Praise God With All My Heart

Dear Children,

So far, we have learned that songs can teach us God's truth, comfort us in times of trouble, and be used to praise God. Since songs were created by God for His purposes, can there ever be a time when our songs are unacceptable to Him?

The answer is yes, and one of the reasons lies in our hearts.

Let us look at Amos 6:1, 5:

1 Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

5 That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;

This passage speaks of the Israelites who sang and made music as David did, yet their hearts were far from God. They praised Him with their lips, but their hearts were not devoted to Him.

God, who knows all things and sees the heart of every person, refused to accept their praise, even though they may have sung the very same songs that King David once sang.

This teaches us that we must examine our hearts whenever we sing praises to God. If we sing in church while our minds are occupied with thoughts such as, "When can I go and play?" or "What should I eat later?", then our praise is not pleasing to God.

Instead, we ought to praise Him sincerely, reflecting upon His goodness, His blessings, and His loving care throughout our lives.

Therefore, let us praise God like the psalmist, who said: Psalm 86:12 – "I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore."