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.
One of the most familiar Christmas hymns is “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” The song was written by Phillips Brooks after he attended Christmas Eve services there in 1865. He wrote it primarily for the children of the church that he pastored in Philadelphia. Micah 5:2 predicted the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem, and Matthew 2:1-15 confirms the nativity of Jesus there. Luke 2:1-20 also records the historical fact of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, explains the reason for Joseph and Mary being there (a Roman census), and reminds us that this is “the city of David” (verse 11) – for the Savior had to be of the line of David (II Samuel 7:12-16; Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38). Details matter, and Biblical details matter eternally. Let us listen to a version of this traditional hymn by the Norton Hall Band.