Praise Him with Skill--who me?

When I was in 10th grade, I began taking piano lessons from a godly lady who was the church pianist at a Baptist church in our area: Mrs. Jackie Gore. During the two years that I studied with her, she taught me a lot about beginning piano technique and music theory. She also taught me lessons about life and ministry. Although I already played the trumpet, I still remember her looking at me and saying, “David, someday you might be in a little church that doesn’t already have a piano player, and you could be the only piano player they have. You could accompany them in congregational singing.”

The Lord wants musical praise in His congregation, and He wants us to praise Him with musical instruments. The Book of Psalms ends with a command to praise the LORD in His sanctuary. “Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet: praise Him with the psaltery and harp” (Ps. 150:3). If churches will have instrumentalists, instruments must be learned. Adults can learn to play instruments, but the prime candidates are our children. They can become proficient and be used of the Lord in encouraging, supporting, worshipful ways to offer skilled praise to the Lord.

Although I never arrived in my piano playing, Mrs. Gore’s advice stayed with me. It helped set the tone to study music in college. Someday there will be a need, and someone will need to fill the need. It could be you.