Music Notes

As I reflect on a season in which we are reminded to give thanks, my thoughts are drawn toward worship. Many of the Psalms are filled with songs of thanks, encouraging us to “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His love endures forever.” (Psalm 137:1). In passages like these we are reminded of things not just tangible and material for which we can give thanks, but the blessings of a relationship with God.

Worship is really an act of thanksgiving, whether we are singing a song of praise, praying, or just sharing an encouraging word or thought with a friend. Just as we give thanks, or send a note of thanks to someone who has given us a gift, worship is an act of response. We love because God first loved us. We respond in worship because God has blessed us and desires to be in a relationship with us. He loved us and loves us more than Himself, which is why Jesus came to die in our place – not because we deserved it. That’s the good news of the gospel. It is that good news that should elicit a response from us in worship and reverence – not just in a song or prayer, but in how we live our lives – a response to God’s gift to us. That is something for which we will be thankful and praising God not just during this season, but eternally, as we stand before His throne in Heaven.