Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and you’re listening to Joni and Friends.
The other day I was at an event where they played our national anthem and I was surprised how I got all teary-eyed and happy – and it’s not like I never hear our national anthem, right; but that’s the point: I hear it all the time. Yet there is something in us that swells our heart, something that puts a lump in our throat, something inside that causes us to leap for joy whenever we sing our country’s national song. Whether it’s at a ball stadium with our hand over our heart or watching a parade march by, we melt when we sing about the land of the free and the home of the brave. Man, I get weepy when I see the American flag snapping in a strong wind, or come up over a horizon and see the purple mountains majesty. Grand vistas and great countries… it could even be a glorious symphony… when we experience something truly great, our hearts seem to resonate with that, they grow large and we can’t help but burst into glad song. I remember the first time I laid eyes on the Grand Canyon, I could not contain all the wonder of it – my family and I stood on the edge of that canyon and began singing this loud, happy hymn.
When our hearts fill to overflowing with a vision that’s great, it evokes a response that’s just as great. It’s natural to erupt into a song that matches the superiority of that country or flag or that beautiful vista of mountains or canyons. And you know what? The same is true when we grasp how high, wide, and deep the love of Christ really is – it’s a vision of such amazing love that it melts our hearts and causes us to sing for joy – like the apostle Paul when he described the greatness of God’s love. After he finished writing about the immensity of the love of Christ, he just had to stop, he just had to respond with something to match the greatness… and so in Ephesians 3:20, he penned that glorious doxology: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Friend, that’s what a doxology is – it’s a fitting response to something wonderful about God. You look at every doxology in Scripture and you’ll find, just a few verses before it, some magnificent statement about God that is high and lifted up… so high that it evokes a doxology.
And you know, my heart swells with more joy, more wonder and delight when I sing a doxology than when I even sing the national anthem. I get a lump in my throat – Praise God from whom all blessings flow – just thinking about God’s goodness toward us all. So today, take time to meditate on the love of Jesus Christ. Consider all that he sacrificed to come to earth to win your salvation. For while you were yet a sinner, Christ died for you! That fact alone should cause you to erupt in ecstatic praise, as well as push you to tell others about him. And if you need a little help with that, don’t forget to ask for your free Gospel bracelets – I have three of them I want to send you for free and all you need to do is visit our radio page at joniandfriends.org. These little bracelets with the red, black, white, blue, green, and yellow beads are a wonderful way to explain to others the salvation story… and they are a perfect for your children or grandchildren to wear, especially with school coming up. It’s just a simple and personal way for a kid to explain the Good News of Jesus to all his little friends. And when he does, I tell you, that will get you singing a doxology for sure! Please visit us at joniandfriends.org.
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