Do you like music? Some people love music, it is always playing as if their life was a musical with all their favourite songs filling in the quiet moments adding depth to their emotions. For others they like a little bit of music but not too much, enough to set the mood but not to be over powering and if it is not there, they are okay with that too. And still others just don’t have time to be bothered with music.
In the history of the Christian Church, music has played an important role. And each church has their different beliefs about what kind of music should be allowed or not allowed. But the music that is sung or listened to has been used to praise God but also to learn about God and to draw us into a closer relationship with Him. Whether they are older hymns or newer praise songs, God uses these songs to speak into our lives, whether it is the Biblical truth in the words or the tune the resonates with where we are at this particular moment.
Two songs lately have really struck me and Jesus has been using them to move my heart, my mind and my soul, and my body. The first one is “I heard the voice of Jesus say”. The low tune and melody speak to me and bring comfort and peace to my life, but also, as I was worshiping yesterday Jesus spoke to me through the words and I felt His faithfulness and knew that no matter what I was facing, when I come to Him, He will give me what I need, “I heard the voice of Jesus say “Behold I freely give the living water; thirsty one, stoop down, and drink and live!” I came to Jesus, and I drank of that life giving stream; my thirst was quenched, my soul revived and now I live in him.” This verse reminds us of the passage from the Gospel of John where Jesus is talking to the Samaritan woman at the well, and He says to her, “But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” (John 4:14).
The other song is a song that when I first heard it/sang it, I didn’t really like it or understand it. However, sometimes the things that are the most meaningful to us are not what we like off the bat, but are things that we need to take the time to get to know and wrestle with. This song, sung by Hillsong United is called “Oceans (where my feet may fail)” You can follow the link to youtube and listen to it there. Do you pray for the Holy Spirit to lead you, even into a place where your feet may fail, but also where you will learn to trust Jesus more and more. Will you be like Peter and ask Jesus to call you out onto the water, a place we cannot stand with out Jesus holding us up, or will we stay in the boat afraid of what might be, afraid of our fears, afraid of our failures, afraid to trust our Saviour.
How does Jesus use music to speak into your life?