Spiritual Purposes of Music
Devotional Messages - August 2006 to December 2006
Search Strings: Choir Devotions; Musician's Devotions; Scriptural Purposes of Music; Music in the Bible
©2006 Whitney V. Myers.
This material may be reproduced for not-for-sale applications. Please include the copyright attribution.
12Aug06 - Joy
“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.” – Psalm 5:11-12
19Aug06 - Praise, Joy, Thanksgiving
“Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.” – Psalm 30:4-5 (NASB)
27Aug06 - Thanksgiving
"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; and with my song I shall thank Him." - Psalm 28:7
2Sept06 - Proclamation
"Let my tongue sing of Thy word, for all Thy commandments are righteousness." - Psalm 119:172
9Sept06 – Prayer
"The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; and His song will be with me in the night, a prayer to the God of my life." - Psalm 42:8
16Sept06 – Commemorating God’s Deliverance
"Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to Him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy." Psalm 33:1-3 (NIV)
In the Old Testament, singing a "new song" is a call to celebrate God's saving acts on the behalf of his people. In Israel's religious consciousness, praise must follow deliverance as surely as prayer springs from need. (Refer to NIV Study Bible notes on Ps 98:1, 33:3, and 7:17).
24Sept06 – Thanksgiving, Proclamation, & Praise
Excerpt from David’s Psalm of Thanksgiving "Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts." 1 Chronicles 16:8-9 (NIV), Psalm 105:1-2 (NIV)
Two new compositions for choir and/or congregational singing are published today on the www.whitneytunes.com website:
“Create in Me (Psalm 51:10-12)”
“Never Again Shall We Hunger (Revelation 7:16 -17, 21:4)”
1Oct06 – Prayer, Praise, and Proclamation
"But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them." - Acts 16:25
“In the midst of the persecution and imprisonment Paul returned to the essentials. Christ was his faithful Lord. He would intervene. All would be well and used for the glory of God. He and Silas sang hymns at midnight in affirmation of their faith. The Lord’s answer was an earthquake which not only released Paul and Silas and brought about the conversion of the jailer, but gave birth to a strong church there in Philippi which would never forget Paul or the Lord he proclaimed.” - Dr. Lloyd John Olgilvie in “Drumbeat of Love.”
8Oct06 - Joy
"But as for me, I shall sing of Thy strength; yes, I will joyfully sing of Thy lovingkindness in the morning, for Thou hast been my stronghold, and a refuge in the day of my distress." - Psalm 59:16
Think of a way God has been a stronghold or a refuge for you. How will you joyfully sing or tell others of God’s lovingkindness this week?
15Oct06 – Song of Praise
“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." - Isaiah 12:2 (NIV)
How will you live out your faith this week to trust God and not be afraid? How will you apply God’s strength so others see God’s song in you?
22Oct06 - Joy
"For Thou, O Lord, hast made me glad by what Thou hast done. I will sing for joy at the works of Thy hands." - Psalm 92:4
The psalmist is expressing joy over God’s saving acts. The contemporary song, “Shout to the Lord,” captures these words in the Refrain, “I sing for joy at the work of your hands.” What has God done for you that makes you especially glad today?
29Oct06 - Assurance
"My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music." - Psalm 57:7
David composed this psalm after the interesting event of David sparing Saul's life while David and his followers were hiding in a cave in a place near "The Crags of the Wild Goats" (read 1 Samuel 24:1-22). David had been assured that he would survive Saul's vendetta against him, and that he would ultimately become king (1 Samuel 23:17). In today's verse, David is saying to us in effect, "All cause for fear has been removed." The enemies that plotted against him have suffered the calamity that they have plotted (Psalm 57:6). David's response is to sing and make music. One of the purposes of music to is assure ourselves and others that we are secure as we trust in God. "He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord" (Psalm 112:7).
Consider, how does the music that you sing or play for others help others find assurance in God?
Thanks to the NIV Study Bible which provided notes for today's message.
5Nov06 – Anticipatory Praise
"I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.” - Psalm 57:9-10
Many prayers in the Psalms include vows to praise in anticipation of expected answers to prayer (see Psalm 7:17.). Praise is our response to God’s goodness and deliverance not only in times past, but also in the future. We are to live positively as we anticipate God’s future answers to our prayers.
Think of two or three areas of your life where God has answered your prayers. Thank him. In what way will you praise God today for an answer to prayer that you are anticipating?
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Musical setting for Psalm 57:9-10: “I Will Praise You” (on www.whitneytunes.com website); suitable for the “Gloria Patri” spot in the order of worship.
12Nov06 - Thanksgiving
"I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me." - Psalm 13.6
When the Lord shines the light of his face on a person, blessing and deliverance come (Psalm 4:6-7). Our confidence is in him and in his unfailing love (Psalm 13:5).
Consider - How has God dealt bountifully with you?
19Nov06 -Thanksgiving
"Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song." - Psalm 95:2
How will you thank God this week for his love and for his many blessings?
26Nov06 - Thanksgiving
"Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts." - Psalm 105:1-2
How will you share with others the wonderful acts that God has done for you?
3Dec06 - Joy
"Then those who sing as well as those who play the flutes shall say, ‘All my springs of joy are in you.’ " - Psalm 87:7
"For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” (Psalm 36:9)
Have you experienced spiritual refreshment from God during a crisis in your life? Are you in need of the water of life that God provides through Jesus Christ? Will you ask for it?
The topic for the month of December 2006 is “Joy”.
The list of topics planned for 2007 is on the www.whitneytunes.com website. Suggestions are appreciated.
10Dec06 - Joy
"And the ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away." - Isaiah 35:10 (NIV)
"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow* me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Psalm 23:6 (KJV)
* literally, "pursue"
Think of the image of God pursuing you with his gladness and joy. Will you let him overtake you with his gladness and joy this Christmas season?
17Dec06 - Joy - "Joy to the World"
"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
make music to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,
with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn --
shout for joy before the Lord, the King.
Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands; let the mountains sing together for joy;
let them sing before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity."
Psalm 98:4-9
"Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King;
let every heart prepare him room,
and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven, and nature sing."
(Isaac Watts, 1719)
Consider how you will celebrate joyfully the coming of the Lord. Let us pray not only for our own worshipping congregations and the people we know, but also pray for all the peoples of the earth -- that every heart would prepare him room.
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May you have a blessed Christmas with your loved ones.
The next "Spiritual Purposes of Music" message will be on or about December 31.
31Dec06 - Joy - "God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen"
"And there were shepherds living out in fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.' "
Luke 2:8-11
"God rest you merry, gentlemen, Let nothing you dismay,
Remember Christ our savior Was born on Christmas Day;
To save us all from Satan's power When we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy."
(15th century English carol)
"God Rest You Merry Gentlemen" has been sung for over 500 years. Like many of the early Christmas carols, this carol was written by common folk in their own language in reaction to the music of the organized church at the time, which was usually in Latin and was somber, not inspiring much joy. This carol was sung for hundreds of years before it was finally published in the 19th century.
"God Rest You Merry Gentlemen" was the most famous and most loved of all the early carols (Ref. 1). It was written with an upbeat melody, and speaks of the birth of Christ in joyful terms. Not only did the people sing this carol, but also they danced to it.
The writer of the lyrics knew the story of Jesus' birth well. "The writer fully understood the power of Christ and what his arrival meant to all who embraced it" (Ref. 1).
"God Rest You Merry Gentlemen" is one of the most misunderstood carols today. When it was written, "merry" had a different meaning. Robin Hood's merry men may have been happy. But "merry" in the Middle Ages meant "great" and "mighty." So when carolers in the 15th century sung "merry gentlemen" they meant great or mighty men (Ref.1).
One more word also has had a changed meaning. The word "rest" simply meant "keep" or "make." And to finally uncover the meaning, a comma needs to be added after the word, "merry." In modern English, the first line of "God Rest You Merry Gentlemen" should read, "God make you mighty, gentlemen."
Now, reread verse one of "God (make) you (mighty), gentlemen."
Consider: Thank God that through the birth of Christ and His victory over sin and death that we can be "mighty" as we trust in Him and in what the angel said, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of joy that will be for all the people" (Luke 2:10). With a joyful attitude, let us sing the message of salvation through Christ to all the world throughout the coming new year.
Reference 1: Collins, Ace. Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas. Zondervan. 2001
©2006 Whitney V. Myers.
This material may be reproduced for not-for-sale applications. Please include the copyright attribution.