‘Well… you make me wanna shout…’
I can’t read the opening line of this Psalm without hearing Lulu singing ‘you make me wanna shout’. The Psalmist is excited and wants the whole of creation to shout in praise of God. I wonder, how often do we let ourselves get this excited about what God is doing in our lives? How often are we excited enough to shout? Bold enough to shout about the grace and love of God?
Why is the Psalmist so excited? The Psalm tells us that it is because God has answered prayer.
Sometimes perhaps we wonder, if we are honest, about answers to prayer. Sometimes it feels like there is no answer. Sometimes, in the deep of night, we wonder or doubt if something was an answer or just happenstance. We say that God answers prayers in peculiar ways. Other times we are certain, we see that God has answered prayer, but perhaps we are fearful to express that publically. Afraid to whisper it, let alone shout.
The Psalmist knows God has answered prayer. The Psalmist is certain, sure and is shouting in praise. This Psalmist encourages us to shout too.
‘So, come on now, say you will now’… let’s be certain, proud and loud. Let’s shout about our faith and our God. Let’s shout about those answers to prayer, little and large, minor and miraculous. Let’s shout about how God is working in our lives, our communities, our towns. Let’s shout about our God who does not ignore prayer. Let’s shout about God’s unfailing love.
Let’s be brave and shout. ‘Jump up and shout now, everybody shout now’. Along with everything on earth let’s shout and tell the whole wide world about God.