Tuning up to Praise

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In his book, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer, C.S. Lewis writes that “praise is inner health made audible.” As usual, Lewis manages to succinctly state truths that I don’t often think of myself. I find that I generally have to work at praising God. Usually I am so busy trying to figure out why God doesn’t answer such-and such a prayer, or why a good God allows evil, that I neglect to focus on all that God HAS done for me and others. I don’t think I’m alone in this. Most believers I know are pretty stressed out about things that are beyond our control, and we’d probably be healthier emotionally and physically if we were focused on the God who is in control.

J.I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom, in their book, Praying, quote Isaac Watts’ hymn: “I’ll praise my Maker when I’ve breath, and when my voice is lost in death, praise shall employ my nobler powers. My days of praise shall ne’er be past while life and thought and being last, or immortality endures.” From their point of view, the Christian life should be one of tuning up to sing with the heavenly orchestra and choir, comprised of the angels and saints who’ve gone before us. When we die, we should be well-rehearsed in the occupation of praising and giving God glory. Our primary responsibility in heaven will be that of praise; do I really want to feel like a duck out of water when I arrive at the pearly gates?

The practice of praise does not need to be determined by my current life situation. Packer and Nystrom admit that praise may not always come easily to me—praise may not even always be enjoyable—but I still need to practice it. Job, after he has been afflicted by his adversary, Satan, was able to worship and affirm the sovereignty of God. (Job 1:20-21). Habakkuk was able to write, in the midst of severe affliction: “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no fruit, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour. The Sovereign Lord is my strength.” (Hab. 3:17-19) Somehow their focus on God, and their submission to His sovereignty was enough to keep them praising even in adversity.

Being a musician, I like the idea of tuning up for the heavenly concert. I also like the concept (more predominant in Anglican liturgy than in free church practice) that the saints and angels are continually praising all around us even now. I am not a lone voice in this praise chorus, and I can sing along with those who are far better prepared to praise than I am. I suppose this analogy has more poignancy for me as I am facing the year anniversary of my father’s death. Dad, as much as anyone I know, had practiced well for his current, and eternal job: that of praising His infinitely loving Saviour and Creator. His life was set on knowing God ever more intimately and becoming more and more like His Redeemer. So even though I can’t see him, I can sing along with him and imagine his rich deep voice perfected in his ministry of praise.

“Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, tune MY heart to sing Thy praise….”