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.
Recently on Sunday mornings, we have been studying some of the implications of the fact that God has “called us with [a] holy calling” (II Timothy 1:9). The immediate positive response of Peter, Andrew, James, and John (Matthew 4:18-22) is exhilarating. The rich young man of Matthew 19:16-26, the primary text of yesterday’s message, saddens us in his rejection of Jesus, for he “went away sorrowful” (verse 22). An old Gospel song that pleads for all of us to heed the saving call of Jesus is “Calling You” by Hank Williams, Sr. Its simple words lead us to the waiting hand of the Savior.