LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil
Thursday 18th November 2021
SINGING AND SHOUTING
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 44:1-23
Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into singing, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, And glorified Himself in Israel. Isaiah 44:23
Sometimes, singing to the Lord involves shouting. Raising our voices in a shout shows intensity. When we raise our voices during singing, we demonstrate a more profound and higher response for what the Lord has done.
The Lord has done it! That is the reason why we raise our voice to the Lord. In this oracle, Isaiah encourages God’s people to shout because of what the Lord has done.
The Lord has done so great that all of nature is commanded to join in celebrating His mighty works. The creation is to rejoice because the Lord has accomplished what He purposed to do for His people. The mountains on high and the valleys, caves and depths of the earth are called to join in celebrating what God has done.
There are times when a solemn song is not enough to express what the Lord has done. It is similar to how we celebrate when our team scores the winning goal in a football match. We don’t celebrate quietly on such occasions. We raise a loud shout. How much more when the Lord does a wondrous thing for us? How can we stay silent when the Lord delivers us out of harm and destruction; or provides for us in unexpected ways!
Shout because the Lord has redeemed you from captivity. He has delivered His own from the trap that their enemies set for them. He has turned around your captivity and brought you out of the pit. Therefore you can sing and shout His praise.
Shout because the Lord has glorified Himself. He has honoured His promise to His own. The Lord said He would save, and He has saved. He said He would bless, and He has blessed. He said He would lift up, and He has lifted up.
God in His faithfulness will continue to do great things in our lives. When He brings these to pass, we must boast in Him and celebrate His goodness with singing and shouting without reservation.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, you have done it! Today, my heart is joyful; my lips break forth with shouts of praise. In Jesus’ name, Amen.