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.
Hebrews 10:22a commands, “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.” The old hymn “Nearer, My God, to Thee,” written in 1840, is associated with the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, with the ship’s band playing it (and other songs) in an attempt to limit panic. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, this hymn was as popular as any in the United States. In 1901, when President William McKinley was dying from an assassin’s bullet, among his last words were the following: “’Nearer, my God, to Thee, e’en though it be a cross’ has been my constant prayer.” It is hard to imagine a political leader today having such a heartfelt faith! The best version of this venerable song that I have ever heard is by the Louvin Brothers. The New York Times (sorry to mention it) said of them that they were “the most influential harmony team in the history of country music.” Emmylou Harris said that their music was “washed in the blood.” Let us draw near to our God through the simple words of this song.