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.
In 1930, a significant influenza epidemic swept through Memphis, Tennessee. Many residents felt that this localized disaster was a direct judgment from God for the increasing sin in the city. We have to be careful about reaching such a conclusion without having all of the information. For example, in the first century, many assumed that early death was a direct result of personal sin; Jesus corrected this error in Luke 13:1-5. On the other hand, the future judgments that we have been studying from the book of Revelation are clearly immediate and righteous justice from the sovereign hand of God. The song “Memphis Flu,” recorded and released by Elder Curry while the epidemic was ongoing, is certainly memorable as it considers the spiritual implications of this event.