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.
As we approach Veterans Day, we rightly remember those who have served to defend us. Some of them – over the years, hundreds of thousands – have died in service to our nation. War is a result of sin (James 4:1); a just war must sometimes be fought to hold back the aggressive forces of evil. One such conflict was World War II. My Uncle Donald was among the first Americans to cross the Rhine River in 1945, and he was killed shortly thereafter, about 300 yards from the river’s edge. A song of love, patriotism, and faith that captures the mindset of that time is “Soldier’s Last Letter” by Ernest Tubb (one of my father’s favorite musicians).