The Language of Easter

It seems like every time we've listened to music while in the van these past couple of weeks, one of my kids has piped up to exclaim: "Mom! This is an Easter song because it's talking about Jesus being alive!" or "Mom, they are praising Jesus for being powerful and having victory. They must be singing about Easter!" or "Mom! This song is praising God for being mighty and saving. It's another Easter song!"

I know Easter is fresh on their minds because we've been talking about it at home, at church, and in their home school class. We've read books about Easter and they've painted and crafted some simple reminders to celebrate Jesus' resurrection. 

But, mostly I love that their ears are tuned in to the language of Easter. 

They have begun to understand that life has meaning because Jesus is alive.

They are learning that we praise God for his power and holiness and love because those attributes allowed the cross and enabled the resurrection. 

They are grasping that we worship God because His plans and purposes for our lives are always better than anything we can come up with. 

And all of this is the language of Easter.

They are learning that praising God happens only because there is a living God.

They are experiencing the connection between knowing something about God, believing something about God, and then choosing to worship that aspect of God and follow in obedience to Him because of it.

They are sensing the joy that comes from singing truth to the God who is Truth.

And all of this is the language of Easter.

Together, my kids and I have spent time discussing why we can't worship God until we fist know Him. God's salvation plan through the miracle of Easter allows us to know God personally and to respond to Him in worship.

Psalm 103
Praise the Lord, my soul;  all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins  and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit  and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 

He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. 

The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. 

But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children - with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. 

The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. 

Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. 

Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. 

Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul.