Melodic Mondays
Those of you who know me know that I love music even though I am not musical myself. I listen to good music as often as I can. It is beneficial to the brain, valuable to the vocabulary, and strengthening to the soul. Isaiah 12:2-3 is a lovely passage that includes this soaring statement of surety: “The Lord JEHOVA [YAHWEH] is my strength and my song.” This could be translated, “God is my mountaintop and my music.” Yes, He is! Each Monday, I want to study this subject and suggest a song to listen to. Anyone reading this devotional has easy access to any song. (I am an exception because I do not go on a computer or other information device.) If you do not like my suggestion (and we all have different tastes), you can think of or search for one that speaks to you. Then, it can become a source of encouragement throughout the week.
Sometimes we wonder why so many bad things happen and why life is so hard. Given the sad power of sin, we should instead wonder why anything is good. The answer, of course, is that God is good. One song that directs us to think about God’s grace and goodness is “Sweet Honey in the Rock,” sometimes called just “Honey in the Rock.” In Deuteronomy 32, we find the song of Moses, which commemorates God’s gracious and glorious provision for the nation of Israel. Verse 13 speaks of “honey out of the rock.” Asaph, in Psalm 81:16, uses the same expression. The version that I especially like adds Psalm 34:8a: “O taste and see that the LORD is good.” This rendition is by the original Carter Family and is one of their best Gospel songs.