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.
Shepherds were the first to hear the good news that the promised Savior, Jesus Christ, was born in Bethlehem. The story in Luke 2:8-20 is familiar and gripping. That this angelic message would come to shepherds was unexpected, for they were considered to be ceremonially unclean and thus beneath the religious leaders of the day. Clearly, Jesus came to save “all people” (verse 10), not just the upper classes of society. The song “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night” was written by the poet Nahum Tate and closely follows the Lucan account. The tune is by the great composer George Handel. The a capella rendition by Michael Lining is impressive, as he performs all four parts.