May 6 - Reading 34: Psalms 104 & 108

Published May 6, 2026
The white logo for Johnson Church, featuring the letters J and C with a cross inside, sits on a colorful, blurry background of pink, orange, and teal.


“I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.” (Psalm 104:33)

There is something so very powerful about songs of praise. They allow our spirits to rise above our circumstances. They can bypass our emotions as our focus moves from ourselves to the truth of their words. They can lift a heavy heart out of a pit in almost miraculous and instantaneous ways.

The great reformer, Martin Luther, declared “Next to the Word of god, music deserves the highest praise. The gift of language combined with the gift of song was given to man that he should proclaim the Word of God through music.”

Song can re-affirm truth and minister to our souls unlike any other method. We can try looking at nature, and conclude that there has to be a God. We can read Scripture and agree that it is truth for our lives. But we sometimes can still struggle with translating that “head knowledge” into “heart knowledge” so it can impact the deepest parts of our lives. Oftentimes, our hurt, confused, or troubled emotions can block that translation. But singing can minister truth directly, transforming our emotions, bringing comfort and healing to our deepest needs.

Pastor Chuck Swindoll has said of the hymns: “For long centuries, its soothing strains have calmed anxious hearts, incited courage in the faint-hearted, comforted the grieving, healed the wounded, rescued the perishing, and drawn wanderers home.”

No matter what may be troubling our souls today, let’s choose to sing praise to Him in the midst of these trials. As we read the Psalms to Him today, let’s join the Psalmist in praising Him for His mighty deeds. As we choose to focus and keep our minds stayed on Him, He promises us perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). Then, let’s take that peace which is independent of our circumstances (Philippians 4:7) into our intercession, confident that He is on His throne awaiting our requests so that His heavenly hosts can be released to accomplish His will, in His time and in His way.