David wrote many of the Psalms when he was a young man. In them, he shows the struggles of his life and the great depth of his relationship with the Lord, despite living before the time of Christ and the fully compiled Scriptures. The Psalms have become a great comfort to me in my struggles, and I believe that reading and singing them can bring similar wisdom and solace to young people today.

Glorifying

I grew up singing the Psalms, and I never doubted whether I was worshiping rightly. However, as I got older, I realized that I could not worship a certain way simply because it was all I knew; I needed to search the Scriptures and dive deeper into why the RP Church practices exclusive, a cappella psalmody. Throughout my teen and early adult years, I have gained both a greater knowledge of what my denomination believes about the Psalms, and a renewed joy in singing them.

Psalm 119 speaks of the Word of the Lord being sweet as honey on our lips. How much sweeter will our worship be when we know that we are worshiping as God commands us. He delights in the praise of His people, and we bring Him great glory when our hearts sing back His perfect words, rather than works of simple men.

Edifying

So often, the beautiful words of the Psalms can go in one ear and out the other because we are focusing on other things, even on the tune and rhythm of what we are singing. While I really enjoy lovely melodies and well-crafted harmonies, it is a one-of-a-kind experience to meditate on the Psalms themselves, on their words and meaning. David sang them, and generations of believers sang them, but, most importantly, Christ sang them. He sang them as He lived and died for you and me, to bring peace and victory to creation through His work on earth. I believe that young Christians, especially RPs, would be well off if we could step back and focus on the weight and value of the Psalms.

Unifying

This July, I was blessed to attend Theological Foundations for Youth, to learn more about theology, serve local churches, and see our denomination’s institutions. One thing that was not on the itinerary for those three weeks was the love and unity that was sown among us during our time together. A memorable part of that unity was the time we spent singing the Psalms together. Our voices raised in song brought us closer to each other and closer to the God that we gathered to serve. Experiencing that harmonious worship gave me a joy like nothing I have felt.

Sadly, I have seen issues on psalmody be divisive, driving the body apart instead of closer together. We cannot let secondary things like what psalter we use or what our precenting looks like tear us asunder; but instead we must join together as brothers and sisters, rejoicing in the praise of our Lord and the unity of His people (Ps. 133).

The Word continues to teach me day and night, and the Spirit comforts me as it did the psalmist. I am eternally grateful to God for placing me in a family, a church, and a denomination that cultivated a love of the Psalms in my heart. This love is something I feel called to show to others and to one day pass on to my own children.

My challenge to you, fellow Reformed youth, is to be a generation that loves God’s Word more than sweet honey and precious gold, one that sings His praises with hearts of gratitude and joy. Let us step up in our congregations and communities to offer a new song to the Lord, in what we know to be right worship. Let us dive deep and hold fast to Scripture, and let us encourage one another in the faith, as members of Christ’s body and children of the King. May He use the Psalms to work mightily in our lives and to shine the light of the gospel throughout this world.