Day 214 - Shout to the Lord
Emily Green
“Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy!” – Psalm 98:4 NLT
If you grew up around contemporary Christian music, as soon as you read the words, “Shout to the Lord,” your mind immediately went to Darlene Zschech singing:
“Shout to the Lord all the Earth, let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name.”
There’s something powerful about shouting. Believe it or not, when it comes to sports, I’m a yeller. I can’t keep myself from shouting. Before I know it, I’m on my feet, and the words are barreling out of my mouth! During the good plays, I shout. After the bad plays, I shout. It’s second nature for me.
I’m used to clapping and shouting for sports teams, but if I’m willing to give that kind of praise to a team and not give that kind of praise to God, something’s wrong.
The word “shout” in Psalm 98:4 translates to “shout, raise a sound, cry out, or give a blast.” It also translates to a “war-cry or alarm of battle.” Yes, worship is a way we connect with God, but worship is also warfare, and sometimes, we’ve got to shout. We’ve got to lift our war-cry and get ready to battle through our worship.
As we shout to the Lord, we prepare our hearts to worship the Lord and battle the enemy, ultimately silencing the lies of Satan and proclaiming the good news of God!
Next Steps
- Think about it: In what scenarios do I tend to “shout”?
- Think about it: Do I shout to God? Why or why not?
- Action Step: In your personal time with God, shout to the Lord! If you don’t know what to say, try saying, “Hallelujah!” or “Thank you, Jesus!”