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A THOUSAND TONGUES
All Creation Praises Him

A Commentary by Constance Vanides

The bright morning hours of a hot summer day made it pleasant just to sit outdoors. As it has become somewhat of a routine, my husband and I were taking turns reading verses in the Bible to each other, out loud. Our voices filled our garden with enthusiasm.

While concentrating on reading the scripture with as much emphasis and strength as I could muster, I gradually became aware of the birds around us, loudly and insistently singing along with my spoken words! When I stopped reading, their voices stopped. I returned to reading out loud. Again, those many little finches opened their beaks and continued where they left off in complete unison, it seemed, with my voice!

But, of course! The book of Psalms is full of description of all creation blessing and rejoicing in the Lord.

"Let everything that has breath praise the LORD." (Psalm 150:6) God's word says just that! And also,"All Your works shall praise You, O LORD, and Your saints shall bless You." (Psalm 145:10) "Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and all its fullness; let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the LORD." (Psalm 96:11, 12) "Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moves in them." (Psalm 69:34)

Isaiah also provides us with much the same message: "Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains!" (Isaiah 49:13) Again, "Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth; break forth into singing, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it!" (Isaiah 44:23)

And more! "Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; and let them say among the nations, 'The LORD reigns.' Let the sea roar and all its fullness; let the field rejoice, and all that is in it. Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the LORD, for He is coming to judge the earth." (1 Chronicles 16:31-33)

Finally, my favorite: "For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands." (Isaiah 55:12) Everyone applaud!

The Pharisees were upset! They wanted Jesus to rebuke His disciples who had called out enthusiastically declaring, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!" (Luke 19:38) a clear identification of Jesus as God, written also as the prophetic word in Psalm 118:26.

Lest you scoff at inanimate beings with voices, Jesus responded, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out." (Luke 19:40) The learned men knew these cutting words might have been in reference to Habakkuk 2:11, "For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the timbers will answer it."

"O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise," begin the lyrics of the beloved hymn by Charles Wesley. The song ends by describing those who were miraculously healed, formerly unable to speak, even they, their "loosened tongues employ" can now sing their praises!

Surely, speaking with "tongues of men and angels" (1 Corinthians 13:1) we all join the everlasting throng of heaven and earth, deploying what God wants to hear...deploying our praises to Him!

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© Constance Vanides