Devotional Song: Go to this link – Please go to this video link to hear an anonymous praise chorus singing Fanny Crosby’s old praise hymn, Blessed Assurance, … reminding us how we can lift God up with our story in song.
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Highlight Passage – NKJV: Psalms 59: 16-17 [NKJV] …
16 But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense And refuge in the day of my trouble. 17 To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; For God is my defense, My God of mercy.
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Highlight Passage [Context] – NKJV: Psalms 59: 6-17 [NKJV] … Go to this link … ============
Reference Passage #1: Judges 5: 3 … [NKJV] …
3 “Hear, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I, even I, will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.
Reference Passage #2: Luke 15: 25 … [NKJV] …
25 “Now his [the Prodigal Father’s] older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. … “
My Journal for Today: If you’ve followed any of my devotional journal entries over the years, in the last year or so, I began linking any who might be reading my blogs to a song or two on You Tube, usually with lyrics included so that one can experience the power of Godly music with God-honoring lyrics to illustrate the basic points of the devotional I was journaling.
Music has great power to touch our emotions, … positively or negatively. That’s why vigilant parents need to monitor and sanction the music to which their kids listen. Music can excite the brain to action or soothe the mind in times of turmoil. That’s why you see music being included in church worship. It’s why you always find music being chosen to celebrate a loved one who’s died at a funeral or memorial service. It’s why you see music being a big part of the lives of almost all of us; and it’s why mega-billions are annually invested in the music industry.
And the power of music goes all the way back to biblical times; doesn’t it? In today’s Our Daily Bread devotional, the highlight passage is from the lyrics to a song [Psalm 59], written and sung – to music – by David as he was being pursued by King Saul. In the turmoil of his life at the time, David, … to praise His deliverance by God, wrote and sang music to soothe his emotions and to express praises to His God. And I would expect, as I do, many of you, reading here with me, use the Book of Psalms or deeply moving Christian music to bring you into a state of worship and out of some emotional state of turmoil or anguish you may be experiencing in a tough time in your life..
You may already know this, but music is so powerful, because, when a deeply powerful lyric is mixed with emotionally moving music, it activates a great deal of BOTH sides of the cortex (i.e., the brain). Lyrics only activate the left side of the brain; and melody (i.e., music) activates only the right side of the brain. But if you went to the video linked above of Fanny Crosby’s old hymn, Blessed Assurance, being sung by a praise chorus with solos, your entire brain was activated to hear the music and read the lyrics, which, of course, tell a story honoring and praising God. Weren’t you uplifted of spirit by taking in that music video?
The other Scripture references above also speak to the power of music being used in biblical times to praise God [see Judges 5: 3]; or we read of Jesus telling the story of a Prodigal Father’s celebration of the homecoming of his wayward son [see Luke 15: 25]. In both of these references, we see the power of music being used to lift up to the Lord the praises which are due Him. So, I hope that music will be a part of your day – even today - to praise our God and to let the power of great and Godly music take you to a place of healing, joy, or renewal.
My Prayer for Today … Lord, my heart sings praises as I hear the music which lakes me to Your throne of grace. … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread [TGIF], distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you’ll find a link to read the Our Daily Bread blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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