Music to the Lord

            Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. (Eph 5:19)

During a recent visit to my grandma, I asked her what she typically does every day. Among the activities she mentioned were “reading the Bible” and “playing musical instruments.” On the dining table was a wooden frame with eight wooden pipes hanging from it. By shaking each of the pipes like a bell, a pitch was sounded. At my request she started to rattle the pipes one at a time. I wasn't genuinely interested in the notes she was playing, nor consciously listening, until midway through I realized what the melody was.

It was “Sweet Hour of Prayer.” Later, she played a few more tunes on her harmonica. “At the Cross,” “The Home-land Shore,” and some others—all hymns. I could tell that only hymns get stuck in her head and she delights in making music to the Lord.

Music is a form of expression in our daily lives, whether through our iPods on the street or from the radio in our cars. What melodies are most likely to be stuck in our heads and hummed from our mouths? What place does the word of God have in the songs we listen to?

Music was a large part of worship in the lives of many saints of old. David was a talented musician who often made music to the Lord, singing and writing many songs of praise out of admiration and delight for God’s truth. In Psalm 119:54, David writes, “Your statutes have been my songs.” 

For those of us who only hum hymns once a week during church services, integrating God more into our daily lives is something we need to do. We need to learn to delight more in the words inspired by God and less in the lyrics inspired by men.

My brief gathering with my grandma showed me the value of music inspired by the words of God. After all, they are the words that will bring us simple joy and contentment through all our days. They compose the melodies we will sing unto eternity.

            Question for Reflection:

Take a moment to browse through your most frequently played music. How much of it is focused on God versus focused on men?