Articles
It Thrills My Soul
We have a hymn in our songbook with these words:
It thrills my soul to hear the songs of praise,
We mortals sing below,
And tho’ it takes the parting of the ways,
Yet I must onward go;
I hope to hear throughout unnumbered days,
The song earth cannot know,
They sing in heaven a new song,
Of Moses and the Lamb.
What thrills your soul? Perhaps some might answer that question by saying, “Not very much.” As some grow older, they lose their zeal and excitement. Life becomes a pattern of doing mundane tasks to get through the day. There are no hobbies or interests or love of learning. Ask a young child, “What would you like to do?” and he or she will give you a slew of adventurous activities. Ask an adult, and he might be at a loss for what it is that he actually enjoys doing.
For others, perhaps the things that they find thrilling are activities that are actually detrimental to the health of the soul. The wisdom of Proverbs reminds us: “Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things” (Proverbs 23:31-33).
What thrills your soul? It is a question worth pondering. What is it that makes you feel truly alive? Above all else, worshiping God should thrill the soul. If we are bored with worship, then perhaps we do not fully fathom the splendor of it. Collectively, we can come together as the people of God in the presence of the Creator of all things. As we strive to live harmoniously with one another, we blend our voices in harmony, praising our Lord and encouraging one another. We are able to petition the Ruler of all things, knowing that He hears and cares. We are privileged to be invited to the supper of the Lord, communing with Him and one another in reverential remembrance. We practice generosity as we give back to our King that over which He has granted us stewardship. We have the opportunity to be sustained with the Word that has fed God’s people for many, many years.
Still more, we do not do this alone in isolation. We do this with one another—a phrase which covers the pages of the New Testament.
Today, we are able to worship God together. It thrills my soul, and I hope it thrills yours as well.
