Songs of the Soul: A Lent DevotionalSample

Jean-Michel Basquiat, an artist from the late 20th century, once said, "Art is how we decorate space, music is how we decorate time." As we think about our time here on Earth, it is awe-inspiring to me that music exists. Melodies and harmonies fit together to make sounds that decorate our life here on Earth. Music is a mixture of science and art; a blending of math and poetry that creates sounds capable of making us sing, cry, dance, and fill us with profound joy. Music has the power to make us feel.

I believe that’s why the Psalms exist. God knows the power of music and how melodies and rhythms not only help us remember Truth, but they have an emotional connection to our hearts. A song is like a detour in life. It has the ability to stop us in our tracks and make us go in a different direction. It can completely change our mood and put us in a different headspace. So when a song is filled with the praise of God, it renews our minds and fills our heart with peace.

We praise God because He is Good. We praise Him because of His Mighty Deeds. We praise Him because He is our Creator. And we praise Him with everything we have.

This psalm calls us to use every instrument we can find to make these sounds of praise as worship to God. As a musician, this is one of my favorite psalms! I love to make music with as many instruments as I can find. I love witnessing the boundless creativity of humanity in constructing musical instruments that can seemingly produce every note and encompass a wide array of tones. What I also find remarkable about this psalm is that we are told to praise God with “loud clashing cymbals”. Any drummer will tell you, there’s nothing more satisfying than hitting a crash cymbal as hard as you can!

And when we put all of these instruments together, we get a symphony of sounds that echo to the Lord. Just like humans, all instruments are unique. But when they are blended together, it makes one breath of praise that is pleasing to God’s Ears. And everything that has breath is called to praise God. All of us. Think of what a choir of billions of people would sound like!

Tim LaTour
Pastor

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the music that decorates my time on earth, stirring my soul and connecting me to Truth, as I praise You for Your Goodness and Mighty Works. May my voice and instrument blend in a pleasing symphony of worship. Amen.