Read Your Bible... Sing Everyday!

My title for this post comes from a twist on a well known children's song I grew up singing. The song went like this: "Read your Bible, pray every day!" 

After repeating that phrase numerous times, the song continued with: "and you'll grow, grow, grow!" 

The song included hand motions along with an exercise that my siblings and I did as we sang this song. We would squat down near the floor and then slowly come up as we were singing the last phrase of that song. (as though we were "growing") 

The second verse of that song went like this: 

"Neglect your Bible, forget to pray... and you'll shrink, shrink, shrink!"  

My siblings and I did the motions for that as well by slowly shrinking down to the floor, giving our leg muscles a good workout. We not only learned some great Bible truths by singing that song, but we also got a workout whenever we sang that song! 

It's amazing to me how simple (yet profound!) Bible truths can be taught to children just by singing a song. I'm in my late 30's now, and the truths of that song have stayed with me to this day. 

Bible reading and prayer are, indeed, vital to a healthy walk with God. Earlier this year, I discovered something else that I also believe is vital in walking with God - singing.  

Permit me to share a story from earlier this year. 

A singing songbird! 

This past spring, I had the joy and privilege of flying to the state of California to visit a dear friend of mine who lives there with her husband and their six children.

The San Diego airport! I loved the palm trees!  

I thoroughly enjoyed all of the brightly colored, tropical flowers around their property!   

Beautiful Bougainvillea flowers near my friend's home! 

 

Lovely Latana flowers on my friend's property
with a view of their avocado grove (on the hill) in the background. 

My friend's husband owns a business of packing and selling vegetable and flower seeds to people all over the nation. My friend and her husband met at a Bible School around 20 years ago in the town that I live in. I was also at that week long Bible School, and that is how I first met my sweet friend, Janelle. 

A year or two after meeting, my friend and her husband were married. After that, they lived in the state of Wisconsin where her husband was from. Several years later, my friend's husband had a bad accident involving his head, and he developed debilitating headaches. Those headaches prompted them to look for help. 

The only help they found for him was to live near the ocean, at sea level, where the barometric pressure does not change much (if at all), hence their reason for moving to and living in California now. They love it there! The beauty and climate is hard to beat! 

The Lord has blessed them with a beautiful home, and with a wonderful, avocado grove! On my last evening there, my friend and I enjoyed a delightful walk through their avocado grove, picking avocados and stuffing our jacket pockets with them as we went! I absolutely loved our walk that evening in their avocado grove! 

An evening walk in early May through their avocado grove. 

Picking avocados from their trees! 

My friend, Janelle, plays the harp like I do. She has a beautiful, pedal harp that her husband purchased for her! 

My friend's, beautiful, pedal harp. 

Their sweet daughter, Joanna, is an aspiring harpist who  
wants to learn to play the harp like her mom.
I enjoyed giving her a harp lesson while I was there. 

My friend and her husband have a small, home church fellowship they are a part of, consisting of several dear, Godly families. On one of the evenings I was there, they hosted a mystery supper for their small church at their home. It was great fun! 

After our mystery supper, we gathered into their living room for a time of worship and singing. I was asked to play my friend's pedal harp on request. I enjoyed playing several songs for everyone there. 

After I played, they passed out hymnals, and everyone began to sing in beautiful, four part, acapella harmony. I suddenly could not sing. It was so heavenly and so beautiful, all I could do was put my head down as I began to cry. I hadn't sung with a group of people like that in nearly 2 years! I soaked the singing up like a dry sponge! After crying for a minute, I was able to sing. I didn't want the singing to end that evening. I treasured every minute of it! 

I noticed that evening, though, that I had a harder time singing higher notes - something I've been able to do my entire life with ease! I realized then that vocal chords have to be exercised! My vocal chords were a little sore after singing so much that evening.

I never thought I'd share my personal church history on a public blog, but I have nothing to hide. My life is an open book. 

I've attended church my entire life. From the time I was a baby until two years ago (2019), I've been a part of a church whether I just attended or was a member. I grew up singing in church every Sunday. We also sang at home when I was growing up as part of our family "devotional time" in the evening just before bed. Singing has always been a part of my life.  

I was part of a church for 10 years. (January 2009 -2019) I didn't just attend there; I was a member. Granted, the church was an hour north of where I live, and I did get tired of the drive after awhile. (2 hours of driving every Sunday!) But it was worth being part of a wonderful, Godly fellowship. 

Sadly, in January of 2019, my church split. I used to drive to my church on Sunday mornings alone. On the last Sunday of December 2018, I made a decision to leave my church. I noticed that something wasn't right, but I didn't know what was wrong. I had no father or husband with me to ask what might be going on. I held nothing against anyone; but something didn't seem right. Sure enough! One month later, the church split. 

During that time, I began attending a small fellowship in the town that I live in. One of my pastors (we had two pastors) and his family joined us, so I wasn't without fellowship. But the large church split was so painful and so awful, my pastor and his family moved to the state of Virginia later that year. A short time later, our small fellowship completely dissolved. I was left without a church. 

In November of 2019, I had major surgery. I was thankful to have Godly friends praying for me even though I had no church. The following year (2020), Covid came into our world and many churches in our nation stopped having regular services for a month or two. 

After being without a church, I decided to visit some churches in my local area, including the Baptist church my parents attend. Sadly, I've been held "at arms length" (unwelcomed) by most of the churches I've visited. My head covering (a simple black scarf) is very strange to most people, including other Christians. But, it's a belief of mine from the Bible, so I choose to wear it in obedience to God's Word. Unfortunately, I'm still without a church. I usually watch a service online on the weekends.    

I share all of this to say... when I could not sing higher notes very well at my friend's home that evening, I realized that I hadn't been singing very much. Admittedly, the past 2 years have been the hardest of my entire life. I listen to Godly music frequently, both singing and instrumental. And I play my harps. But I haven't sung very much in the past two years. I have no church to join in singing. 

After my visit to California, I was inspired to go home and begin singing more, not only because I wanted to sing higher notes again, but more importantly, because I realized the importance of praising God through singing.

Since then, I've been singing more, although at times, I have to be very purposeful about it. I'm delighted that I can sing higher notes again with no trouble at all. (which proves that vocal chords need to be exercised!) 

I've also pondered the importance of singing over the past several months. I think I may have shared this once before on one of my previous blogs, but I believe it's worth sharing again.

Many Christians are taught the importance of Bible reading and prayer, and rightly so. Bible reading and prayer are how we keep our personal relationship with God alive and well. God usually talks to us through His Word. We talk to God and bring our requests to Him in prayer. The children's song got that right. 

But I think that singing is just as important as prayer. So often, we ask God for things in prayer, but we don't always praise Him for those things. One of the best ways to praise God is through singing! The Psalms in the Bible are loaded with praising God through singing!   

Children today are usually taught many subjects in school. However, there are three subjects that are probably the most important of them all. They have been called the three "R's" by school teachers of long ago: reading, writing, and arithmetic. Learning things like history, science, and health are excellent! But the three subjects that are essential for children to learn are the ones they will need the most to function in life as they grow into adults.  

Likewise, I believe that, for Christians, both young and old, Bible reading, prayer, and singing, are vital to a healthy walk with God!    

With that said, I think that the children's song should have a third verse added to it: 

"Read your Bible, sing everyday... and you'll grow, grow, grow!"