Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. – Psalm 105:2

Today's Scripture Reading (July 16, 2025): Psalm 105

For a high school biology test, I was struggling with the reproductive cycle of a plant. I remember studying late one night with a couple of friends who had to write the same exam. Late that night, we realized that we were in trouble. And that was when the idea came. We were all musicians who dreamed of one day making it in a band and writing our own songs. We already had a file full of lyrics and music, possible songs for that future band, so why not write a song that would help us with the test?

The result was a song we called "The Sex Life of a Plant." It was quirky and, to be honest, not very good. But it accomplished what we wanted it to achieve. The next day, as I looked at my friends, I could tell exactly where they were on the test; we were all singing the same song. And probably the most fantastic part of the whole thing was that we all passed, something that I think happened all because of the song we had written the night before. The song helped us remember the pertinent points that we needed for the exam.

Sometimes, we wonder why we bother to sing the songs we sing when we come to church on Sunday morning. Maybe the appropriate question we need to ask is this: Is singing (especially when I can't carry a tune) worth the effort? My answer is yes. Some walk among us who think that they can't learn anything useful from the Bible, or believe that theology is too complicated to understand, and yet every Sunday, they gather to sing the songs of the faith. And what they sometimes don't realize is that as they sing, they are often both quoting scripture and describing God. Describing or talking about God is the fundamental definition of Theology, and these singers probably know more than they think that they know, just as was true for me on that high school biology test.

This connection between the song and scripture and theology is what makes the songs we sing essential; as we sing, we describe God and tell of His wondrous works. We remember all the things that he has done in our midst, and as a result, our faith grows.

As we gather for worship, or even as we remember and start to sing a worship song while driving down the road or working in the garden, think about the words you are singing. Recognize how God is honored by the words that are coming out of your mouth. You know more about scripture than you think you do, and, yes, our songs are definitely worth the effort.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 106

Originally Published on July 24, 2011