MAKING MELODY - The Spirit-filled saint is a song–filled saint! Animals can’t sing. Neither can pews or pulpits or Bibles or buildings — only you. And your melody is broadcasted right into heaven, where God’s antenna is always receptive . . . where the soothing strains of your song are always appreciated. Whenever and whatever you sing, concentrate on the words. If it helps, close your eyes. Sing often with a friend or members of your family. It helps break down all sorts of invisible barriers. You might even sing before grace at mealtime in the evening - that is so enjoyable, you may get addicted, I warn you - “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.” - Everybody knows 5:18, where we are told “be filled with the Spirit.” But have you ever noticed that verse 18 ends with a comma, not a period? The next verse describes the very first result of being under the Spirit’s control: WE SING! We make melody with our hearts. We communicate His presence within us by presenting our own, individual Concert of Sacred Music to Him. Ephesians 5 never once refers to a church building. We Christians have so centralized our singing that we seldom engage in it once we walk away from a service. Chances are, you didn’t even sing before or after you had your time with the Lord any day of the week. Why? The Spirit-filled saint is a song–filled saint!

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Making Melody

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The Spirit-filled saint is a song–filled saint! Animals can’t sing. Neither can pews or pulpits or Bibles or buildings — only you. And your melody is broadcasted right into heaven, where God’s antenna is always receptive . . . where the soothing strains of your song are always appreciated. Whenever and whatever you sing, concentrate on the words. If it helps, close your eyes. Sing often with a friend or members of your family. It helps break down all sorts of invisible barriers. You might even sing before grace at mealtime in the evening - that is so enjoyable, you may get addicted 

Pastor Chuck Swindoll

 

“speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.” - Ephesians 5:19

 

God’s sharp sword stabbed me deeply this week.

I was on a scriptural hunt in the Ephesian letter.

I was searching for a verse totally unrelated to the one that sliced its way into me. 

It was another of those verses I feel sorry for (like John 3:17 and 1 John 1:10 — look ’em up).

This was Ephesians 5:19: “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.”

Everybody knows 5:18, where we are told “be filled with the Spirit.”

But have you ever noticed that verse 18 ends with a comma, not a period?

The next verse describes the very first result of being under the Spirit’s control: WE SING!

We make melody with our hearts.

We communicate His presence within us by presenting our own, individual Concert of Sacred Music to Him.

Now let’s go further.

Ephesians 5 never once refers to a church building.

I mention that because we Christians have so centralized our singing that we seldom engage in it once we walk away from a service.

Stop and think.

Did you sing on the way home last Sunday night?

How about Monday, when you drove to work . . . or around the supper table . . . or Tuesday as you dressed for the day?

Chances are, you didn’t even sing before or after you had your time with the Lord any day of the week.

Why?

The Spirit-filled saint is a song–filled saint!

Animals can’t sing.

Neither can pews or pulpits or Bibles or buildings — only you.

And your melody is broadcasted right into heaven, where God’s antenna is always receptive . . .

where the soothing strains of your song are always appreciated.

If Martin Luther were alive today, he’d be heartsick.

That rugged warrior of the faith had two basic objectives when he fired the reformation cannon into the sixteenth–century wall of spiritual ignorance.

First, to give the people a Bible they could read on their own, and

second, to give them a hymnal from which they could sing on their own.

The Bible we have, and its words we read.

The hymnal we have — but where, oh, where has the melody gone?

We simply do not sing as often as we ought . . . and therein lies the blame and the shame.

Let me offer five corrective suggestions:

Whenever and whatever you sing, concentrate on the words. If it helps, close your eyes.

Make a definite effort to add one or two songs to your day.

Remind yourself, periodically, of the words of a chorus or hymn you love and add them to your driving schedule or soap–and–shower time.

Sing often with a friend or members of your family.

It helps break down all sorts of invisible barriers. You might even sing before grace at mealtime in the evening.

That is so enjoyable, you may get addicted, I warn you.

Blow the dust off your tape or CD player and put on some beautiful music around the house.

Just watch what happens to the atmosphere when you do this. And don’t forget to sing along and add your own harmony and “special” effects.

Never mind how beautiful or pitiful you may sound.

You are not auditioning for the choir, you’re making melody with your heart.

SING OUT!

If you listen closely when you’re through, you may hear the hosts of heaven shouting for joy.

Then again, it might be your neighbor . . . screaming for relief.

Excerpted from Charles R. Swindoll, “Making Melody,” in The Finishing Touch: Becoming God’s Masterpiece 

Pastor Chuck Swindoll has devoted his life to the accurate, practical teaching and application of God’s Word. Since 1998, he has served as the senior pastor-teacher of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, but Chuck’s listening audience extends beyond a local church body. As a leading program in Christian broadcasting since 1979, Insight for Living airs around the world. Chuck’s leadership as president and now chancellor of Dallas Theological Seminary has helped prepare and equip a new generation for ministry.

https://insight.org/resources/article-library/individual/making-melody-1

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HOPE BLOSSOMS - The restoration of Israel, or Zion, is described as ultimately involving the renewal of the land and people - the desert and wilderness will blossom, Israel will be healed, be safe, and be filled with joy. Can a few flowers rekindle our hope? A prophet said yes - so does our hope-giving God. No matter our situation today, we too can rejoice in the beautiful ways our heavenly Father restores us with fresh hope, including through His creation - when we feel down, reflecting on His glory and splendor will bolster us - “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.” In the city of Philadelphia, when weedy vacant lots were cleaned up and brightened with beautiful flowers and trees, nearby residents also brightened in overall mental health. This proved especially true for those who struggled economically. The downtrodden people of Israel and Judah found fresh hope in the prophet Isaiah’s vision of their beautiful restoration by God. Amid all the doom and judgment Isaiah foretold, this bright promise took root: “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy” No matter our situation today, we too can rejoice in the beautiful ways our heavenly Father restores us with fresh hope, including through His creation. When we feel down, reflecting on His glory and splendor will bolster us.

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Hope Blossoms

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The restoration of Israel, or Zion, is described as ultimately involving the renewal of the land and people - the desert and wilderness will blossom, Israel will be healed, be safe, and be filled with joy. Can a few flowers rekindle our hope? A prophet said yes - so does our hope-giving God. No matter our situation today, we too can rejoice in the beautiful ways our heavenly Father restores us with fresh hope, including through His creation - when we feel down, reflecting on His glory and splendor will bolster us

By Patricia Raybon

Read: Isaiah 35:1–4 (NIV)

“The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.” - Isaiah 35:1

In the city of Philadelphia, when weedy vacant lots were cleaned up and brightened with beautiful flowers and trees, nearby residents also brightened in overall mental health.

This proved especially true for those who struggled economically.

“There’s a growing body of evidence that green space can have an impact on mental health,” said Dr. Eugenia South, “and that’s particularly important for people living in poorer neighborhoods.”

South, a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, is coauthor of a study on the subject.

The downtrodden people of Israel and Judah found fresh hope in the prophet Isaiah’s vision of their beautiful restoration by God.

Amid all the doom and judgment Isaiah foretold, this bright promise took root: “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy” - (Isaiah 35:1–2).

No matter our situation today, we too can rejoice in the beautiful ways our heavenly Father restores us with fresh hope, including through His creation.

When we feel down, reflecting on His glory and splendor will bolster us.

“Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way,” Isaiah encouraged (verse 3).

Can a few flowers rekindle our hope? A prophet said yes. So does our hope-giving God.

When you feel hopeless, how do you usually respond?

How could spending time outdoors in God’s creation transform your despair to renewed hope in God?

Dear God, thank You for the splendor of Your creation, pointing me to Your glory, and reviving my hope in You.

INSIGHT

Isaiah 34 and 35 provide a summary of the judgment and blessing described in the first half of the book.

Chapter 34 describes judgment against “all nations” (verses 1–2), then focuses on Edom (verse 5), an enemy of Israel, which was representative of all nations.

The two chapters are linked by the warning of God’s vengeance “to uphold Zion’s cause” (Isaiah 34:8) and to save Zion (Isaiah 35:4).

The restoration of Israel, or Zion, is described as ultimately involving the renewal of the land and people.

The desert and wilderness will blossom (verse 1), Israel will be healed (verses 5–6), be safe (verses 7, 9), and be filled with joy (verse 10).

For encouragement, read Hope: Choosing Faith Instead of Fear at discoveryseries.org/q0733.

Patricia Raybon, a former Sunday Magazine editor at The Denver Post and former associate professor of journalism at the University of Colorado at Boulder, now writes bridge-building books “to inspire people to love God and each other.” Passionate for God’s Word, she also supports Bible-translation projects worldwide. Her award-winning books include My First White Friend and I Told the Mountain to Move. A mother of two and grandmother of five, she and husband Dan live in Colorado where they enjoy movies, popcorn, cozy mysteries, and soapy PBS dramas. Find her at patriciaraybon.com or on Facebook or Twitter @patriciaraybon

https://ourdailybread.ca/hope-blossoms/