November 1931
489
T h e
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
THANKSGIVING IN SONG . . . By ROBERT HARKNESS
praise. From the mighty doxology—“Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow’jfe-to the humblest suggestion of praise, our Christian hymnology is literally saturated with praise. But while the place of song in true thanksgiving is of tremendous importance, its real spiritual value can be conserved only when the channel of expression is clean and wholesome. The purpose of praise in song is often frustrated by the lives
__ h e p s a l m is t gives much at tention, and rightly so, to thanksgiving. The statement of praise and its frequent repetition sets an example which all true believers may well emulate. True thanksgiving is echoed in every heart which has tasted of the good things of God. The expression of true thanksgiving in song is a natural exercise which should find its place at all times in all seasons of thanksgiving.
The vehicle of music, r i g h t l y used and backed by the spirit ual motive, is a pow erful factor in the service of praise. To sing praise unto God is always acceptable to H im if it is prompted by the right objective. Acceptable praise can find and enjoy its r i g h t f u l place only when it ex alts our Lord and aims at giving glory to God. Hymnology abounds in utterances of praise and thanks-, giving, because t h e sincere soul, in the en joyment of forgiven sin, overflows w i t h such gratitude to God that it spontaneously expresses its joyous thanksgiving. Song has always h a d an important place and been a pow erful factor in t h e service of thanksgiv ing. The first cry of the newborn soul is one of thanksgiving. Gratitude to God for temporal blessings has its important place in Christian experience, b u t the inestimable gift of God’s love in Christ has a l w a y s been responsible for the noblest songs of praise. Even a c a s u a l g l a n c e through the hymnals of the church will reveal the large number of hymns of
of those engaged in rendering praise. God looks at the motive be hind the song. Self is the greatest hindrance to the effectiveness of the song of t r u e thanksgiving. As Thanksgiving Day is again celebrat ed, a special call is made for the expres sion of gratitude to ■God for the blessings of t h e y e a r. We should sing our praise and thanksgiving with overflowing h e a r t s. With many people, disappointments m ay suggest a lack of thanksgiving, but it is well to remember that God’s richest bless ings are sometimes found in the disap pointments of l i f e . Our disappointment is His appointment and therefore is an en couragement to real th ank sg iv ing . We might well take the words and the sugges tion of Romans 8 :28: “And we know that all things work. to gether for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” T h e development of Christian character is usually indicated in the element of praise given forth verbally and in song. The words of an old hymn,
Only
Believe and Live.
R. H.
R obert H arkness.
S olo
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