Sometimes Musicians are Happy

Sometimes Musicians are Happy  

James 5:13 states, “Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray.  Is any merry? Let him sing psalms.”  

       James must have understood musicians when he alluded to the fact that when they are afflicted, undergo hardship, suffer misunderstanding, trouble, or are in trouble of their own making, they need to pray.  He believed in the power of prayer because he later stated that efficacious prayer is powerful!  

       Christian musicians do not have much trouble asking god for “stuff’ because it seems that they are almost always in need.  It is one thing for a musician to ask but it is entirely another to believe that “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”  (James 5:16B)  Many times musicians look like they are sad when they are in need.  

       However, Christian musicians are not always sad.  Sometimes, believe it or not, they are happy.   When they are happy, what should they do?   James, writing under Divine inspiration, declared that they should sing psalms.  Some authors render the Greek word psallo (5567) translated psalms in this verse as “to sing a hymn” or to “celebrate the praises of God in song”.  The word psallo actually means to “twitch or twang” i.e. touch the parts of a stringed instrument.   So, it may be justly rendered that happy Christian musicians should sing songs accompanied by stringed instruments. 

       The point that James was making was that musicians naturally sing the praises of God when they are happy.  Unfortunately Christian, musicians, happy or not, often sing out of a sense of duty rather than from a grateful happy heart.   Musicing is a “job” to them.  What a pity that they often miss the joy if simply musicing for joy unto the Lord.