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.
Not everyone loves old music the way I do (too bad – you don’t know what you’re missing!) My wife comes to mind (“You listen to weird music” she has said more than once.) Sometimes, though, I stumble across a newer song that I enjoy. One such Gospel song is by Leon Bridges. It is called “Shine” and was released in 2015, which is about as new as anything gets with me. It has the feel of a traditional spiritual but was written by the singer. The key line is “Lord, don’t remember the sins of my youth.” We can ask this request of our Savior God, for David in Psalm 25:7 prayed, “Remember not the sins of my youth.” Moreover, we can be certain of God’s forgiveness, for He says in Jeremiah 31:34, “I will remember their sin no more.” When God does any work, He does it completely. So it is with His forgiveness. Let us then not dwell on and in the past of our sins. Let us instead live in the forgiveness that is found in Jesus Christ and that stretches out for all eternity.