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.
Paul prays in Ephesians 3:18-19a that believers “may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.” One older hymn that explores this theme is “O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus.” The writer, Samuel Trevor Francis, was an esteemed open-air preacher, serving for over seventy years in various parts of the world. The Welsh tune is quite distinctive; because I am not a musician (merely someone who really enjoys music), I do not know how to characterize it other than to say that it rolls along at a stately pace and is pitched blessedly low. We will listen to a version by Achilles Buchanon. We have also attached a link to a rendition by Simon Khorolskiy that is unique but does not include all of the verses.