In Basin Head, P.E.I.

       I’ve never been particularly close to my Mom, but there we were on vacation and walking along a pristine east coast beach in Prince Edward Island.  I held my young daughters hand as we enjoyed the beautiful view and looked out for hidden treasures.  My Mom said something, but I didn’t quite hear what she said so I asked her to repeat it.  To my surprise, she insisted she didn’t say anything at all.  About the fourth time it happened, I accused her of trying to make me think I was crazy by hearing voices that weren’t there.

       Eventually, I remembered the name of the beach was ‘Singing Sands’ and I realized the ‘voices’ I heard were probably the reason for the name.  I’ve never forgotten that place or what happened that September afternoon.  It is awe-inspiring to ponder God’s creative genius and what a feeling of ‘smallness’ I have when I consider the infinite diversity of His immeasurable universe.

       Ps. 98:4 to 9 says:  Make a joyful noise to Jehovah, all the earth; break out and rejoice and sing praise.  Sing praise to Jehovah with the lyre (harp); with the lyre and the voice of a song.  With trumpets and the sound of a horn (shofar), make a joyful noise before Jehovah the King.  Let the sea roar, and the fullness of it; the world and those who live in it.  Let the rivers clap their hands; let the heights (hills) exult together before Jehovah; for He comes to judge the earth; with righteousness He shall judge the world, and the peoples in uprightness.”  TIB

       First off, I would like to say that, according to this scripture, God enjoys noise, specifically when we ‘break out’ in loud shouting for joy.  Certainly there is a place for solemn worship and average volume praise, but there must also be room to break out in shouts of praise to our God.  Add to that a variety of instruments and the volume of sound is pretty high.  Then add in all of the earth praising and rejoicing, the sea roaring, the rivers clapping, the hills shouting for joy and you have an exuberant harmony of grand proportions, all for the glory of God.

       I have to wonder what God thinks when we break out in shouts of touchdown triumphs at football games, but stand barely singing praise to him; or how about shouting encouragement to our children playing soccer or baseball but never shouting to God?  Is that reverence or disobedience?  Notice this scripture doesn’t say to shout if you want to, and if you never want to shout to God, perhaps you should question why.  According to scripture it is within nature to shout praise to the glory of Jehovah our King.

       When I think back to that September walk on that beach, I realize it sounded more like a choir of thousands singing praises to our Lord.  The fact that our Creator can invent such an amazing world is only one of the things that make me want to shout to Him.  Lets all join with creation in shouting praise to our King!

Other ‘noisy’ scriptures:

Ps 47:1,5; 66:1-4; 100:1

Is. 55:12; 44:23

Luke 19:40

Rev. 7:10; 19:1,6