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.
I admire anyone who can take one primary thought and turn it into a song. My admiration increases when that one thought is a Bible verse. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus asked, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his own soul?” This verse is a succinct statement of the choice that we all must make: will we live our way or God’s way? The old Gospel song “What Would You Give in Exchange (for Your Soul)?” presents this eternal decision to us. I like the 1936 version by the Monroe Brothers. It was a major hit for them, a fact which tells us that times have changed – and not for the better. The song has been recorded by other artists, if you do not like the old-timey music. The message is, of course, timeless, for it is based directly on the eternal Word of God.
We used this devotional last year, but people had trouble accessing the song. You should have no difficulties now.