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.
The American Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards (1703-58) once said that every setback in his ministry occurred during the month of March. Perhaps the combination of end-of-season illness, cold, wind, snow, and mud (he pastored in New England) made for particularly prickly parishioners. One remedy for March malaise is music. Psalm 100 was an especial favorite; it has been called the “Puritan anthem” and is referenced in Longfellow’s famous Puritan poem “The Courtship of Miles Standish.” Sometimes called “The Old One Hundredth,” this adaptation reminds us that the Puritans were a joyful people, not dour killjoys as portrayed by modern secularists. We will listen to the version by the Apowa Youth Choir.