MakeAJoyfulNoise | Kristi's Morning Devotional

January 22, 2025January 22, 2025

Filled With Song

You all know that I am a fan of songs – hymns, praise, country, classic, jazz, old rock, musicals. Music fills my soul. I guess that’s why I love the psalms and also love the early mornings when the birds start their chorus.

Music brings healing and peace. Composers have an amazing God-given talent. He is the One who gave each bird their voice, unique and distinct and He also fills man’s heart with song.

I did a search on singing birds this morning and it produced many individual images but what surprised me was how many hour-plus long videos of birds singing were a part of the result.

“ Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! ²I will praise the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God as long as I live. ³Do not put your trust in princes, in a son of a man, who cannot save us. ⁴When his spirit leaves, he returns to the earth. His thoughts end on that day. ⁵Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob, and whose hope is in the Lord his God. ⁶The Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them. He is faithful forever. ⁷He helps those who have a bad power over them. He gives food to the hungry. And He sets those in prison free.

⁸The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord raises up those who are brought down. The Lord loves those who are right and good. ⁹The Lord keeps the strangers safe. He takes care of the children who have no father and the woman whose husband has died. But He destroys the way of the sinful. ¹⁰The Lord will rule forever. Your God, O Zion, will rule over all people for all time. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 146 NLV

I will sing as long as I live because the Lord loves me!

“But I will sing about your strength, my God, and I will celebrate because of your love. You are my fortress, my place of protection in times of trouble. ¹⁷I will sing your praises! You are my mighty fortress, and you love me.” Psalm 59:16-17 CEV

Do you remember seeing the 1980’s movie Sister Act? Those kids’ lives were changed when they realized that God loved their songs, contemporary and traditional. Unconventional to some but pleasing to God.

An old hymn they featured goes something like this:

“Why should I feel discouraged,

Why should the shadows come,

Why should my heart be lonely,

And long for Heav’n and home,

When Jesus is my portion?

My constant friend is He:

His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me;

His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me.

I sing because I’m happy

I sing because I’m free,

For His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me.”

“You will teach me the right way to live. Just being with you will bring complete happiness. Being at your right side will make me happy forever.” Psalm 16:11 ERV

Being in God’s presence is a place of safety and a place of joy. Fill your life with song!

April 21, 2024April 21, 2024

Never Tire of Singing

If you were a bird would you complain about having to start each day singing? Be honest. Maybe one or two mornings you just won’t feel like warbling a song?

Each morning, like clockwork, their songs start. I love it – I look forward to them welcoming the day. It really puts my heart into a place of thankfulness.

“Sing a new song to the Lord!
Everyone on this earth,
sing praises to the Lord,
² sing and praise his name.

Day after day announce,
    “The Lord has saved us!”
³Tell every nation on earth,
‘The Lord is wonderful
    and does marvelous things!
⁴The Lord is great and deserves
    our greatest praise!
He is the only God
    worthy of our worship.
⁵Other nations worship idols,
but the Lord created
    the heavens.
⁶Give honor and praise
    to the Lord,
whose power and beauty
    fill his holy temple.’

⁷Tell everyone of every nation,
“Praise the glorious power
of the Lord.
⁸He is wonderful! Praise him
and bring an offering
into his temple.” Psalm 96:1-8 CEV

What song are you singing this morning? We should be taking every opportunity we have to praise the Lord for His love and faithfulness. He never tires of us; He’s always there like a parent waiting for their child to say its first word. God is listening for our voice, He’s listening for our song.

Many years ago now, I had a wonderful opportunity to sing for my dad. He was coming to the end of his life; dementia had taken hold and most nights his sleep was troubled by nightmares. When he got into bed I went in and sang him to sleep or so I thought. Some of the songs he sang with me and others he just listened. I left his room when I thought he was asleep but then we heard his voice. He called for my mom. When she went to see what he wanted he said, “Did you hear Kris, she was singing to me?”

God used that as a teaching moment for me. I heard Him speak to my heart and say, “I like it when you sing to Me too”.

“But I will sing about your strength, my God, and I will celebrate because of your love.
You are my fortress, my place of protection in times of trouble. ¹⁷I will sing your praises!
You are my mighty fortress, and you love me.” Psalm 59:16-17 CEV

Join with me now and sing – I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, I will sing. I will sing. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord!

August 24, 2023August 24, 2023

Bad Dreams – Bad Day?

This morning I awoke from a very bad dream – I hate days that start like this. They can rattle my emotions and they try to destroy my peace!

Not the way I want to start my day. How do you regain control of your day, even when it’s only a few minutes old?

I picked up my Bible and with a prayer on my lips I said, “Father, this is the day You gave me and I will not give it over to disturbing thoughts”. I opened my Bible to Psalm 147, within the first few verses I knew what I needed to do.

“Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God. For it is pleasing and praise is right. ²The Lord builds up Jerusalem. He gathers those of Israel who had been taken away. ³He heals those who have a broken heart. He heals their sorrows. ⁴He knows the number of the stars. He gives names to all of them. ⁵Great is our Lord, and great in power. His understanding has no end. ⁶The Lord lifts up those who are suffering, and He brings the sinful down to the ground.⁷Sing to the Lord with thanks. Sing praises to our God on the harp.” Psalm 147:1-7 NLT

It was time to sing!

I sat and quietly sang a song from long ago:

“I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever,
I will sing, I will sing,
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever,
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord.
With my mouth will I make known
Thy faithfulness, Thy faithfulness,
With my mouth will I make known
Thy faithfulness to all generations,
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever,
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord.”

My heart lifted with joy and my peace is returning. I know no better way to settle a disturbed heart than through prayer and worship.

“O Lord, the heavens will praise Your great works and how faithful You are in the meeting of the holy ones. ⁶For who in the heavens is like the Lord? Who among the sons of the powerful is like the Lord? ⁷God is honored with fear in the meeting of the holy ones. He is honored with fear more than all who are around Him. ⁸Lord God of all, powerful Lord, who is like You? All around You we see how faithful You are. ⁹You rule over the rising sea. When its waves rise, You quiet them. ” Psalm 89:5-9 NLV

The words from the song are the first three verses of Psalm 89 and then these are some of the following verses. It is wonderful what happens to a heart filled with praise!

So, now I will leave you and go back to praising. I have a feeling I will be singing in the shower this morning.

Bad dreams? What bad dreams? This is a day for praising the Lord!