Category: Devotionals

O Magnify the Lord with Me

Devotionals

I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together.

Psalm 34:1-3

As a church musician I know it’s hard to find time to practice a song for a special or offertory. And when you make it a group number, the more people involved, the harder it is to get together for practice.

For that reason, a lot of us prefer to perform solo. It’s easier to prepare, true—but it’s also tempting to get up and “wing it.” Your turn has come, and you’re not ready, so you open the hymnal and sing something, or you pull out a song you’ve done fifteen times already, and you do it again simply because you know it and feel comfortable with it.

But I ask, is that worship? Yes, there are plenty of songs worthy of repeating, but may I challenge you to repeat them because of the message they bear, and not because you were too lazy to learn something new.

May I also challenge you to put together more duets, trios, quartets, and ensembles—both vocal and instrumental. When looking for your next piano offertory, pick a duet, and then pick a partner. Not only does the preparation time unite you with your fellow musicians, forming a special bond of friendship, but it also pleases the Lord when we put forth the effort to strive for excellence in our worship. And it blesses the hearers too.

Just as there’s a time for repeating familiar songs, there’s also a time for solo performances. But group performances should be the rule rather than the exception. I believe this is scriptural. After all, in the Old Testament in particular, where worship music is spoken of quite frequently, it is almost always in the context of choirs and instrumental ensembles.

Are you working on a special for August? Talk with your fellow musicians, and ask them to join you, saying, “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together!”

Photo by Mic Narra on Unsplash

Play Skillfully

Devotionals

Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise.

Psalm 33:3

It’s hard to hide the music of an instrument. Even when I play my digital piano with headphones on, the others in the room can hear the tap-tap-tapping as I depress the keys.

As a pianist, I love to listen to piano music, and I’m thrilled when I get to hear someone play the difficult pieces with great skill. In fact, I’m awed by it.

I’ve never been able to play a song perfectly, not with consistency anyway. For that reason, I’ve had to learn to hide my mistakes. Some cannot be hidden, at least not from all ears, but most can. I taught my students this same technique. . . .

Practice, practice, practice.

Practice with hands separate.

Practice with hands together.

Pay attention to your fingering. Repeat it measure by measure, line by line, until muscle memory takes over.

Practice with the metronome. Start with a slow and steady tempo, then gradually work up to the indicated tempo. Learn what the proper tempo feels and sounds like.

Turn off the metronome and work on coloring your piece with variations in dynamics and speed. Pull back now and then, but always add back what you take away.

Let it rest, then practice some more.

And when you’ve done all you can do to perfect it, if errors persist, then just keep going.

Don’t stumble.

Don’t fumble.

And whatever you do, when performing, don’t go back and try again to get it right.

Just keep pressing forward with a relaxed expression on your face, and most folks will not even notice. Some may think it was written that way. And those who do hear the mistake will easily forgive it if you don’t call attention to it.

. . .

Some folks are gifted musically, and their fingers, eyes, ears, indeed their entire body flows with the notes on the page. Even they have to work, but their work yields excellent results.

Then there are those of us whose greatest skill is in making the mistake sound as though it belonged there.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

Sacrificial Freedom

Devotionals

I will freely sacrifice unto Thee: I will praise Thy name, O Lord, for it is good.

Psalm 54:6

On this Independence Day, I wish to spend a few minutes reflecting upon what true freedom looks like. To some, freedom means being able to do what you please, go where you want, and say what’s on your mind. And while our Constitution does grant us those rights (so long as the expression of our rights does not infringe upon those of others), true freedom is much more basic than that.

Slavery was not forbidden in the Bible: rather, it was considered a fact of life. Masters were instructed to be kind to their slaves (Eph. 6:9; Col. 4:1), and slaves likewise were admonished to honor and obey their masters (Tit. 2:9; 1 Pet. 2:18). Many slaves were better off in such a condition than they would be on their own. They had a roof over their heads, food to eat, job security, and more. In fact, when the debt was paid, they could choose to become a servant for life (bondslave), and many did, for the love they had for their masters.

Philemon was a slave owner. Paul wrote a letter to him and sent it by the hand of Onesimus, a runaway slave. Onesimus had thought he could get lost in the crowd in Rome, but instead the Lord led him to the doorstep of Paul, who was then a prisoner in that city. Paul led Onesimus to the Lord, discipled him in the teachings of Christ, then sent him back to his master Philemon to right the wrong he had done and suffer whatever punishment he might face. Granted, in the letter, Paul took upon himself Onesimus’s guilt and debt, urging Philemon to accept his slave back as a brother.

The Bible is replete with object lessons that teach us various aspects of our relationship with God. Just as marriage pictures the relationship between Christ and the Church (Eph. 5:31-32), so slavery illustrates the relationship between man and God (Col. 4:1; Eph. 6:5). God created us and sustains our lives. As our Creator, He owns us. We belong to Him. But all of us at one point or another have run away from Him (Isa. 53:6). Yet He in love drew us back to Himself (Isa. 43:1). It is His love for us that motivates us to love and serve Him. I take you back to the verse with which we began:

I will freely sacrifice unto Thee: I will praise Thy name, O Lord, for it is good.

Psalm 54:6

True freedom is not those expressions protected by the Constitution. True freedom comes from God. In Him, you can be free—in your home, on the street, in prison, in a job you hate, in a job you love, whether you are the boss or the employee, whether a student or a graduate, single or married.

If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.

John 8:36

Happy Independence Day to one and all, whether or not you live in the United States of America! Are you free from the power of sin? If you are not yet free in Christ, regardless of your status in society, I pray that today will become your Independence Day.

Image by Simple-aign from Pixabay

The Hidden Parts

Devotionals

A few days ago I disassembled yet another piano action. More than 300 screws had to come out in order to release the more than 1,000 individual parts. The tedium of the task gives my mind a chance to focus on other things, usually whatever music I happen to be listening to at the time.

But this time I got to thinking about how all these parts usually stay hidden inside the piano. A pianist will see them if motivated by curiosity to open the cabinet and look inside. But more often, the musician will simply sit down and play. The outward and most obvious parts—the keys, pedals, cabinet, and even the bench—are important in making music. But no less so are the hidden parts—the hundreds of internal pieces that work together in one fluid motion to produce sound.

I have both outside and inside parts too. I tend to spend a lot of time with the outward parts—showering, dressing, primping, etc. These things are necessary, and the folks nearest to me thank me for tending to such details!

But what about the inside? those hidden parts? Do I give proper care to my heart, lungs, brain, digestive system, muscles, joints, and so forth? It’s important to get proper nutrition, exercise, and rest so that my body can function as intended.

And how about my mind? Do I fill it with things that make me a better person? or with things that will not matter even tomorrow, much less in a hundred years? It is my thoughts that guide my actions, and therefore I must pay close attention to what shapes those thoughts.

Now comes the most important hidden part of all—my soul. This is the real me. It’s the part of me that others come to know and love (or not). It’s the part of me that will live forever. The Bible says,

Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part You shall make me to know wisdom.

Psalm 51:6

There are those today who would have you believe that truth is what you make it. My friend, this is a lie! Truth is not relative; it is not subjective. If that were so, then I could easily lose unwanted pounds by simply deciding that gravity doesn’t apply to me.

God wants me to embrace His truth. How can I do this? By embracing His Word.

Sanctify them through Your truth: Your Word is truth.

John 17:17

My soul is rotten to the core. I am a sinner: I was born that way. You were too. But God offered you and me new life through the saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ. I accepted that offer. He forgave all my sin, and now He sees me as clean and wearing Christ’s spotless robe of righteousness. He teaches me to grow in grace daily, and to increase in wisdom.

My body is growing old and will eventually break or wear out, and then be laid to rest. But my soul will live forever somewhere. The eternal destiny of my soul is settled. What about yours? Have you even given it any thought?