Let the City Ring Again with Joy: A Call for Revival in Worship

1 Kings 1:45
And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard.

And they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again.” King David had his share of both victories and hardships throughout his reign. Though some of his troubles were self-inflicted because of sin, yet others just came with the territory. However, regardless of the hardships, there were always seasons of rejoicing that came with the victories. We thus learn to live from victory unto victory, even as King David and his kingdom! Ecc 3:4b teaches that there is a time to mourn, and a time to dance! Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning (Psalm 30:5)!

Today, when I read that “the city rang again”, my heart yearns for the day in which the house of God would ring again with rejoicing. It seems today as if the rejoicing church (that is, those churches who worship the Lord in spirit and in truth) is a thing of the past. Don’t get me wrong, for I am aware that there are still some places where the name of the Lord is lifted high, and the saints of God are not ashamed to lift up their voices in praise to His name; however, the sad truth is that they have become few and far between.

This city in our text was heard afar off because of the noise they made in their rejoicing. In like manner, we need a revival of real, genuine praise and worship in our churches today more than ever! We need to make some noise for Jesus! I realize that some are capable of making a whole lot of noise, but are only as sounding brass and tinkling symbol, but yet we cannot for fear of being labeled negate our responsibility to praise the Lord with a loud voice, and to let the redeemed of the Lord say so!

We need not become mechanical in our worship, but neither do we need to become mute. Many have hanged their harps upon the willow trees, asking “How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?” Yet, if you will sing again, then He will bring you back out of the land of captivity with rejoicing, and you can ring again!

If there is a lesson we can learn from saints of old, it’s this: when we praise Jesus, He shows up and revives the hearts of His people!

~ Pastor Gary Caudill
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