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.
Although there are still a number of interesting train and disaster songs (and even train disaster songs) that I know, we will move to a slightly different genre. The invention and ready availability of the automobile radically altered American life. Car songs quickly became and remain a staple of American music. Christians incorporated this new mode of transportation into Gospel songs like “Since I’ve Used My Bible as a Roadmap.” The power of the Bible is undeniable: “For the Word of God is quick [living] and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). Psalm 119:105 reminds us of the Bible’s guidance: “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” A fine rendition is by Maine singer Mac McHale and the Old-Time Radio Gang (whom my wife and I have seen in concert).