"If music be the food of love..." Part 3

"Speak to one another in psalms,
hymns, and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody
in your heart to the Lord." 

                             Eph.5:19

 

 

This Part 3 brings to an end the words that flowed from the subject "That Tune" set at our local ACW meeting.  However, with my blog contribution due on 21st December I think this could extend to the carols we sing at Christmas, as the words within can go from profound to meaningless!

I left Part 2 thinking of the singers going into battle, and in these days how we need to plunder the enemies territory by expressing our praise and thanksgiving for who He is, and who we are in Him.  The Bible says “God inhabits the praises of His people” so if we do things in an attitude of praise it will carry His far-reaching anointing.

In the last decade many songs have impacted me, but one stood out, “10,000 reasons to bless the Lord.”  It inspired me to write ten reasons a day to thank the Lord.  In order not to repeat myself I began to categorise them into themes: personal blessing, my home, the nation, medical, scientific breakthroughs and so on.  After a hundred days I had one thousand ways to bless the Lord, and could have gone on, but it felt right to stop with a thought to continue, but I haven't yet!.  Perhaps it had done what God intended, produce in me a heart of thanksgiving for His provision however small. 

During the lockdowns the Lord stretched my creative abilities in writing an on-going story as a daily blog in three sets of forty days, and typing up my cheap recipes for people to live on less than £3.00 per day, per person. Others found their writing skills turned to teaching or helping children with their school work.  For the lyric writers and musicians among us it brought an opportunity to write and perform their songs as with churches live streaming their services well-known songs were subject to performance and copyright laws.

It’s a genre of writing rarely featured within ACW, yet it would seem it isn’t just me who often finds music brings a lyric that speaks into my life.  Can we find a way to draw those people with that God-given creativity together to speak, write or even sing their songs to us? Are their poets who need music, and musicians who need lyrics?  God’s Word says, “All of creation is waiting for the sons and daughter of God to arise and take their place” and without doubt these times have, and are, linking Christians across the nations of the world. 

However, it was God’s words, written centuries ago, put to a musical arrangement that went across the denominations, nations and many languages linking us together to sing the Aaron blessing. It was extra-ordinary in the way it powerfully carried God’s message into hearts and lives.  Every time I hear, or see it, tears of joy flow. The words, “His favour is upon us to a thousand generations” reassures me that despite the growing labour pangs for His return, “He is with us, He is with us.”