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.
A Biblical parable is a story from everyday life that illustrates an important spiritual principle. As we touched upon last Monday, the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) tells us that we must repent of our sins, turning to God our Savior for forgiveness full, free, and forever. This is not just a story: it happens frequently, and it happens in the most unexpected of places. For example, a man named Glen Shirley, imprisoned at Folsom, was saved there and wrote a song of testimony, “Greystone Chapel.” Johnny Cash sang it during his famous concert at that notorious prison.