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.
Last week, I mentioned that many musicians from diverse backgrounds and different genres include Gospel songs in their repertoire. An example that I remember from my childhood is “Bury My Body” by the Animals, a British blues band. The emphasis of this song is the eternal value of the human soul. We are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) and are thus inherently valuable to Him. The straightforward words of Jesus in Matthew 16:26 remind us that we should always be focusing upon the soul (what Paul calls “the inner man” in Ephesians 3:16): “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”