By Katy Mariotti
Sing to the Lord!
“addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”
Ephesians 5:19-20, English Standard Version
My amazing husband recently got me a massage for my birthday. While in the spa where I got it, I was listening to the generic ambiance music when suddenly a melody I recognized came on. I started to sing some of the words in my head to figure out which one it was until I finally realized it was “How Firm a Foundation.” The words that popped into my mind were:
“Fear not! I am with you,
O be not dismayed,
For I am your God
And will still give you aid,
I’ll strengthen you, help you,
and cause you to stand,
Upheld by my righteous
Omnipotent hand.”
How powerful these words were to me as I stared out at the mountains: be not dismayed! I am with you! I will give you aid! I uphold you!
As a musician, I often feel music is considered an afterthought in our society. Sure, it’s nice, but it’s a frivolous extra, not as important as other things. Yet in the Bible music is mentioned SO often! There is an entire book that is all songs! I think it’s because God created us as emotional beings, and He knew the power of music. By hearing that particular melody, I thought of the words that accompanied it and I felt the emotions of the song. It caused me to praise the Lord in that moment. Music IS important; the arts are part of what make us the beautiful human creatures God made us to be, and should not be thrown aside as an afterthought. (It’s highly possible I’ve written of this before, and if so it’s because I am passionate about it!)
Today, find a song or hymn you love. Praise God through music- “make melody to the Lord with your heart,” whether that’s singing aloud or just listening to the words and feeling the emotions of the song. And when doing so, try not to feel like you should be doing something more important, because praise IS important!
Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
