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.
Francis Scott Key was a devout Christian. He served as United States district attorney in Washington, D.C.; we could certainly use a godly person in that position today! We are all familiar with the War of 1812, the unsuccessful British bombing of Fort McHenry on August 14, 1814, and Mr. Key’s stirring celebration of that victory – “The Star-Spangled Banner.” We regularly sing only the first stanza, but we should note that the key line in the fourth and final verse is, “In God is our trust.” (In some printings, an exclamation mark is used.) I did not watch the Super Bowl (even though I enjoy football), but my wife told me that Chris Stapleton’s rendition was the best that she has ever heard.