Silencing the Rocks
Listening to a praise and worship CD in my car, one of the lines in the song went something like, “And even if your praise is silent, the rocks will praise in your place.” Instantly I thought, I don’t want the rocks praising in my place! I want to do it! Of course, the rocks are welcome to join in, don’t get me wrong. However, if the rocks start praising God because I’m not doing it, then there is definitely a problem!
Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song. Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful. ~Psalm 149:1, NLT
My son, Logan, once started a worship band and they called themselves, Silence the Rocks. When I first heard that, I was proud. Then, I realized what he meant by the name of the band when he asked me to look up the verse that they used as their core verse. That’s when it hit home for me.
He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!” ~Luke 19:40, NLT
How can we possibly be silent in our worship when all that Jesus has done for us? How can we even fathom the magnitude of His sacrifice? How can we comprehend to what lengths God went to for us? Yet very often we seemingly mock even the creation of the world with our unbelief, our acceptance of other theories, and our blatant disregard for God, His Word, and His rules for our lives!
Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine and led all the women as they played their tambourines and danced. ~Exodus 15:20, NLT (This was after all the soldiers of Pharaoh’s army were drowned in the sea that the people of Israel had just walked through on dry ground!)
When God healed me over a year ago, that’s when it became more prevalent than ever that I praise Him openly, unashamedly, and as strongly as I possibly can. I might look like a total baboon to some people. Some may even think my actions speak of pride and insincerity, but do you want to know something? I don’t care! I am not praising God to get noticed by anyone but HIM. And frankly, it is no one elses business how I worship!
Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp. For the LORD delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. ~Psalm 149:3-4, NLT
There was a time that I couldn’t even raise my hands in worship because I was so afraid of being called out for what I did. I was afraid that people would question my sincerity in doing so. I couldn’t even sing louder than barely above a whisper because someone might make fun of me! And yes, I have even been reprimanded because I can’t stand still during song service (that was a long time ago). But not anymore!
King David danced in worship to the Lord. He was also ridiculed for it (2 Samuel 6:16). But did that deter him? No. In response to the ridicule, he gives an eloquent answer in the verses following that. But it’s what he says in verse twenty-two that I think is amazing. I might even adopt that response myself…
“Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes!” ~ 2 Samuel 6:22a, NLT (emphasis mine)
Whether we look foolish, sound off-key, or even if we are off beat, if we are praising God sincerely, with our whole heart, HE is the only audience who matters. You can sing, play an instrument, clap, dance, hoot, holler, shake a tambourine, raise your hands, let the tears fall… all of the above! Or, just stand quietly as you lift your heart and spirit. Your praise is your praise! Let others scoff. My praise is not for them. Besides that, in my praise… I’m silencing the rocks.
