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.
There are many lovely love songs that celebrate marital fidelity and genuine warmth of affection. Marriage is a good thing (“Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD” – Proverbs 18:22). God ordained this union from the beginning: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). When this union includes shared faith in Jesus Christ, the relationship is further solidified and sanctified. Human love joined with divine forgiveness is a powerful force. An older song that combines the two is “Maple on the Hill,” probably the most popular song recorded by J. E. Mainer’s Mountaineers (one of my Uncle Mack’s favorite bands).