Bible League: Living His Word Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous!For praise from the upright is beautiful. Praise the LORD with the harp; Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy. The Christian way of life places a heavy emphasis on music. Indeed, it could be said that music is central to the Christian way of life. This central emphasis, however, is not on music in general, but on music that is directed to the Lord God of heaven and earth. It is music that is religious in nature. Our verses for today lend support to Christianity's central emphasis on religious music. In point of fact, the Bible is full of passages that say we should praise the Lord with music and song. The Psalms in particular are full of such passages. Psalm 92:1, for example, says "It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to your name, O Most High" and Psalm 32:11 says "Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart." Why is the Christian way of life like this? Why does it include such a heavy emphasis on religious music? No doubt it has to do with the very nature of God Himself. The God of Christianity is the personal, transcendent, omnipotent, omnipresent, etc. source and origin of the creation. He should receive this kind of musical attention because He is worthy of it, because His greatness demands it, and because He can fully appreciate it. In particular, our God deserves to be sung "a new song." This does not mean that old favorites should not be sung, but it does mean that God's most recent gifts of grace and mercy call for new expressions of gratefulness through music. Psalm 40:3 says, "Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory." Some of the greatest songs in the Christian cannon of songs were inspired by the grace and mercy of God coming through in times of trouble and brokenness. You don't have to wait for Sunday morning and the church choir to make music before the Lord. You can sing and make new songs in your heart to God at any time (see Ephesians 5:19). Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingIsaiah 37, 38 Isaiah 37 -- Hezekiah Mourns; Isaiah foretells Jerusalem's Deliverance; Hezekiah Prays and God Fulfills NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Isaiah 38 -- Hezekiah's Illness and Healing NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Philippians 3 Philippians 3 -- Pressing on toward the Mark NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”Insight Our attitude when we give is more important than the amount we give. Challenge We don't have to be embarrassed if we can give only a small gift. God is concerned about how we give from the resources we have. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Isaiah 36:5 Now on whom dost thou trust?Reader, this is an important question. Listen to the Christian's answer, and see if it is yours. "On whom dost thou trust?" "I trust," says the Christian, "in a triune God. I trust the Father, believing that he has chosen me from before the foundations of the world; I trust him to provide for me in providence, to teach me, to guide me, to correct me if need be, and to bring me home to his own house where the many mansions are. I trust the Son. Very God of very God is he--the man Christ Jesus. I trust in him to take away all my sins by his own sacrifice, and to adorn me with his perfect righteousness. I trust him to be my Intercessor, to present my prayers and desires before his Father's throne, and I trust him to be my Advocate at the last great day, to plead my cause, and to justify me. I trust him for what he is, for what he has done, and for what he has promised yet to do. And I trust the Holy Spirit--he has begun to save me from my inbred sins; I trust him to drive them all out; I trust him to curb my temper, to subdue my will, to enlighten my understanding, to check my passions, to comfort my despondency, to help my weakness, to illuminate my darkness; I trust him to dwell in me as my life, to reign in me as my King, to sanctify me wholly, spirit, soul, and body, and then to take me up to dwell with the saints in light forever." Oh, blessed trust! To trust him whose power will never be exhausted, whose love will never wane, whose kindness will never change, whose faithfulness will never fail, whose wisdom will never be nonplussed, and whose perfect goodness can never know a diminution! Happy art thou, reader, if this trust is thine! So trusting, thou shalt enjoy sweet peace now, and glory hereafter, and the foundation of thy trust shall never be removed. Daily Light on the Daily Path 2 Samuel 7:29 "Now therefore, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord GOD, have spoken; and with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever."1 Chronicles 17:27 "And now it has pleased You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You; for You, O LORD, have blessed, and it is blessed forever." Proverbs 10:22 It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich, And He adds no sorrow to it. Acts 20:35 "In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Luke 14:13,14 "But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, • and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." Matthew 25:34-36 "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. • For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; • For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; Psalm 41:1 For the choir director. A Psalm of David. How blessed is he who considers the helpless; The LORD will deliver him in a day of trouble. Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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