Psalm 33:1 Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
    it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

This is an anonymous Psalm, which in a way broadens its applicability. It is interesting that the ESV says “shout” here, while the NIV and the Japanese both say “sing.” Some kinds of “singing” don’t sound very musical! However, the important thing is the heart and motivation behind it. However well we might make music, if the words don’t penetrate to our heart, and conversely, come from our heart, it doesn’t mean much. With the recent advances in AI, it is entirely possible to tell a computer to compose words and music and then “perform” the resulting song, but that is not praise to God. I think it was John Piper who told ChatGPT to write a prayer of praise to God. He read the result out, and it sounded magnificent, but as he pointed out, it was meaningless because there wasn’t a human soul behind it. Forms can move us, and that actually is a risk. Worship leaders can fall into the trap of being manipulative with their song sets. That actually is the whole purpose of fog machines and special lighting, and it creates counterfeit religion. The great revivals of Church history had no technology to hype people up, only the Holy Spirit to move their hearts. Today is Pentecost Sunday. We can’t generate anything real on our own, but we can be humble and yielded for whatever God wants to do. He mourns the evil of all sorts in the world more than we do, and we need to focus on Him in praise and worship and obedience, and trust Him to do what is needed and right.

This is spot-on to me this morning. We have our usual worship service this morning, and I will be preaching on Pentecost. I would be thrilled beyond words if the Lord opened the heavens on us, but I can’t make that happen. I desire that He pour His Spirit out, not only on this congregation and this city, but on this nation and on the whole world. However, I can’t begin to dictate when and how that will happen. This afternoon my wife and I will be singing at a special service in the next town over in honor of a pastor and his wife who are retiring. The wife has dementia, and the service was timed in the hope of her really understanding and appreciating what was going on. That again is something I can’t control. I am to focus, as clearly as possible, on my Lord Jesus, and allow Him to do in and through me whatever He knows is right, for His glory alone.

Father, thank You for this timely reminder. I pray that each moment of today I would be yielded to You, allowing Your Spirit to operate in and through me, so that Your purposes may be fulfilled as You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!