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.
During his time as a pastor in the early 1800’s Reginald Heber wrote fifty-seven hymns, including the majestic “Holy! Holy! Holy! Lord God Almighty” and the missionary-minded “From Greenland’s Icy Mountains.” After his death during a missionary tour of India (he was only forty-two), his wife found his hymns hidden away and had them published. His best-known Christmas song is “Brightest and Best.” It employs the imagery of “His star” (Matthew 2:2) to reflect on Jesus’ ministry of light in the midst of our spiritual darkness. The relatively recent version by Kathy Mattea is good but does not include all of the verses. The rendition by Keith and Kristyn Getty and Ricky Skaggs is more comprehensive.