Laura L. Smith
  • Brave Woman Mighty God
  • Podcast
  • Books
  • Speaking
  • Home
  • The Urgency of Slowing Down
  • Restore Retreat
  • Contact Laura
  • Blogs

NEW SONGS

5/10/2018

0 Comments

 
​I am a horrible singer, but I love music, so I sing all the time anyway. I’m constantly adding songs to my Spotify playlists. One of my kids will play something that I positively need or the worship band at church will sing something I have to add to my library. When I add new songs, I find myself playing them on repeat, singing them again and again, as they do the magic that music does to me, tugging at my heart, pulling my feet to step and sway, making me feel lighter, more alive. Psalm 96 begins by instructing us to, “Sing to the Lord a new song.” 
Picture
​It got me wondering what my current song to the Lord is, what playlist I am automatically clicking on, and if it needs to be freshened up. I thought through my days—praises to God for my husband and kids. Pleas to God for friends and family with ailments and needs. Thanks to God before meals, as the new days dawn, as the tired days tug at my eyelids. Good songs I sing to God. At least I think they are. But new ones? Could I use some? Could you?
 
This past week I’ve been reading Psalm 96 over and over asking God, “How do you want me to change my tune? What new song would you like me to sing?”
 
Remember how big I am, I hear Him say as I gaze upward at impossibly tall trees reaching toward brilliant blue sky on my back porch. Remember how faithful I am He whispers as I go for a walk with my youngest, listening to him chatter about the Skittles his team won reviewing terms for vocabulary and about the clues to the crime in the novel he’s reading—voice animated, blue eyes flashing excitement. This boy who has overcome a hole in his heart and a life-threatening peanut allergy in his handful of years on earth, who God has literally saved over and over. Believe how complete I am, God nudges, as I glimpse a stunning sunrise in the morning and am captivated by a breath-taking sunset in the same day, murals painted across the sky, the ultimate performance-art-piece bookending my waking hours.
Picture
the view from my back porch
As I question what’s next, as my prayers are peppered with ‘please help us figure out this, transition into that, discern what to do about this’…God says, “I hear you. I love it when you share with Me what’s on your heart. I love you. I promise to care for you and your family in ways you can’t comprehend. But, would you add another song to your library?” God asks. “One of trust—because of how great I am, because of how faithful I am, because of how ultimate I am. Just savor this, and I think you’ll find everything else will fall into place.”

And for a moment I understand. The God who created all of this—each tulip perfectly shaped and steeped in bright colors teetering on fragile stems, each sip of coffee brewed from water running through dried beans and metamorphosing into morning nectar, each laugh ringing through the air like tiny chimes, the God who has answered prayer after prayer, the God who is with me when I wake welcoming me with my first glimpse of morning light and lulling me to rest as my weary head hits the pillow each night. This God is to be fully trusted, counted on, relied on. Because He is infinite, glorious, loving, caring, brilliant, and unstoppable.
 
For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise. Psalm 96:4
 
When I meditate on these truths I know that Jesus loves the people I love even more deeply than I do, and therefore He has their best interests in mind. I know that God has plans to grow His kingdom, to grow me, and therefore He will guide me down the paths He wants me to take. I know He is in control, that God has the power to light up the sky with stars or sunshine or rainbows or snowflakes. That He can make giant oaks grow from tiny brown seeds wearing patterned caps. That He can freeze time or speed it up. Jesus can do anything and everything. This makes my worries, my anxieties disappear. 

Picture
Do you need to add any songs to your prayer playlist?

Yes, I will continue to talk to Him about all of the things I’m grateful for and concerned about, the things that scare me, shake me, make me cry and the ones that make me dance, grin, and giggle. Because our Heavenly Father is so sweet and caring, He wants to know, wants to talk about it. But I will also add a song of praise to Him to my prayer playlist. For being Him. Because when I do, everything else comes into a better perspective, a more rhythmic beat, a more beautiful melody.
 
Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary. Psalm 96:6
 
What song are you singing to God this week? Is He calling you to add a new tune to your playlist?


..if you’d like more reminders about how much God loves you throughout the week, follow me on:
Facebook 
Instagram 
Twitter

 
 

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Laura  L. Smith

    Subscribe

    * indicates required
    Email Format

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Advent
    Adventures
    Allergies
    Apples
    Back Packing
    Baggage
    Basketball
    Batman
    Beauty
    Believe
    Bible
    Blogging
    Book Reviews
    Books
    Braces
    Brandi Chastain
    Breast Cancer Awareness
    Cafeterias
    Celebrating
    Change
    Chocolate
    Christmas
    Coffee
    College
    Community
    Concert
    Contest
    Control
    Courage
    Created In God
    David And Golaith
    Disney
    Divergent
    Dreams
    Driving
    Easter
    Embracing Your Role
    Enjoying Life
    Europe
    Exercise
    Fall
    Family
    Farmer
    Fashion
    Fasting
    Fear
    Finding Your Place
    Fireworks
    Fishing
    Fixed By Force
    Fixer Upper
    Flowers
    Football
    Forgiveness
    Free Books
    Friendships
    Frozen
    George Clooney
    Getting Closer To God
    Getting Closer To God
    Gilmore Girls
    Goals
    God
    God\
    God Given Gifts
    God-given Gifts
    Golden Rule
    Good Friday
    Gospel
    Grace
    Graduation
    Grandma
    Growth
    Guys
    Hair
    Happiness
    Healing
    Health
    Heroes
    High School
    Holy Week
    Homecoming
    HOPE
    Hot Lunch
    Ides Of March
    Impact
    Inner Beauty
    Interviews
    Invisalines
    Isaiah 40
    It's Addicting
    Jason Bourne
    Jason Warne
    Jesus
    Journeys
    Joy
    Laughing
    Laundry
    Legos
    Lent
    Letting Go
    Life Lessons
    Light
    Listening
    Listening To God
    Love
    Luggage
    Magi
    Magic
    Magic Kingdom
    Mental Health
    Metro
    Miracles
    Moms
    Moon
    Moses
    Movies
    Music
    New Year
    New Year\
    Obedience
    Oliver Twist
    Pansies
    Patience
    Peace
    Perseverance
    Peter Walking On Water
    Pick Pockets
    Pink Bra
    Planning
    Playing By The Rules
    Playlist Fiction
    Popsicles
    Potential
    Praying
    Princess
    Princess Diaries
    Prize
    Promises
    Psalm 139
    Realigning Your Life
    Recipes
    Relationship
    Running
    Savor
    Seat Assignments
    Self Image
    Self-Image
    Self-image
    Sharing
    Shopping
    Snow Patrol
    Soccer
    Social Justice
    Social Media
    Sororities
    Spring
    Steroids
    Stories
    Straightening Out Your Life
    Strength
    Stretching To Hear God
    Subway
    Summer
    Summer Reading
    Superheroes
    Superman
    Swimsuits
    Tag
    Take Breaks
    Taking Time
    Teen Fiction
    Thankful
    Thessalonians
    The Thief Lord
    The Word
    Toads
    Tortoise
    Travel
    Trips
    True Reflection
    Trust
    Truth
    U2
    Unpacking
    Winter
    Wonder Woman
    Writing
    Yoga
    Zumba


Follow along with Laura on Instagram:​

Photo from Narisa
  • Brave Woman Mighty God
  • Podcast
  • Books
  • Speaking
  • Home
  • The Urgency of Slowing Down
  • Restore Retreat
  • Contact Laura
  • Blogs