God speaks to the saint and the sinner through His prophet Asaph. God will judge the evil man. He invites the saint to offer praise and thanksgiving; to call on him when trouble comes. “The one who praises God—with song, thanksgiving, and repentance—and conducts his life according to the Word of God will see the salvation of God. When one earnestly seeks to live in harmony with his Savior, to extend tender mercies, to forgive one another, and above all, to put on love, the peace of God and an outpouring of praise naturally flows out from within (Col 3:12-15), creating a symphony of praise, a sweet aroma of glory for man’s great Redeemer, God, and King.

On earth, we are being transformed into the image of Christ. Earthly dissonance fades as we unite our spirit and soul with our Creator. On earth, we see but a brief glimpse of what God has prepared for us. “For now, we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now [we] know in part, but then [we] shall know just as [we] also [are] known” (I Cor. 13:12). Praise rises from within us, revealing itself in the words we speak and the deeds we do. Just as we cannot have faith without works, neither can we glorify God without deeds. Though we are not naturally in tune with Him, when we choose His ways over our ways, we will find joy and peace. Just as the musician practices the unwelcome scales over and over throughout his life to train his fingers, so does God provide for us unwelcome experiences that we may tune our hearts and souls to choose His ways. When we allow Him to instruct us, we live our life in harmony with God and with man. This is the musician’s way of life. This is the believer’s way of life.

Is your life in harmony with God? What is one action step you could take right now to become more in tune with God’s ways? Extend a tender mercy to a friend or family member, forgive one who has hurt you, express a genuine love toward one who needs an encouraging word? You can be a sweet aroma to your Lord and Savior. Though the results may be feeble today, in time, they will become more pleasing to others, to you, and most important, to God. Allow your spirit and soul cry out to your Savior, “O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer’s praise, the glories of my God and King, the triumphs of his grace!”