Wars spreading rather than ceasing. Elections looming. Hurricanes leaving destruction in their wake. There’s a lot in our world to be anxious about right now. A lot of hurt and anger and fear. A lot of places we may feel powerless.
And into all this, the calm reassurance, “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps 46:10).
I often hear God’s reminder as the quiet whisper of a strong and loving Parent, “It’s okay to rest. I’ve got it under control. You don’t need to figure it all out.”
But as I read the rest of the verse I hear, too, the confident assurance of the King of kings on whose shoulders rests the government of nations.
“Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth” (Ps 46:10).
There’s an unshakeable certainty here. God alone is the Eternal God, the Only One both all-powerful and perfectly good.
Others may play at god-ness, may for a while appear to hold impossible power over neighboring nations and people within their own nation. But, in the end, the One True LORD laughs at them (Ps. 2:4) and quietly calls us to return again to the truth: “Be still and know that I am God.”
But how?
As our bodies carry the unsettledness of rush and trauma and fear within us, it can be hard to still our bodies and minds and settle into the deep knowing that our good God reigns.
Sometimes, it’s true, grace comes as I sit for a few moments, body supported by my comfy prayer chair, hands open, and return to those words, “Be still and know that I am God.” My physical stillness and open hands become my prayer of willingness, and God meets me there.
But often, lately, singing along with one of my Spotify playlists is the means by which my heart is turned back to God, my body calmed, my thoughts stilled, and my anxiety shifted to joy.
Why does God call us to sing?
Singing offers God the praise he deserves. That alone is more than enough reason to sing.
But I’m awed to notice that here again, as in so many other situations and practices, God has wired us so that what brings glory to Him is also deeply good for us.
Singing praise refocuses us, turning our hearts and minds back to our Creator and Sustainer, our Refuge and Shield, the One in whose love alone we can rest.
It helps us breathe deeply, filling our bodies with life-giving oxygen as well as stimulating our vagus nerve both at the level of the diaphragm and through our vibrating vocal cords, helping our bodies shift from an anxious “fight or flight” state to a calm state of rest.
Singing lowers our levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. And it causes our brains to release serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins—“happy hormones”— which boost our mood.
When we sing with our family, our congregation, or a choir, our brains release oxytocin, the bonding hormone that helps us feel connected to others.
Singing may also decreases pain, improve our immune response, and give our heart and lungs an aerobic workout.
All of these shifts that take place in our bodies as we sing help to move us from a state of anxiety to one of peace and joy and deeply felt wellness.
Singing is one of those beautiful two-way gifts: In responding to God’s call to sing, we not only bring our love and praise to God, we also receive and enter the gifts of peace and joy He has wired our bodies to receive in part through simple singing.
Isn’t it beautiful? Our kind Creator knows how we are formed. He remembers that we are dust (Ps. 103:14). Our Saviour knew that life in this world would be rough (John 16:33). And in the womb, the Creative Trinity intricately weaves into each of our bodies a natural and fun way to reset our nervous systems while loving Him with our worship. He weaves it into us, and then calls us to use it. Over and over throughout Scripture, He calls us to sing.
“Let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you” (Ps 5:11).
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col 3:16).
“… [B]e filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart…” (Eph. 5:18-19).
God calls us to sing when we feel joy (Ps. 5:11; 81:1; 95:1) and he calls us to sing both our lament and our praise as a way into joy (eg. Ps 13; Ps 57).
He summons us to sing our way into a hope-filled trust that watches and waits for the victory God wants to give (2 Chron 20:21-22), and our songs also overflow in response to that salvation (Ex. 15).
Singing can be a determined and steady choice to focus on God’s love (Ps 108), a way to find strength to trust even in times of extreme pressure (Acts 16:25), and a way to join in the eternal song already being sung around the Throne (Rev 5:9-14).
So here’s an invitation, from God and from me: Whatever you’re facing these days, and however you’re feeling about state of the world and your life, will you join me in singing, opening ourselves together to praise our wonderful God who reigns forever in love and, at the same time, opening ourselves to receive the gifts He wants to give us as we sing to Him?
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Photos (in order) by Rilee Payton, Elmer Cañas, and Tyler Callahan on Unsplash.
