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 JEHOVAH [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.
I have long been intrigued by the impact of Gospel music. I heard plenty of it in church, of course. However, such songs seemed to follow me wherever I went, from family gatherings on Earls Road, to my grandmother’s house across the field, to the radio and the record player. A family member had Simon and Garfunkel’s first album, released in 1964, and it included three Gospel songs. In fact, Gospel music was a significant part of the so-called folk music movement. God is good and reaches out to many through good Gospel songs. Simon and Garfunkel’s version of “Go Tell It on the Mountain” provides their memorable harmonies and simple accompaniment. Because this song is a traditional spiritual, we do not know who the writer was. We do know, though, that we share the same faith and the same words. If we had the cure for a deadly disease, we would let everyone know; we would shout it from the mountaintops. Well, we do have the solution to the eternally deadly affliction of sin. Only through faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ, can we be saved from our sin and given everlasting life. Let us “go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.”