Cutting The Legs Off Your Piano

Psalm 66

For the director of music. A song. A psalm.

¹ Shout for joy to God, all the earth!
²     Sing the glory of his name;
    make his praise glorious.
³ Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
    So great is your power
    that your enemies cringe before you.
⁴ All the earth bows down to you;
    they sing praise to you,
    they sing the praises of your name.”

⁵ Come and see what God has done,
    his awesome deeds for mankind!
⁶ He turned the sea into dry land,
    they passed through the waters on foot—
    come, let us rejoice in him.
⁷ He rules forever by his power,
    his eyes watch the nations—
    let not the rebellious rise up against him.

Musical worship is, without a doubt, one of the biggest ways God speaks to me. There's not much I do without music, either on in the background or overtly the focus of my attention, like a concert. There's something about music that just speaks to a human soul. It's a rhythm, a beat, a flow of sounds that work congruently and can stir emotions easier than almost any other medium. Ludwig van Beethoven loved music so much that, after he lost his hearing, he cut the legs off his piano and set it flat on the ground so he could feel the vibrations through the floor as he played. Music is one of God's greatest gifts; an artistic parallel to the rhythm of life.

Music as worship is, I believe, why God created music to begin with. It's an avenue for us to receive from God and respond back to Him. But that's the key; in this passage, as well as the majority of Scriptures involving worship or praising God, the music is a response. People did not come into the Tabernacle or the Temple, sing for a while, then hear the prophet's word for them. No no, they communed with God and then they responded musically. 

This was not forced. This wasn't even scheduled. It was a natural outpouring of how the people felt about God. They heard the word of God were overcome by the need to respond to Him. This response could be one of joy, one of sorrow, one of yearning, one of expectancy, etc. The truth is that they were actively involved with God to the point where their lives and God were intertwined.

Sometimes I wonder if we keep God on a little shelf in our lives. God's great, He's wonderful, He did stuff for us, blah blah blah. But I'll take Him out when I need Him. I've read the Bible before, and it really hits a point of diminishing return after a while. Our walk with God can be calloused over, tough, impermeable. With His people in Scripture, their relationship was raw. They actively and desperately relied on Him for all things; a word from Him was like air in their lungs. The responded; not because someone told them to, but because they loved Him. They were tied to Him, and joyfully so.

Here, David tells us that what God has done, not even what he's currently doing, is cause for musical response. God is seen as a mighty hurricane force through history, changing everything and everyone in His path. As Christians, we believe we are not only in the path of God but moving in the same direction. 

Let your worship ring out to Him today. Maybe get alone in a car, in your room, wherever you can so you won't be distracted and just spend time marveling at the incredible things God has done for you. Where would you be right now if it wasn't for Him? Let's take the advice of King David, the man after God's own heart, and worship God in praise today.