There are times when I’d like to just shout with joy to God!  There are times when  I want to sing His praise!

What keeps us from doing this?

Sometimes we don’t shout because we are in a place or situation where it is inappropriate or would disturb those around us, so we “shout” silently in our hearts.  Maybe if we started shouting to the Lord on a crowded city bus for instance, they’s take us away and lock us up in a padded room or something.

So maybe, shouting for joy in our hearts is good enough for such times, but there are other times when shouting to God with joy and singing His praise is altogether fitting and proper, and I think maybe we ought to just do it.

Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
   Sing the glory of his name;
    make his praise glorious!

Psalm 66:1-2

I wonder why more of us don’t do it in our worship services… I come from a church background where we are supposed to have a lot of reserve in worship; where we aren’t supposed to seem too joyous.  After all, we wouldn’t appear to be properly reverential.  I’m sure there is an appropriate time for quiet reverence, but I doubt that it is in the time when we sing His praise!  I suspect the real reason for being so overly reverential has more to do with being concerned about what others might think of us.