of His goodness, we don’t have to be musically inclined to praise the Lord. Psalm 100 tells us to “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.” That is enough. Do you want to be part of that wonderful noise? I can’t wait to get to heaven and hear the angels sing, to join my voice to theirs, to lift my tuba and play along. Jesus wants you there, will you accept the great conductor's invitation?