Sing to the Lord!

Photo from www.sxc.hu 

Psalm 95:1-2 

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

3 

Psalm 105:3-6

Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
5 Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!

The Bible devotes a lot of verses to singing and music-making. Most of the Psalms are, in fact, songs. Both James and Paul encourage the brethren of the early church to sing. Moses and Miriam each had songs recorded to thank God for deliverance. One of Jesus' final acts at the first New Testament Passover was to sing a hymn with his disciples before his death. Again and again, songs are used in the Bible as a way to express joy and appreciation to God, and He wants us to sing to Him. Does singing also have health benefits?

In "Does Singing Make You Happy?", Julia Layton discusses the benefits of singing, especially in choral groups. Singing releases endorphins, improves breathing, and gives you a greater happiness level than non-singers--at least if you sing in a choral group. Singing improves oxygen flow as an aerobic activity, and when you sing in a group, it gives you a social outlet among people who share a common purpose.

But here's something even more fascinating. In "How Singing Together Can Affect Your Health", Mark Lalanilla, an assistant editor at LiveScience.com cites a study by 

the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin showing that when musicians play together, their brain waves sync up. Other studies show (and for anyone who has sung in a group will know this from experience) that singers' breathe together. Breathing together will bring heart rates into a similar rate. 

Singing with a group has even been shown to release oxytocin--the bonding hormone that links mothers to their babies, and family and friends through touch, and makes groups feel trust and harmony among the members. Learning music also strengthens mental function, especially since it affects so many portions of the brain ("Imperfect Harmony: How Choral Singing Changes Lives" on NPR).

So why did God give us music? For a lot more than His enjoyment--it brings us closer to our fellow man, improves our mental clarity and focus, and lifts our mood--besides giving us a fun way to praise our Maker.

Resources for this post: 

http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-Singing/

http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/singing-happy.htm

http://www.livescience.com/38080-singing-together-affects-health-music.html

http://www.npr.org/2013/06/03/188355968/imperfect-harmony-how-chorale-singing-changes-lives

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.