Be a Barney

I love to watch the old episodes of the Andy Griffith Show. Don Knotts played my favorite character; Deputy Barney Fife. There was one episode when Barney joined the Mayberry choir but there was only one problem Barney could barely hold a note. The truth of the matter is that he was tone deaf, but he didn’t let that slow him down one bit. He sang his heart out as if he was God’s gift to the tenor section. I don’t know about you but I like to sing when I am all by myself. There was one morning that I was singing going up the road and I like Barney got to thinking that I wasn’t all that bad. One morning I decided to record my wonderful singing so I could listen to it and reassure myself that I really was fairly good. I started singing in the truck that morning and after I felt that I was warned up I reached over and turned on the recording machine. I started singing as if 100’s of people were listening I mean why not sing to 100’s. Then it became time to listen to my master piece; I rewound the tape and hit play. The sound that began to come out of that small machine was some of the most awful sounds I think I have ever heard. What happened? Well, I had convinced myself that I could do something that I could never do; I think I might be tone deaf. Why would I like doing something that I can’t do? There are two words I would like to look at that I think will help explain. The first word “joyful” Webster says that it means “Full of joy; very glad“ the next word is “noise” and Webster says it means ” Sound of any kind, or proceeding from any cause, as the sound made by the organs of speech, by the wings of an insect, the rushing of the wind, or the roaring of the sea, of cannon or thunder, a low sound, a high sound, &c.; a word of general signification.” Now what is so interesting about that is that the first time we find those words used together in the same verse is in

Psalms 66:1  Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Make a joyful noise unto God; know what? We can all do that we don’t have to have any music ability at all to make a noise and when we are making that noise we can be joyful as we do it unto God.

Psalms 95:1  O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

Psalms 95:2  Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

Psalms 98:4  Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

 Psalms 100:1  A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

 Anybody can do that so come on; be a Barney Fife and do the very best you can even if it sounds like a noise, just make that noise joyful.