My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord

My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord  
St Luke 1:46, “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.”

       All Christian musicians should study Mary’s magnificat or song of thanksgiving.  This song is a model of Bible principles of musicing unto God.  So, it is a good thing to study this song at Christmas time and at other times during the year. 

It is a good thing for Christian musicians to confess every day that “my soul doeth magnify the Lord’.  Christian musician does your soul magnify the Lord at this very minute?  During this busy and hectic Christmas season, is your soul rejoicing in god your Savior?  How long has it been since you praised the Lord for regarding your low estate? 

       If anyone has anything good to say about a Christian musician it is because the Great God of heaven reached down and lifted that musician up out of a pit of noise and mire and established his or her life in Christ (see Psalm 43:3 KJV-Cambridge Ed. Center Ref.). 

       It is the Holy Spirit who anoints our musicing in order that it may be efficacious.  Mary reminds us in her song in verse forty-nine that, “He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy.’  Praise God for this model song of thanksgiving.  It would be a good idea to take time right now to thank the Lord for the musical gifts and graces that He has bestowed upon you that make it possible for you to serve Him through music.

 

Song and Thought for the Day

 Song for the Day “When in Our Music God is Glorified” by Fred Pratt Green

Thought for the Day

It is much better to be “used up” by the organization where you minister than to not be used at all for God’s Kingdom.

 

The Musicians were "Wasted"

The Musicians were Wasted

Psalm 137:3 states, “For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”

       Verse two of this chapter records the feelings of the musicians who were carried away captive into Babylon.  They pouted and hung their harps on branches of the willow trees while they pouted about their condition.  Today we are looking at verse three and the result of their self-pity.  They did not feel like praising Jehovah with their musical instruments.

       You may feel like you have been taken by the enemy, abandoned by the Lord, and held captive in the little town of Smirgley Junction.  You may be far away from home during this Christmas season.  There may be strange people who want you to be happy and show it by playing “happy music”.   

       These musicians were far away from their home land in the strange atmosphere of Babylon.  These musicians felt that they had been “wasted’, exhausted, and nearly destroyed emotionally by those around them in this strange land.  Do you as a Christian musician feel used up by the organization where you minister?  Do you feel that these Christians have wrung you out like a wet dish rag and are still requiring of you a song?  Worse yet, they may be requiring “mirth”. 

       The Hebrew word simchah (8056), translated mirth, meant gladness, joy, or rejoicing.  When musicians are burnt out and depressed, they often find it hard to perform praise music.   The sad fact is that these musicians’ captors in Babylon were asking them to do the very thing that could have been a means of grace to these captive musicians.  They were simply asked to “sing us one of the songs of Zion” but they refused and hung their instruments up on the branches of the willow trees.

Prayer, Song, and Thought for the Day

Prayer for the Day

Lord, I am asking You to help me to turn to you when I am misunderstood or when others are speaking negatively about my music ministry.  Help me to flee to Your great loving heart when I am accused falsely.  Please help me to not get bitter or to desire to get even or to lash back with words.  I am also asking You to help me to guard my tongue, my attitude, and my inner most heart.  Lord, you are the only one that is able to “Renew us as in the days of old.”  These petitions I am bringing to You because I know that You are an All- wise Father and only you can bring healing in the time of trouble.  Thank You Lord in advance for what You are going to do for Your people.  Amen.

Song for the Day “The Battle is the Lord’s” by M. Clarkson 

Thought for the Day  

 If you find yourself in the “fiery furnace” for the right reasons, the Son of God will be there to protect you.

The Stinging reproach of the People

The Stinging Reproach of the People      

Lamentations 3:14  “I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.”

Lamentations 3:63  “Behold their sitting down and their rising up;  I am their musick.”

       The Lamentations of the prophet Jeremiah record in two places that God’s seer experienced the stinging reproach of the people around him.  If you are a part or full time practicing musician, you may often experience the jest and derision of others.  If you are truly a “seer” and if you follow biblical principles of musicing, you will no doubt find yourself the subject of much criticism.

       There is no doubt about it; there is a battle for Christian music taking place in the twenty-first century.  If you operate from a conservative Bible-based music praxis, you will, sooner or later, find yourself in the religious “fiery furnace”.  Like Jeremiah of the Old Testament, you will be misunderstood. 

       The thing that matters is how you react to misunderstanding.  If you get bitter and angry, you will be the one who suffers.  Jeremiah prayed in verse twenty-one of chapter five, “Turn us back to You, O LORD, and we will be restored, Renew our days as of old (NKJV)”.

       Getting even or lashing out with words is never the right answer.  The answer is turning back to God which will bring about unity and restoration.  The right thing to do is to bring our lamentations to the LORD.  My former pastor R.E. Carroll told me once, “When I am misunderstood and when I am criticized I pray, O Lord handles me.  O Lord take care of me and O Lord take care of my attitude.” 

 

Prayer, Song and thought for the Day

Prayer for the Day   

Lord, You are truly the Good Shepherd and You are MY shepherd.  Please feed me from your “green pastures”.  Thank You Lord that You have provided spiritual food to sustain my soul in the time of need.  Lord. I confess that I am in need right now.  Please fill my soul with your grace and power so that I may music effectively for You all the days of my life. These things I pray in Your name.  Amen.   

Song for the Day  “The Lord is my Shepherd”  From the Scottish Psalter,  Music by J.S. Irvine  

Thought for the Day   

It is wonderful that the Lord “was” but it is also wonderful that He “is” right now!

God will Provide "Tender Grass"

God will Provide “Tender Grass”   

II Samuel 23:4 states, “And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.”

       Psalm 23:1-2 reminds us that, “The lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He Maketh me to lie down in green pastures: [or pastures of green grass-Cambridge, KJV margin]…”God has not only promised to feed His sheep, but to feed them with luscious green and tender grass.  God doesn’t feed his sheep on hay or fodder, but rather on tender, green grass.  Why would Jesus do that for us?  St. John 10:14 answers the question when he quotes the words that Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd and I know my sheep.”

       Jesus knows what kind of food his sheep need.  So, He provides just the right spiritual food for the needed nutrition of His sheep.  Jesus always provides the best food which happens to be green, living, tender, nutritious life sustaining luscious green grass.

       Psalm 100:3 stated, “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we  are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”  Since all Christian musicians belong to god, we have the right to trust Him to take care of us, and protect and feed us.  When the musician’s soul is thirsty, empty, and has great spiritual need for food, the good shepherd is faithful to provide tender spiritual nourishment that is necessary to properly sustain spiritual life. 

       Christian musician if you feel that your soul is empty, feed on the tender green grass of heaven.  If you need help, take advantage of the means of grace like prayer and Bible reading and partake of the Lord’s Supper for all these will administer grace to your heart. 

Prayer, song and Thought for the Day

Prayer for the Day   

Lord I am asking You to give Your musical servant a wise and understanding heart in order that I may be able to lead those to whom I minister musically.  Help me to be able to lead them in to a deeper walk with You.  Lord, I confess that I am as a little child before you.  Please give me a greater understanding and passion to be a better music leader.  This I pray in Your name.  Amen.  

Song for the Day   “In the Service of the King” by A. H. Ackley   

Thought for the Day  

When in doubt, ask your heavenly father, He is wonderful, wise, and willing to guide you into musical truth.

Kings and Priests unto God

Kings and Priests unto God   

I Kings 3:7 & 9A states, “And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: And I am but a little child: I know not how to go out and come in.  Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart.”  

    In this passage of Scripture, Solomon recognized that it was Jehovah Elohiym the sovereign, independent, eternal, supreme, eternal, living God who had placed him over the nation of Israel.  Sometimes Christian musicians forget that they are ultimately working for God.  Who placed you over your ministering responsibilities? 

       Do you consider that you are working for a high school principle who hired you to teach music or a church board who hired you to be a music minister?  Are you a church pianist who is working for the church that voted for you to be the church pianist? 

       Revelation 5:9-10 states, “And they sung a new song saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by his blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests and we shall reign on the earth.”  The Bible lesson is clear here that those who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ are kings and priests or ministers UNTO GOD instead of men.

       As Gods servant you have the right to ask God to give you the wisdom to lead His people in musicing unto Him.  If you will confess those areas where you do not know how to go out or come in before Him, God will give you a “wise and understanding heart (Vs. 11).” 

Prayer, Song and Thought for the Day

Prayer for the Day  

Lord, I want to thank You for separating me to serve You with music.  Please help me to understand that You have trusted me with the responsibility to present Your message to men, women and children in the twenty-first century.  Give me a greater vision of the fact that my music ministry is a “sacred trust” and therefore, I am an obligated musical servant for as long as I live.  Please give me a greater passion for presenting Your Word, will, and way to people who hear my musicing and the musicing of the musicians that are “under my hands” for musicing.  These things I fervently ask of You my Lord and master.  Amen.   

Song for the Day   “Come Christians, Be committed” by E.B. Lloyd  

Thought for the Day  

Christian musicians who consider their musicing to be a sacred trust are obligated to continue to music unto God as long as they live and are physically able to perform their musical ministry.