Music Blog 02-13-2025

MUSIC BLOG

02/13/2025

Rejoice in Every Circumstance

Philppians 4:4-9

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

⁵ Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Meditate on These Things

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. ⁹ The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

One of my favorite hymn texts has always been, “Sometimes a light surprises the Christian when he sings.”  I first became aware of that great hymn in college when a friend asked me to listen to a Cynthia Clawson record in his dorm room.  It is a great hymn, written by William Cowper.  Cowper was a British pastor who was riddled with doubt fear and depression yet a man who poured out his fears to God and listened to God’s response.  Cowper was also diligent to write down what he got from God and we have those words today:

1

Sometimes a light surprises
  The Christian while he sings;
It is the Lord who rises
  With healing in His wings;
When comforts are declining,
  He grants the soul again
A season of clear shining,
  To cheer it after rain.

2

In holy contemplation
  We sweetly then pursue
The theme of God’s salvation,
  And find it ever new;
Set free from present sorrow,
  We cheerfully can say—
E’en let the unknown morrow
  Bring with it what it may.

3

It can bring with it nothing,
  But He will bear us through;
Who gives the lilies clothing,
  Will clothe His people too:
Beneath the spreading heavens
  No creature but is fed;
And He, who feeds the ravens,
  Will give His children bread.

4

Though vine nor fig tree neither
  Their wonted fruit shall bear;
Though all the fields should wither
  Nor flocks nor herds be there;
Yet God the same abiding,
  His praise shall tune my voice,
For, while in Him confiding,
  I cannot but rejoice.

Life is not always easy. We get old, our bodies hurt and ache, friends die, and we get lonely, we retire, and we feel useless.  The Bible promises that all of us will experience life with all its ups and downs.  No one is exempt.  David was a man after God’s heart and still endured much heartache.  But the scriptures testify of David in Acts 13:22, God testified concerning him, “I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, he will do whatever I ask him to do.”  The circumstances in which David found himself in did not deter him from trusting God.  The Hebrew text doesn’t read the same as our English version.  Most English translators render the scripture, “a man after God’s own heart”.  The actual Hebrew says a man with My heart.  Isn’t that amazing?  David had God’s heart; the next part is that God wants us all to have His heart.  It is not us trying to become equal with God, but rather us receiving from God the ability to see, feel, and understand our lives and circumstances the same way that God does.

This wonderful transaction is not automatic.  Peter tells us to gird up our loins; make preparation to do some heavy lifting.  Getting ready to do great things for God requires preparation.  Reading this blog might be a part of your preparation today.  Going to church is definitely a way to prepare our hearts.  Satan’s battle for us often begins with pain that isolates us from God’s people.  Maybe you need to surrender your pride and excuses to God today. 

This past Monday I had to privilege of singing with the Churchmen and women of North Carolina.  It was a wonderful time of praising the Lord, not a perfect concert mind you, but God’s presence was felt.  There are some personalities in the leadership team of the singers that I find to be quite condescending.  My response is to be silly and be a distraction when ever they get up to speak or lead.  I know its immature and stupid.  I repent Lord and will do better.  However, as one of those irritating people was leading us in the final song I became overwhelmed by the text and the music.  I began to sing, not for the director but for the Lord. As we finished the last few bars of the song I became overwhelmed by God’s mercy and love.  I cannot describe what I felt, expect that I was literally weeping and singing at the same time. 

I left a burden in that choir loft Monday night.  It is not a burden that I could have gotten rid of any other way.  It did require me to adjust my schedule, get out of my routine and comfort and drive over an hour to arrive at the concert location.  While I was surrounded by friends and I enjoyed good fellowship with them, the concert and time of worship required my efforts.  Music has a way of releasing me from the bondage of my selfishness and sin.  Worship is like that.  Maybe it’s one of the missing components in your life too.

Blessings,

Marty