Monday, June 19, 2006
This past week I have been studying the Hebrew word "tehillah" (te-heel-ah). It is defined as a new song of praise coming from the overflow of your heart. I had the opportunity to practice and teach this to our 4 year olds through 5th graders and to share this in our Sunday morning service.
The power of "tehillah" in my mind is that it offers everyone the opportunity to use music as the medium for their expression to God. As a songwriter, I strive to write lyrics that capture my own, and hopefully others, adoration/need for God. So I value highly great worship songs, but it seems that "tehillah" offers each one of us the opportunity to bypass someone else's creativity and find our own song of love for our Creator. The power and effectiveness of this song I think would be much like when your child begins to express love on their own terms. We teach our kids phrases like, "I love you", "You're the Best" and that sort of thing. But when your child breaks out the first "on their own" expression of love it means much more than parroted phrases. I remember my son saying "I love you big as the town". It was like he was trying to in his own way, quantify and express his heart of love for me. I'm not saying it affects God this way, but it wouldn't surprise me if it did. I wonder if He looks down with delight and smiles on His children's attempts to quantify and express their hearts of loves for Him on their own. Not just singing words on a screen, even great words:-) just letting their heart overflow with praise for who He is. One great example on the use of this word can be found in 2nd Chronicles 20.
May God overflow your heart with a "tehillah" praise and may you make a melody just for Him.
