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.
As we have studied in years past, the wisemen visited Jesus some time after His birth. Matthew 2:11 says, “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” We note that the family is no longer in a barn (Luke 2:7 – “a manger” is a feeding trough for animals) and that Jesus is no longer called a “babe” (Luke 2:12) but rather a “young child.” These details remind us of the historical accuracy of Scripture. We are also blessed by the sincerity of the wisemen in seeking the truth – in fact, “the Truth” (John 14:6). The song “As with Gladness Men of Old,” written by William Dix, employs the account of the magi to encourage us to follow Jesus. Let us listen to a version of this hymn by The N Crew.