WHY DO I SING ABOUT JESUS?

Words and Music by Albert A. Ketchum, 1894–1982

Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing to the glory of His name; offer Him glory and praise! (Psalm 66:1, 2)

Fill me with gladness from above,
Hold me by strength divine;
Lord, let the glow of your great love
Through my whole being shine.
— Unknown

The Christian life was meant to be a joyous experience. One of the most effective ways to demonstrate our inner joy is to carry a song upon our lips throughout our daily activities. It was my father who first taught me this truth. As a painter-decorator, Dad became known to his many customers as the “singing painter.” Singing his favorite hymns while he worked became his natural way of life. At his funeral, many of his customers, both believers and nonbelievers, told me of the impact my father had upon them as they observed his cheerful attitude while he worked.

It is important that we carry a song of the Lord with us. The world needs to see and hear the story of Jesus and His love. And the song that we carry on the inside will be reflected on our countenance. An inner song and a cheerful countenance are always the result of a life that is enjoying an intimate daily fellowship with our Lord and Savior—the One who sets us free!

Albert Ketchum, the author and composer of “Why Do I Sing About Jesus?”, wrote this song while a student at the Moody Bible Institute during the early 1920’s. The song first appeared in Gospel Truth in Song, published in 1922. It provides believers a fine vehicle for a musical testimony about their Lord:

Deep in my heart there’s a gladness—Jesus has saved me from sin! Praise to His name, what a Savior! Cleansing without and within!

Only a glimpse of His goodness; that was sufficient for me; only one look at the Savior, then was my spirit set free.

He is the fairest of fair ones. He is the lily, the rose; rivers of mercy surround Him; grace, love, and pity He shows.

Chorus: Why do I sing about Jesus? Why is He precious to me? He is my Lord and my Savior: Dying, He set me free!

For Today: Psalm 32:7; 40:3; 66:16; Proverbs 15:13; Philippians 2:5–11; 1 Peter 2:7

Determine to allow the warmth of God’s love to be reflected in all of your activities. Carry this musical testimony with you as you seek to be a witness for Christ even in your working attitudes—

Osbeck, K. W.

• Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. Psalm 32:7
• And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. Psalm 40:3
• Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. Psalm 66:16
• A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. Proverbs 15:13
• Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient uno death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11
• Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner. 1 Peter 2:7