Joyful Noise

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The mallets touch the cymbal, barely moving at first, then rising higher and faster with each repetition until the cymbal sings out in a crescendo of sound. I have come to love percussion, all the more because I've learned to single it out in the listening because of Drummer-Boy, who came to the world with percussion in his soul.

A cymbal is a beautiful instrument, both to look at and to hear--it can be a tinkling timepiece or a crashing splash of sound, a metallic accent, or the clanging main event. Did you ever notice that a cymbal is silent until the drummer strikes it? Something has to happen to make it vibrate and send sound waves through space. It can't ring of its own accord.

There is more music in my home. She-So-Sweet sets her bow on violin strings and calls from them the sweetest music. Her music can make you laugh, break your heart or set your spirit to glorious flights of fancy. Sometimes my heart nearly aches with the beauty of it. As lovely as her music is, the violin itself is helpless to make its own sound. The violin can only sing what my young violinist plays.

I think joy is like music. I can't muster up joy on my own, can't order myself to be joyful--it wouldn't be real if I did. Joy needs the divine Drummer to strike my senses in such a way that I cannot do anything but make a joyful noise. Joy waits for a heavenly Virtuoso to play the song He designed to be played on an instrument such as I.

As life happens, each day is filled with its own set of trials and triumphs. God walks through each moment with us. He turns the trials that were intended to do us harm into mallets to make joyful music on His cymbals, our lives. The triumphs He gives are His way of putting His bow to my strings in a victorious song of gladness.

There is a major difference though . . . between me and a musical instrument. Where a cymbal or violin will always respond to being played by a skilled musician, I can set my will against the Musician's playing and refuse to sing His joy-song.

Oh, but I must not!!

 Joy is as powerful to a hurting life and a hurting world as music is. Both music and joy are waves of the voice of God! I must let Him make His joy ring out in me . . . in spite of circumstances . . . because of His love . . . forever and always, AMEN!

"O come, let us sing unto the LORD:
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation."
(Psalm 95:1, King James Version)

How has God played His song in your life this week? What music did He produce through you? Tell me about your joyful noise!!

Encourage someone with the "Make A Joyful Noise" Greeting Card by FridayDreaming