GRAB YOUR TAMBOURINE
“Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I, even I, will sing to the LORD; I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song.”
Judges 5:3 (NIV)
They shall praise His name with dancing; They shall sing praises to Him with tambourine and lyre. For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will glorify the lowly with salvation.
Psalm 149:3-4 (NASB)
There are seven Hebrew words in the Old Testament for worship, each revealing a distinct aspect or expression of it. Two of these, Tehillah and Zamar, are closely related, defined in Jewish tradition as: to sing spontaneously, to make music with instruments.
Recently, I became involved with Kairos, a prison ministry created to develop Christian community among inmates and to offer care to their families, helping them know they’re not alone. I wasn’t ready for my first visit to witness and be a part of such an important mission. As you can imagine, the process for getting through security was intense. Rows upon rows of barbed-wire fence. Inmates in orange jumpsuits. It was a bit overwhelming. Something else I wasn’t prepared for was the half-day of worship and fellowship. It was stunning, really. Forty inmates and 15 volunteers reading Scripture, praying and singing songs to God. It was one of the most genuine expressions of worship I can remember. I definitely wasn’t expecting that.
One thing I remember most is when one of the volunteers jumped up, grabbed a tambourine, and joined the inmates in leading worship. He closed his eyes and shook that tambourine with such excitement, as if he was seeing the Lord coming to bring His people home.
Today’s Scripture speaks of this type of worship. After a surprising victory, the people went to Deborah, their leader, saying, Wake up, wake up, break out in song (Judges 5:3, 12). The writer of Psalm 149 describes dancing and singing with instruments. Today, let’s remember that God likes all the sounds we make in worship. No matter how skillful the musicians, how in-tune the singers, we are all invited to grab our tambourine and make music to the Lord.
APPLICATION: Worship God with music today. Sing a song. Listen to worship music. Play your instrument.
PRAYER: God, thank You for the sounds of the saints. Thank You for the stories in the Bible of people singing to You in worship and praise. I pray You’d help me dance. Help me experience the freedom that comes with enjoying You and celebrating the victory of Jesus. Amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?