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 JEHOVA [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.
August is often the time for the traditional camp meeting. As work on the farm slowed a bit during what was called in the South “laying by,” folks gained relief from the heat and refuge from the hardships of life by gathering together outside in shaded areas to worship God. Their intensity of focus has always impressed me. A song that remembers this ongoing tradition is “Praying on the Old Camp Ground.” It is simple and somewhat repetitive, but it captures the heritage of godly people worshiping Jesus. I like the version by Mississippi John Hurt, recorded almost a century ago in 1928.