1 Chronicles 15 – 19
Some days my Bible reading gets overwhelmed with life, like today. From time to time events from the day overwhelm my mind and make it difficult to impossible to read. It was that way yesterday to the point I did not read at all. Today I read the words, but honestly didn’t really digest the meaning. I did some underlining of verses and phrases, but seemed more on autopilot than consciously doing it.
Verse 15:16 is one of those verses that really bring a smile to my face:
David also commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers as the singers who should play loudly on musical instruments, on harps and lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy.
I read this and love singing and worshiping, but rarely do so since my singing really stinks. In public I throttle my worship so not to offend anyone or scare them off. Not saying my voice is that offensive, it’s just don’t hit notes very well. Anyway the loud music at our church often times helps be break out of my cocoon.
Now as I was thinking about the music it took me way back to a conference I went to as a very young person. It was the Basic Youth Conflicts conference run by Bill Gothard. That was decades ago and the one thing I remember is his hammering on the evils of rock-n-roll music. Recently I heard a talk from a former cult member that insists even the modern praise and worship rock is evil, because of the beat.
Now I remember this because Mr. Gothard wanted me to go home and burn all my albums, and this newer speaker said the same thing. So it makes me wonder is there really something satanic in the beat of rock-n-roll. For me the jury is out, but I will say what they kids listen to has changed radically!! I remember after this my mother trying to get me to stop listening to Elton John’s “The Bitch is Back”, now considered a classic. I try to do the same thing with my son and his music. Granted the Elton John’s song was a children’s song compared to the rap D listen’s to!!
For me the jury is still out, I will say the “Overton Window” has shifted radically from the music I found acceptable and today!
Verse 17:2 is the prophet Nathan relaying what God has said:
And Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”
I wish God would say this to me, but at the same time David’s heart was for rebuilding the temple and mine is for just having nicer digs and no debt. David’s heart was to glorify God while mine is not necessarily to glorify myself, but glorifying God is not part of the mix in thoughts. I believe when our motives align with God’s, He tends to allow us to do all that is in our hearts. It’s when we get self-absorbed and wanting things for our glory that God’s will and ours collide.
I think the key is to search out harmony with God and work together in a common goal. Once you are there the powers of the universe are at your finger tips!!