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 Joshua 1:2, Joshua, the new leader of the Israelites, received this message from God: “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.” For centuries, Christians have used this imagery of passing over the Jordan to the Promised Land as a poetical way to describe the Christian’s death and certainty of life everlasting in heaven. A number of Gospel songs, hymns, and spirituals use this symbolism. “Far Side Bank of Jordan” is one of these. It combines the love of a spouse and the eternal love of Jesus in an effective and relatable manner. We will listen to a version by the Cox Family, backed by Alison Krauss.