A WORD FOR TODAY, March 28, 2025
Peggy Hoppes
We pray you have been blessed by this daily devotion. If you received it from a friend, you can see other devotions and studies by visiting our website at www.awordfortoday.org.
Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, March 28, 2025
“Shout for joy to Yahweh, all you lands! Serve Yahweh with gladness. Come before his presence with singing. Know that Yahweh, he is God. It is he who has made us, and we are his. We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, and bless his name. For Yahweh is good. His loving kindness endures forever, his faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 100, WEB
March has been “Sing with your child month.” I know we are at the end, but it is never too late to start. The purpose of this month is to encourage parents to sing with their children, which creates happiness, confidence, and closer relationships. The simple act of singing together turns everyday moments into memories. Music is not a major focus in my life, although I do play the radio when I exercise, and I’ve been seen belting out some song as I wait at a traffic light.
A website about “Sing with your child month” gives plenty of ways to celebrate, and though it was meant to be the month of March, we can sing with one another anytime. It seems like there is a day or month to celebrate everything these days, but there is value to celebrating the act of singing with your child. Singing helps children develop language and listening skills. It is a fun way to introduce new vocabulary and sounds. Singing is often a great way to remember facts; we all learned the alphabet through song! Singing can reduce stress, which is good for everyone. The shared activity strengthens bonds between parents and children (and friends!) It is entertaining, and nurtures growth and harmony.
“Sing with your child month” began about twenty years ago, created by a company called Music Together, which offers music and movement classes for young children. (Most of the “celebrate this” days and month have been started by groups that benefit from the exposure!) They believe that making music should be a shared, family experience that helps children develop musical skills and overall cognitive abilities. It helps raise awareness of the positive impact of music for children, but we are reminded that it is good for us, too.
Martin Luther firmly believed in the power of music. He wrote, “If any man despises music, as all fanatics do, for him I have no liking; for music is a gift and grace of God, not an invention of men. Thus it drives out the devil and makes people cheerful. Then one forgets all wrath, impurity and other devices.” He also wrote, “I wish to compose sacred hymns so that the Word of God may dwell among the people also by means of songs.” His hymn, “A Mighty Fortress” was inspired by Psalm 46, scripture that celebrates the security of living in the refuge of God. Millions have sought comfort in the words of that song, for the eternal truth of God’s presence has been written on our hearts through the power of the music.
We don’t have to wait for worship on Sunday to sing the liturgy or the hymns and songs that praise God. The book of Psalms is filled with the hymns that Jesus would have sung, hymns that speak of all that concerns our lives. It might seem hard to sing a song of joy when we are frightened and frustrated, but this is exactly the moment to sing a song of praise. Today’s psalm especially speaks of the joy we have in the Lord who has done great things for us. We can trust in Him. We can praise Him, even when the world around us seems out of control. God is greater than our chaos.
You don’t need to sing for the next few days just because it is “Sing to your child month.” Singing is good for you all the time, especially when our songs glorify God. Praise the Lord today. Sing of His glory and His love. Hum the tunes of your favorite hymns and break out in the words of “Jesus loves me.” God has written His Word on our hearts, and we can easily reach for those words in the songs that we hold dear. In our singing, we keep God close to us, remembering His truth and sharing them with the world. Shout for joy and sing joyful songs, give Him thanks and praise His name!
A WORD FOR TODAY is posted five days a week – Monday through Friday. The devotional on Wednesday takes a look at the scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday. A WORD FOR TODAY is posted on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Word-for-Today-Devotional/339428839418276. Like the page to receive the devotion through Facebook. For information and to access our archives, visit http://www.awordfortoday.org