Hymns: A 5-Day Devotional With Tasha Cobbs LeonardSample

Remembering What’s True

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” John 14:26 (NKJV)

I may not be able to remember everything the pastor said in a sermon on Sunday, but I can remember the words of a song we sang that morning. In fact, I’ve realized that’s how I’ve memorized Scripture through the years. I find myself singing lyrics to a song only to realize that the words come straight from the Bible.

Something special happens when we set words to a melody. Our brain interprets it differently than spoken words. This is why young children can sing before their vocabulary fully develops. This is why we find ourselves singing the chorus of a worship song after only hearing it once or twice. This is why I’m still singing those songs my mother and grandmother taught me.

Music helps us remember, and I think hymns help us remember history counts. Hymns are timeless because they hold universal truths that were true when they were written and remain true when we sing them hundreds of years later. They remind us that the God of Abraham is my God. The God of my mother is my God. And my God will be the God of my children. He doesn’t change, and neither does His Word.

The Bible is filled with moments where people burst into song. I guess you could really consider these the very first hymns. Sometimes like Mary, the mother of Jesus, we sing because we can’t contain our joy. Other times, like David, the author of the Psalms, we sing because we find ourselves in the pit of despair. Many times in Scripture, music even led the way in battle. Musicians went ahead of soldiers during war, declaring victory before the fight even began.

Whether sung from a place of joy or a place of pain, every hymn is a stone of remembrance, marking the faithfulness of God.

Hymns help me remember simple truths I often forget. Hymns help me remember I am not alone. Hymns help me remember I am safely held. Hymns help me remember I am deeply loved.

What truth do you most often forget? Is there a hymn that helps you remember?