My thoughts have turned to music this week! And you will not be able to guess why!
We usually think that singing is a form of entertainment. But in the Scriptures, singing is also a mode of prayer and praise . We often say our prayers, but sometimes they can be sung. Do you have a favorite worship song or hymn? Make that song a part of your prayer time today. A Prayer--“I love You, Lord And I lift my voice To worship You. Oh, my soul rejoice! Take joy my King In what You hear, Let it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear” (Laurie Klein).
Often from the time we were born, music has been part of our lives. Mothers often sing to their newborn babies, as a means of comfort. I can remember my mother singing to me and later to my younger brothers. As a young girl, I learned from her that singing was part of having young children. And so, as I became a mother, I found myself singing the same songs my own mother sang—to my own small babies. It wasn't too hard to remember them for my own children. But if you ask me to sing those songs today, it would be hard. Fifty years later, it is hard to recall the words and even the tunes. Many were songs from kids Sabbath School and from hymns and old folk tunes. Both my mother and father often sang. Some of their songs were favorites from their own childhoods sung to them by their own parents—my grandparents! My father liked to sing songs that he learned from his own father. He also loved some of the old hymns we no longer sing— from the old Christ in Song hymn books. I grew up loving male quartet music. Still my favorite! Perhaps it is because my father was an important member of the quartet. They often practiced in the home of their pianist. She was one of the oldest members of our church when I was growing up. How I wish that I would have inherited the singing ability my parents had. I would like to have the words to the songs from their own childhoods they so often sang.
Instead, I enjoy music when it is performed. Or I enjoy singing when no one else can hear me—like on the lawn mower! No shower singing or singing while washing dishes for me! Instead—I listen. God is reserving a singing voice for me for when I get to heaven. I will be happy to be able to lift my singing voice to Him in worship!
The lady that played for the church quartet group also played for the children's Sabbath School. She did not have a piano in the SS room. She had no keyboard as is often used today. Instead, there was an old "organ" that had to be pumped with your feet to make it go—to make a sound. It had many knobs that could be pulled out for different sound effects. As young SS members, I know we often pulled and pushed them, and I am sure she never knew what sound was going to come from the instrument as she pumped away and played the songs for the little ones. Yet she never missed a Sabbath that I remember and did it cheerfully for God and then played again for the church worship service. She was doing her best with helping others make a joyful sound for God.
Music has a wonderful way of expressing ideas and emotions when words fail. You can express the intent of your heart through music—even though we take it for granted today. Music fills the world we live in, from radios in our cars to music in elevators, to birds singing at the crack of dawn, to organ music at baseball games, to downloaded music heard on our portable devices. Today, we often listen to music in our cars as we travel. We travel so differently from our early church forefathers. They had no radios but that didn't stop them from singing their praises for what God had done for them. I am thankful for the radio that gives me music—music that leads me ever closer to God. I enjoy that I can stream beautiful music from KRJE with my phone or on my computer! For that, I give thanks to the various artists and for the technology that allows me to do that! And to those who find the songs that are played and for the artists that use their voices to share music inspired by their love for God—the Master Musician!
We seem to be wired for music. Greek philosopher Plato said, “Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” You don’t have to be a musician to be in love with music. It plays a significant part in shaping our personalities and identities. Even toddlers react to music first before anything else and often do toddler dances. A life without music would be terribly boring and quite hard to understand. Studies show there is a link between music and your brain. Music literally lights up your brain! –even mine? Parkinson’s sufferers have been known to feel better when hearing a favorite piece of music. Those who are stressed or anxious can be helped by music. Often, dementia sufferers can still remember songs they loved as children. No wonder music has been called the language of the universe. A highway patrolman once pulled over a lady who exceeded the speed limit. Her excuse? She was listening to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and got carried away. John Denver once put it this way: "Music does bring people together. It allows us to experience the same emotion. People everywhere are the same in heart and spirit—no matter what language we speak, or our color or politics. Regardless of our expression of love and faith, music proves we are the same."
My father and my uncle shared many things—farming together, their love of travel, their love of photography, and their love of certain types of music. My parents had a very small "record player" that only played the small 45 rpm vinyl records—7-inch vinyl records that played at 45 revolutions per minute. RCA Victor introduced them in 1949, and they became very popular in the 1950s and 1960s—my days of childhood. 45 RPM records could hold up to 5.5 minutes of music per side, sometimes 8 minutes. My father and uncle had definite tastes in music that became favorites for everyone in our family. My brother and I used our basement as a "rec" center, and we played/roller skated and swing/swung to the music that was being loudly played in the room above us! We learned those songs by heart! They helped shape our young minds. To this day I am glad for that old-fashioned music. I don’t have much love for most of the music from later times in my life. I love the influence that I had from the music that was played in my home. I know that God is not pleased with how Satan has influenced today's music.
Nothing like music can relieve the soul. Doctors say enjoying music can actually reduce your risk of heart disease—you feel happier and more positive about life. Can you imagine a world without music? Look at the faces of residents of an aged-care or assisted living homes when someone comes to sing. They thoroughly enjoy the music and sway and clap and sing-along!
The church has had a centuries–old history of music in its worship. The people of God in the Old Testament often sang together as an act of worship and praise to God. The children of Israel sang together after crossing the Red Sea. It was part of their lives. Today most churches join in singing as an act of praise. We don’t just listen to music as background noise—we join together and sing as part of worship. Music is a gift and blessing God has given us. Paul said in Ephesians 5:19, “…sing and make music with your hearts attuned to God”. And in another place in Colossians he said, “Sing the psalms, compose hymns and songs inspired by the Spirit”. When Paul writes about singing in Ephesians 5, it focuses on the Christian lifestyle—to “walk in the way of love” (v. 2). Those who choose this way break with their past. Some of the features of this former life are listed in verses 3 to 5—sexual immorality, impurity, greed, obscene or foolish talk, and coarse joking. Paul calls Christians to live out the reality of who they are in Christ. Singing is essential to this lifestyle. Verses 19–20 describe singing as a form of congregational self-talk. When we sing, we are “speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit” (v. 19) ."Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord."
Music has the potential to soothe your soul and refresh your spirit. It may be the words or the tune—it doesn’t matter. Music plays a big part in the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, God enlists musicians to work on his behalf. He uses music to call people to worship and to send them to war, to soothe ragged emotions and to ignite spiritual passion, to celebrate victories and to mourn losses. Music is an all-occasion, all-inclusive art form. There are followers and leaders, simple songs and complex songs, easy instruments and difficult instruments, melodies and harmonies, fast rhythms and slow rhythms, high notes and low notes. Music can awaken the soul, lift your spirits and provide you with what you need to surpass the storm. No matter what you’re going through, there is a song to help you through your tough time. When I had some surgery over 5 years ago, the anesthesiologist came in and told me I needed to calm down!!! I was pretty concerned to say the least! One of the ways he directed to happen was to play some calming music for me to listen to! The doctor should have requested the song—Does Jesus Care? Or ‘Tis so Sweet to Trust in Jesus!
Our God is a singing God who loves music (Zephaniah 3:17, Mark 14:26). We are made in God’s image, so we have a natural attraction to music. We can do ourselves much spiritual good by listening to God-honoring music and by worshiping Him in song. This speaks of the great spiritual power in music. This speaks of the great importance of worshipping God in song.
Music is often linked with emotions. The word music calls us to use our minds. It comes from the Greek mousa where we get the term “muse”—to meditate, think carefully and thoroughly. For Christians, it also means to think biblically. Not doing so would lead to music being merely for our amusement, negating the very meaning of the word. Paul said, “I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding” (1 Cor. 14:15).
In Job 38, there was musical worship when the Lord laid the earth’s foundation, when “the morning stars sang together, and all the angels shouted for joy” (v. 7). A pastor once said that “singing is as old as creation. Singing was there before the creation of the very world you and I inhabit...the DNA of singing is worship to God. It was in the heavens before we ever enjoyed it here on earth.” Apart from God—from whom comes all knowledge, understanding, and truth—music and our singing in praise and worship would be meaningless.
Whether we sing in public or private, work or leisure, church or home, it is important to understand the divine design and purpose of music (and our entire lives): to worship and to give glory and honor to the living God.
The reason that my thoughts turned to music this week is the Birds! I like to hear the evening good night songs of the robins! They are singing their thanks to God for the way He provided them with safety and food during the day—as we should! But this week was a new emphasis on the birds for me. For many years, we have used a window fan in our bedroom window since we have no air conditioner. And when it gets hot—it runs as fast as it can go! But my husband did not like the fan blowing on him, while I needed the fan blowing on me when the night temperatures were very warm—even hot! But we have solved that problem between us. We have a ceiling fan now and, in its position, it blows on me and not so much on him—we are both happy! Problems solved. The good added benefit is that the noisy window fan is replaced by the quiet ceiling fan. We still keep the window open for fresh air. I often wake up very early in the morning—long before sunup! I have come to realize the birds are also on an early morning wake up schedule. Long before the sun rises, at least 40 minutes, the birds begin to sing while it is still dark and welcome the day to come! I am pretty sure they are praising God in their bird ways for the night of rest and safety and singing praise for the dawning new day! They sing and sing, and I listen and listen to all the different voices—wishing I was better at identifying them. Our bedroom window looks out into the branches of a tree where I can see some of those birds if I am lucky. The birds sing until suddenly I realize there is no more music! They are silent. They are done praising God and must be about their business of bird life! The early worm? But—lesson to me—their devotion time came first! Then they start their day!
Lord Jesus, how incredible to realize that even the stars and the birds sing, and the angels shout Your praises. What a privilege to join this eternal choir! Help us to understand Your divine design for music in our lives.
Some day I will be able to! Sing and Praise God with a new voice.