Music in Your Heart . . . Without the Melody

Excellent or Praiseworthy is posted on Monday and Thursday nights.

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  —  Ephesians 5:19,20

I had a lesson in how to “make music in your heart to the Lord” last week. It was a wonderful opportunity to realize how many times I sing praises, but fail to really “listen” to the words.

Each morning last week I opened my email to find a message from our pastor—sent to all the church membership. He began our days with encouraging messages containing only the lyrics to his favorite songs. The words immediately triggered in my mind the melodies—but what amazed me was the depth of spiritual understanding that took place in my heart as I focused on the words alone.

For example, here was Monday’s offering:

“Amazing love,
How can it be
That You, my King, should die for me?
Amazing love,
I know it’s true.
It’s my joy to honor You,
In all I do, I honor You.

I’m forgiven because You were forsaken,
I’m accepted, you were condemned,
I am alive and well, Your Spirit is within me,
Because You died and rose again.”  (Hillsong United)

This worship song became the theme for my day . . . with a heightened sense of truth from focusing on the language alone.

The next day our pastor sent:

“Great is Thy faithfulness, Oh God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not;
As Thou has been, Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hands hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!”  (Thomas Chisholm & William Runyan)

At this point, I was looking forward to opening my email each morning—expecting a gift of truth somehow unsavored during worship time on Sundays. I was not disappointed to find this in my inbox:

“You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all.
Seeking You as a precious jewel
Lord, to give up I’d be a fool
You are my all in all.

Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name.

Taking my sin, my cross, my shame
Rising again I bless Your name
You are my all in all.
When I fall down You pick me up,
When I am dry You fill my cup
You are my all in all.

Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name.
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name.”  (Dennis Jernigan)

I have decided that sending spiritual songs to others—in lyric form—is a powerful method of encouragement as yet untried by me. What my pastor stirred in my heart is going to be a new approach of encouragement to others in my circle of friends.  After all, isn’t the book of Psalms exactly this?

For those of you who are deployed, or serving on the home front, I offer this to strengthen your steps and your heart today:

“Jesus loves me! this I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong,
They are weak, but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me!  Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!  The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me! He will stay
Close beside me all the way;
Thou hast bled and died for me,
I will henceforth live for Thee.

Yes, Jesus loves me!  Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!  The Bible tells me so.”  (Anna B. Warner & William Bradbury, 1^st & 3^rd stanzas)

May Jesus Christ be the song in your heart today, wherever you are, giving thanks to God the Father for everything.

Questions to Share:

1. Is there a hymn or praise song that comes to your mind right now?

2. Would you email the words to that song to someone who could use some encouragement?