Music Lessons
As I was jogging along the path, content to listen to my iPod, a biker suddenly passed me from behind and nearly scared me into the ditch. I was listening but I was not hearing. I quickly pulled out my ear bud and I think I heard a slight giggle fading into the distance. Life is so filled with noise that when we need to hear something, we often miss it.
How many times has this been true of us as Christians as well. We petition and cry out to our Father and ask Him for help, encouragement, answers…we then walk away from our ‘closet time’ and only listen to the sounds of life:
- A Crying child
- The Job’s demands
- Our Spouse’s complaints
- The restlessness of our heart for peace and quiet
If God actually spoke, it would scare us right into the ditch! And yet, I believe that God does speak and we can hear Him – if we listen. Sure, God speaks through His Word and we need to spend time studying and memorizing it. Notice I said “Study” not read! You will not find a single verse in the Bible that commands us to read the Word. It always says: Study, Mediate, Hide, Observe, Walk, Learn, Delight, Teach, Cleave, Remember…
The one that stands out to me and I find that it has been sorely distorted over time is that God wants us to Meditate! For most, the image that crashes into the mind is a body-twisting yoga pose with incense smoking in the background. This type of ‘meditation‘ implores us to empty our minds of all things and feel the peace and energy that surrounds us – Hogwash!
When we mediate as God requires, it is with a mind filled with His Word and a heart yearning to know more of His will for us. We have also been given an incredible gift from the Creator – Music! When I combine the practice of Meditation – centering my thoughts on God and His Word – with the gift of Music, I find that God can teach His lessons to me more clearly.
With your permission, I would like to share one of these moments with you. In the next 4 minutes, remove all distractions from the room in which you are reading this and put on a pair of headphones or turn up the speakers a bit more than normal.
Think about God’s incredible love for you and how much He craves to be apart of your life. Now press “Play”.
I’m in the river that flows from your throne
Water of Life
Water of Life
It covers me and I breathe again
Your Love is breath to my soulI can hear Your voice as You sing over me
It’s Your Song of Hope breathing Life into me
I can feel Your touch as I come close to You
And it heals my heart
You restore and renew
-Michael W. Smith, Deborah Smith, Whitney Smith
Mediation is not a common exercise for most Christians; probably because of Middle Eastern and New Age influences. But make no mistake about it – God not only encourages it…He commands it.
Let me encourage you to find some passages in God’s Word from which He can speak to you. If music helps in these moments, use that gift as well. Here are a few places to begin:
- Psalm 1
- Psalm 42
- Psalm 46
- Psalm 62
- Psalm 101
- Psalm 121
May you be still and know that He is God. He has a music lesson for you.
Open Mic: Share your thoughts
- Has Biblical Mediation allowed you to hear from your heavenly Father?
There have been times when I wake in a cold sweat, heart pounding and eyes wide open, staring into the darkness of my room. The fear is real. The pursuit is relentless. The enemy is within inches of pulling me down when I am rescued by wakefulness. The nightmare continues in my mind as I lay there – awake – but thinking about how I could have survived the attack.
