Barbara's Banter

A Journal of Joy: Things that make my heart smile…..

One of my favorite scriptures is found in Philippians 1:6: “…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it…”

Paul is writing this letter to the Philippians while he is imprisoned in Rome. He begins by thanking them for their loyalty, love, and support. Then quickly he gives them some encouragement. He assures them that Jesus Christ is with them. Jesus Christ has begun a good work in them. Jesus Christ will be faithful to complete it.

What a message of promise and hope!

God never gives up on me. I am God’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10). I am not complete but a work in progress. He is continually working in my life. Jesus Christ lives in me (John 17:23). I am weak, but He is strong. I am vulnerable, but He is mighty. God makes up for my lack.

Although I habitually make mistakes, fall short of the mark, or screw up in one way or another, God never gives up on me. No matter how I feel or what battle I’m fighting, God never gives up on me.

God is faithful. I can count on what He says. When He says He will complete His work in me, I know He will do it. He will finish what He has started and will not abandon me (Psalm 138:8).

This is cause for great rejoicing. God never gives up on me, and I should never give up on Him.  

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O God, I don’t know why You would even begin a good work in me, but You have. I know You have! I am a work in progress, but sometimes the progress seems so slow. As You live in me, help me focus on how far I’ve come, not how far I have to go so I won’t get discouraged. Thank You for bringing Scriptures to mind about the glorious, blessed assurance that You will never give up on me.

A Journal of Joy: Things that make my heart smile…..

Memories of my mother always fill me with joy. She’s been gone for 48 years, but I can still see her face and feel her guiding hand in my life. I think sharing stories about loved ones who have passed away brings them honor. Here are some more things I remember about my mama.

I remember her fearlessness: When I was 4 or 5 we lived in a brownstone “rooms for rent” building in St. Louis. The woman who lived upstairs had a young boy about my age. She would stay out until all hours, leaving her child alone, unattended. Once, she left him there ill. In those days, there were no agencies to call in such situations and the police couldn’t do anything because it wasn’t illegal. Mom went upstairs and looked after him. She also let others know she’d like to give this gal a piece of her mind, among other things. The next day, my dad, Mom, and I were headed out. I’m not sure where we were going, but we were all dressed up. I know this because Mom had a hat on. Hats were very fashionable in those days.

We were standing in the hallway when Miss Out All Night came shimmying down the stairs. “I hear you’re looking for me,” she said.

Mom said, “Well, yes I am.”

It was obvious the lady was looking for a fight. Mom tried to talk her out of it but she wouldn’t listen, so Mom took off her hat, handed it and her purse to Dad to hold while she proceeded to have a little hand-to-hand combat. I could tell the woman was still conscious as she lay there on the floor. Mom dusted herself off, straighten her hair slightly, put her hat back on, took her purse from Dad, and off we went for the day. When we returned, the lady and her son had moved.

I remember her humor: Mom was a cross between Erma Bombeck and Dave Barry, witty and funny. Once at K-Mart, Mom accidentally bumped her shopping cart into another woman’s. Mom jokingly said, “Sorry, you almost need a driver’s license to operate one of these things.” The woman was indignant as she replied, “Well, I don’t!” Then the woman turned her cart quickly around and ran into a post. Mom just passed her up, smiled, and replied, “See what I mean!”

I remember her encouragement: “You can do it,” she’d say. “You can be whatever you want to be. You can do whatever you want to do.” It may not seem like a big thing now, but Mom always wanted a high school diploma. I remember with pride when she got her GED. She was in her mid-30s. 

I remember when she came to Christ: Mom wasn’t quite as feisty after she met the Lord. She never lost her wit, wisdom, or humor, but she gained peace and deeper insight. When she looked at a flower, she saw the Creator. When she looked at snow, she saw a miracle. When she lived life, she saw purpose.

I remember her death: I was in my early 20s when Mama died. She went to the doctor for what she thought was a kidney infection; she found out she had uterine cancer. Two weeks later she was gone. She was 48. It happened so fast and now that I’m older, I realize how young she was.

Pope Paul VI said, “Every mother is like Moses. She does not enter the Promised Land. She prepares a world she will not see.” These words ring true in my mother’s case. There is much of her family’s life she did not live to see.

And because her death came quickly, there is much I didn’t get to tell her. So, “Mom, if you’re listening, I want you to know – I remember you! Thanks for giving me so many wonderful things to remember.”

*****

Lord, You give and You take away. Thank You for giving me my mom. I’ve always been a little sad that she never got to see her amazing grandchildren, but I think a little of her lives on in them. Sharing stories with them about her leaves a legacy. What a wise, wonderful, and colorful person she was! All the praise and glory for that goes to You! 

A Journal of Joy: Things that make my heart smile…..

One of my favorite old movies is I Remember Mama, based on the stage play by the same name and the book Mama’s Bank Account written by Kathryn Forbes in the 1940s. It’s a true account of a Norwegian family living in the San Francisco area in the early 1900s. Filled with warmth and humor, its popularity even spawned a TV show in the 50s called Mama (definitely not to be confused with Mama’s Family which aired in the 80s) that ran for 8 years. The appeal of I Remember Mama was always family and especially “Mama” who many times is the glue that holds a family together.

As we grow up, there are so many things we forget about our mothers. My mom died 48 years ago when I was in my twenties, but it is amazing how much I remember about her. As Mother’s Day approaches I’ve been reflecting on my mother and the lessons I learned from her.

Yes, I remember Mama! In fact, I remember her so well I’ll need two blogs to share some of my memories with you.  

I remember her wisdom: Imbued with tons of what we called horse sense in the Midwest, she was a cross between Dr. Laura and Solomon. “There are always three sides to every story: yours, theirs, and what really happened,” she’d say. Her theory was that many times we don’t intend to shade the truth but we do see everything from our perspective, which can be skewed.

I remember her service: She lived by the motto of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. If any friend, relative, or neighbor needed help, mom was there. She brought food to the hungry, nursed the sick, and visited the lonely.

I remember her insight: She’d say, “Life is not fair so deal with it.” It’s not something an idealistic child wants to hear but I learned at a young age, it isn’t always the most qualified, talented, or deserving person who ends up with the job, position, or first prize.

I remember her beauty: In her younger days, many a stranger stopped mom to ask if she was a model, but what really made her beautiful was how she genuinely cared for others and her giving heart. Even at Christmas time, everyone got a gift, even the boy who delivered the newspaper. It may have only been a pencil box because we didn’t have much money, but whatever we had, mom was glad to share.

I remember her honesty: “Don’t say anything behind anyone’s back you wouldn’t say to their face,” she’d say. These are words she lived by. I’m not implying she only said nice things about people but whatever she said, she was willing to stand by it.

I remember her humility: If she felt she was wrong she would apologize, even to me and I was just a kid.  

I remember her hard work: Believe it or not, it took both of my parents working to keep us in the poverty we had grown accustomed to. I was a “latchkey kid” before they even had the term. Neither of my folks had much of a formal education, so they took whatever jobs they could get. Sometimes mom would hold down a full-time job and take in ironing on the side. Mom never complained and I never went without home-cooked meals or the necessities in life.

Mama’s been gone a long time, but I remember her very well—always with joy and thankfulness.

*****

Dear heavenly Father, words can’t express the gratitude I feel towards You for giving me my mom. What joy she brought to my heart! What lessons I learned from her! What an example she set for me! When she passed away it left a hole in my heart, but her memory fills it with love and legacy. I thank and praise You for my mother! 

A Journal of Joy: Things that make my heart smile…..

Forty years ago, we spent ten or so years ministering in Appalachian areas. The roads there were mostly two-lane, curvy, and mountainous. However, we adapted and learned to navigate them quite well. We knew you could not rely on a map to calculate the actual distance or time it would take to get from one place to another. It always took longer than you anticipated. 

One time our California headquarters sent a couple of visiting speakers to our area. The plan was for them to speak in London, Kentucky in the morning and Pikeville, Kentucky in the afternoon. That was fine. However, they disregarded our input about the time it would take to get from one area to another. They thought they could drive it in about one and a half hours or two hours at the most. However, they had not anticipated that the new highway on their map was under construction, not finished.

My husband had made this trip often and knew where he could drive on the highway, where he would have to detour, when he would have to drive over mounds of dirt on the roads—you get the picture. It was well over a three-hour trip to get there and that’s if you knew all the detours and shortcuts.

They have a saying in Kentucky: “You can’t get there from here!” Which loosely translated means that you literally can’t get there from here or you haven’t given yourself enough time to get there from here. After a day or two in Kentucky, the visiting dignitaries agreed that it would take more time than anticipated to get from one place to the other by car so they decided to charter a small plane. My husband and I were kind of excited because we were invited to come along.

Now flying a prop plane around the mountains of Kentucky is a tricky proposition at best. It’s almost like navigating the roads. If you don’t know what you are doing, you could easily miscalculate and hit a mountain.

Most of the trip was uneventful. The visitors enjoyed chatting with the pilot, learning more about the area, looking at the roads they would have had to travel on if they had driven, and enjoying the magnificent view. Then it came time to make our landing.

The pilot told us not to worry. He explained that landing in Pikeville was always a little awkward. Many pilots had missed the mark because it required a bit of maneuvering. He spouted terms like wind velocity, altitude, airspeed, and visibility. “The basic problem,” he said, “is that it looks like we are flying straight into a mountain and then we make a turn so we can reach the landing strip safely.” He called it a dogleg landing pattern, but I’m sure this was the Kentucky translation and there was perhaps a more technical term floating around somewhere. I sort of tuned out once I found out we were heading into a mountain.  

Sure enough, it looked like we were flying into the mountain. Flying towards a mountain fills one with a myriad of sensations. It’s sort of apprehension, excitement, wonderment, and fear all jumbled together. When the skillful pilot made the turn and landed smoothly on the airstrip, the feeling was definitely relief mixed with thankfulness. The men spoke at the gathering and we flew calmly back to London, Kentucky later that evening. The twilight views were spectacular.

I’ve never forgotten being thankful we were in skilled hands making that scary landing. There’s a life lesson there. Much of life can be disconcerting but I know God can pilot me safely towards my destination.

*****

Lord, I don’t want You as my copilot; I want You to fly the plane. I want You to navigate my route, calculate how long it will take, lift me over obstacles, lead me through the detours, and get me to my destination safe and sound. Letting You be in control is not easy for me, but in my heart I know it is the best course to take.

A Journal of Joy: Things that make my heart smile…

By Barbara Dahlgren

We spent ten or so years ministering in Appalachian areas and I’m not saying the roads were bad but they did leave a lot to be desired. Okay…they were bad.

The “road” stories I could tell are too many to mention. When we first moved to West Virginia, we were traveling late at night on a two-lane, curvy, mountainous road. Being impatient, I asked my husband why he was driving so slowly. He said, “Because I want to be sure the road hasn’t washed down the mountain.” Sure enough, we happened onto a section where a large chunk of our lane was gone. These were the paved roads.

In Kentucky, we actually had to drive down a creek bed to visit a person who looked just like Mammy Yokum including a corn cob pipe and coffee can spittoon.

Once, we were driving on a small road on the side of a snowy mountain to visit a family from our church. Our car slid and perched itself half on the road and half dangling a bit off the road, sort of in midair. Fortunately, the part in midair was on my husband’s side so I crawled out my car door with our two daughters, ages seven months and two years old. We trudged down the road to the farm house. The family and I were pondering how to rescue my husband or if we would ever see him again when all of a sudden we heard a car coming. Miracle of miracles – up drove my husband. I admit that he is a great driver but I think we have to give God the credit for this one!

Curvy roads were not new to me because much of my childhood was spent navigating such roads in southeast Missouri in the foothills of the Ozarks. Those two-lane roads were so hilly and curvy I would get carsick often, much to the chagrin of my parents. Some roads were like riding on a roller coaster. As you drove up a hill you could not see what was on the other side until you reached the top. You learned to drive slowly and stay way over on your side of the road because there could be an unexpected curve waiting on the other side or a car veering into your land. I think there are some parallels to be made here for our journey through life.

Before we got married, I told my city slicker fiancé about these roads but he didn’t believe me. However, when we went to visit my country cousins, he got so carsick I had to drive while he laid down in the backseat with his eyes closed.

When our children were little, we spent many hours on country curvy roads in Appalachian areas. Our young daughters suffered from the same carsickness I had at that age. Many a trip included them barfing out a car window or into a bucket I carried in the back seat. My sympathy for what I put my parents through increased dramatically. Ah, what memories!

On one such trip, our daughters were riding in the back seat with an intern who was spending the summer with us helping with ministry. Our daughter Shelly had her head resting on George’s lap. I glanced back and recognized a certain expression on her face and shouted, “Get her to the window – quick!” George was stunned but got her to an open window just before she emptied the contents of her stomach. George was a bit shaken and said, “I don’t know how you knew she was going to do that, but I will be eternally grateful!” And he has been because he tells me each time we reconnect even though it happened forty years ago. 

Straight roads are fine but the scenery on the curvy roads is spectacular. Hillsides of green, majestic mountain views, wildlife, and lush plant life. Of course, you can enjoy it more if you aren’t carsick or almost rolling down a mountain side. Ah, but, that is where the adventure lies in the journey. God never promised me life would be without twists, turns, ups, downs, detours, queasy feelings, curves, or side trips. He did, however, promise to be with me every mile of the journey. Finally, after all these years, I’m learning to let Him drive so I can enjoy the ride. 

*****

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you so much for my childhood. You gave me the best of both worlds by living in the city and spending so much time in the country with loved ones. Thank You for preparing me for our years in Appalachia. How I love those people! They are honest and sincere and love You deeply. The roads may have been curvy but the ride was magnificent. As far as my life’s journey goes, I know You are a better driver than I. Relinquishing control to You has not been easy. Help me to continue to trust You in this lifelong process.

A Journal of Joy: Things that make my heart smile…

By Barbara Dahlgren

Thousands of years ago Job asked a question about death that has continued to plague mankind. “If a man dies, will he live again?” (Job 14:14). Science may be able to prolong life but not cheat death. Everyone knows death is inevitable and it’s only natural that people want to know what happens after we die.

Death can be hard to face. The Bible refers to it as our final enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26). A loved one’s death can fill us with helplessness or if it comes quickly, anger. Facing our own death may have us feeling fearful, uncertain, perhaps defeated. Even those who bail out of life with suicide are hoping for something better.

At this time of year, we are reminded of one who lived and died for us. Jesus Christ loved us so much He came to earth, lived among us, and freely died for us. But death was not the end of the story for He rose from the dead and is victorious. “…Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is thy sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54, 55).

The good news is that Christ’s victory over death is ours as well. He fought the battle for us. All we have to do is to choose to partake of this victory in Christ as John 5:24 tells us. “He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” This has nothing to do with living a good life or earning salvation. It comes from believing and trusting God.

Job’s question can be answered because at death our “perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:54). Death doesn’t have to be the end; it can be the beginning. Death is swallowed in victory.

Although I don’t want to rush this victorious process by embracing premature death, it brings me joy and comfort to know Christ’s resurrection gives me blessed assurance. When the women came to Christ’s tomb they were told, “He is not here; he is risen…” (Matthew 28:6). He is risen and lives today—and because He lives, we shall live also.  

*****

Lord, many who ignore You all year long celebrate Easter. It’s not because of bunnies and chocolate eggs; it’s because only You can give what this hurting world needs. Hope! People want to believe in You but are sometimes afraid to embrace Your truth. You are the Way, the Truth, the Life. You are my life and I thank You for the resurrection. I don’t have to fear death because You have conquered the grave.

A Journal of Joy: Things that make my heart smile…

By Barbara Dahlgren

It may seem incongruous, but Christians can have joy even when they are going through trials.

Joy expresses itself in different ways and when things aren’t going well, there is a kind of joy expressed through inner peace and calm assurance in God.

God never promised the Christian life would be free of trials, hardships, temptations, sorrow, or suffering. In fact, we are told to expect such things (1 Peter 4:12). Yet we are always surprised when they happen.

Oswald Chambers said, “The typical view of the Christian life is that it means being delivered from all adversity. But it actually means being delivered in adversity, which is something quite different… If you are a child of God, you will certainly meet with adversities, but Jesus says you should not be surprised when they come.”

When bad things happen, we aren’t expected to put on a happy face and act like all is well. It’s okay to be upset, hurt, or angry. It’s okay to cry and grieve. After all, even Jesus had moments when He wept over Jerusalem, wept over Lazarus, and sweated drops of blood. There is a time for everything (Ecclesiastes 1:1-8). However, we can’t stay there. We have to move on.

There are times when we just don’t feel like smiling, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have this inner calm kind of joy that comes to us from God. This joy manifests itself through our belief that God loves us and is at work in our lives. It’s the assurance that He will be there no matter what.

Paul tells us to always rejoice (Philippians 4:4). Always means always—in the good times and bad. Then he says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). Paul is telling us not to let things that might make us anxious or fearful take us away from God. Don’t let those things steal our joy but continue doing the things we know we should do like drawing close to God through prayer and thanksgiving. In other words, God will take care of it. He might not take care of it the way we want, but we can trust Him.     

There is joy that comes from having a relationship with God. We can have happiness without spiritual development, but we can’t have joy. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It comes as a result of complete trust in God and a deep desire for His will to be done, no matter what the cost might be to us.

Jesus was not happy on the cross, but He endured it for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). This kind of joy comes from wanting God’s will more than our own. And with this, we realize God can take anything that happens to us and let it be used in some way to benefit others and for His glory.

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” This is not saying everything that happens to us will make us happy. But it is saying God can take anything that happens to us and use it for good in some way.

When James 1:2 says, “Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds…,” I don’t think it is telling us to rejoice because we have a trial. None of us say, “Oh yea! I just lost my job!” James is merely pointing out that we can have joy in the midst of a trial. We aren’t rejoicing because of the trial. We are rejoicing because of God. God is with us. We are not alone. God can and will use a trial to help us and others grow spiritually in areas like endurance, perseverance, character, and spiritual maturity. In other words, if there’s a pony is this “doo-doo” somewhere, God can help us find it.  

I’ve come to see that my joy depends on the indwelling of Jesus Christ in my life, not outward circumstances (John 15:9-11). I don’t rejoice because of my trials, but I do rejoice that God is always with me no matter what happens. During the good times and during the bad times, I rejoice in God.

*****

O God, You are my Savior, my Deliverer, my Shelter, my Comfort, my Rock, my High Tower! You alone are worthy of my praise. In good times and bad times, let me never forget Your love for me. When I am weak, I need Your strength. When I am sad, I need Your comfort. You have never disappointed me and I know You never will. Praise to You, O God most high!

A Journal of Joy: Things that make my heart smile…

By Barbara Dahlgren

It’s hard to believe that just a few months ago I had never heard of COVID-19. Not being good with acronyms, it took me aw hile to figure out that coronavirus disease and COVID-19 were the same thing. I’m a little slow when it comes to acronyms. I just knew it was bad, easily caught, and posed more of a danger than most of us would admit. Finally, I read a breakdown of the acronym that helped:

• CO: Corona

• VI: Virus

• D: Disease

• 19: The year the virus was discovered in China

Actually, coronavirus itself is not new. It’s been around in one form or another since the 1960s, but the pandemic strain we are currently experiencing can be traced back to 2019 in China. It is definitely a pandemic instead of an epidemic. Epidemics are regional but pandemics spread over continents.

Also it’s good to note that the name coronavirus has nothing to do with drinking beer. Corona is a Latin word meaning crown. When this virus is examined with an electron microscope, the little virions or virus particles give the appearance of a small crown.

Most of us know the main ways to keep our families and communities safe. In addition to coughing and sneezing into a tissue or your elbow, plus sanitizing everything you touch or even think about touching, I found this brief list from Consumer Reports quite helpful, balanced, and not obsessive.

• Follow federal and local guidance to slow the spread of the virus. Stay home as much as possible, and practice “social distancing” if you must go out.

• Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly—for at least 20 seconds each time. 

• Don’t hoard supplies, but be prepared for a potential quarantine. Check in on neighbors who might need a hand gathering essentials.

• Stay informed but be wary of rumors you hear or read on social media.

I’m sure we know the media is not necessarily our friend. We need to ask God to help us differentiate between news reports and political commentaries. If not, we will be in panic mode all the time.

During this time, some of us might be a little more isolated than usual. We can use the time for Bible study, reading, listening to positive podcasts, nature walks, gardening, household projects, etc. Stay as connected as you can to others via email, snail mail, face-to-face internet chats, and telephone calls. Extra prayers are needed—not just for loved ones but for leaders who have to make tough decisions affecting many lives, for those in the food industry keeping us supplied, for delivery people, for hospital staff, for those living from paycheck to paycheck, and so many others.

Always remember you serve an amazing God. Although church doors may be closed due to lockdowns, church attendance is way up due to the online livestreaming of church services. The world may focus on the negative, but we should focus on God. I’m reminded of the following story.  

The missionary Gladys Aylward led 100 orphaned children to safety over mountainous regions in war-torn China in the 1930s. During this ordeal, she was so exhausted she thought she couldn’t go on. One of the children reminded her of the story of Moses she had taught them. Gladys said, “Yes, but I am not Moses.”

The child replied, “Yes, but God is still God.”

Our lives might be in a constant state of flux, but God is still God! Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever! These thoughts bring me great joy in times of turmoil.

*****

Dear Omnipotent God, Creator of the universe, Giver of life, Protector of my soul, Provider of my needs…how wonderful to know that You are still God. You are the God of Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I’m so thankful that You are my God and I don’t have to worry. I can trust You in times of trouble because You are the same yesterday, today, and forever.

A Journal of Joy: Things that make my heart smile…

By Barbara Dahlgren

Neat and tidy! That’s how I like it! A place for everything and everything in its place! I like routine, order, organization. I like life to run smoothly and at an even keel. Don’t rock my boat. Don’t rattle my cage. Don’t shake my tambourine. Don’t upset my apple cart. Don’t rearrange my stuff. Don’t leave a mess in my pathway. And don’t keep me from marking off a number on my “to-do” list.

Unfortunately, a lot of people aren’t neat and tidy. Unfortunately, they can be in our families. Unfortunately, they can be our co-workers. Unfortunately, they can be our boss. Unfortunately, they are all around us. I once said that lack of organization is killing me – not my lack of organization, but the lack in those who surround me.

And it isn’t just people who aren’t neat and tidy. Life is not neat and tidy either. It’s messy. Life is just one inconvenience after another. Dealing with life’s troubles can be stressful, time consuming, and overwhelming. I know that God is with me whether my crisis is big or small, but for some reason that doesn’t always give me as much comfort as it should.

Here’s the truth. Life is unpredictable. Major tragedies and minor inconveniences will always abound. Disorganized people will always tend to disrupt my life. But more and more I’m realizing that Jesus is not as concerned about my routine, my boat, my cage, my tambourine, my apple cart, my stuff, or my feng shui as I am. He’s more concerned about what I do when unexpected things happen or disorganized people make my organized life chaotic. When I overreact or let things irritate and upset me to the point where I am angry or irrational, I am not reflecting God’s love. So I’m putting that on my “to-do” list of things I need to work on.

However, I won’t lie to you. I cannot contain my joy when I get home from a hard day and find my house neat and tidy!

*****

Lord, my “to-do” list of things I need to work on overfloweth. My loved ones think I’m borderline OCD, but You know I’m really just a highly organized person. Okay, maybe I’m overly organized. So I need Your help to keep things in perspective. Instead of obstacles to my peace of mind, let me see opportunities to show forth Your love.    

A Journal of Joy: Things that make my heart smile…

By Barbara Dahlgren

I can honestly say I like most genres of music. I enjoy opera, country, worship songs, western, pop, rock ‘n roll, rap, classical, musicals, jazz, the blues, old hymns, and most of whatever else is out there. I’m not saying I like every song in every genre, but I can usually find at least one or two I like.

Music can be powerful and beneficial. Kendra Cherry lists the ways in her December 2019 article for Verywell Mind entitled “How Listening to Music Can Have Psychological Benefits.”

• Music can relieve stress.
• Music can improve cognitive performance.
• Music can improve your mood.
• Music can improve your memory.
• Music can help manage pain.
• Music can help some sleep better.
• Music can improve motivation.
• Music can help alleviate depression.
• Music can increase endurance and performance.

Music can also help teach. When we sing something we remember the words. One of the first songs we teach children ends with, “Now I’ve sung my A-B-Cs, next time won’t you sing with me?” Stroke patients who have lost their speech can be taught to speak again by singing. Those who stutter have been helped through singing.

When my dad had Alzheimer’s he could not remember people’s names. However, he could listen to a CD of gospel songs and sing every one of them without missing a beat or lyric. There were times he couldn’t remember my name but we bonded by singing old hymns together. Then he would look at me, smile, and say, “You know what that song says is true. God is great!”      

God created music and it can be a powerful tool. The Psalms show us that music was used to praise and worship God, but music was used for other purposes in biblical times as well.

Music soothed the soul. When a bad spirit came upon Saul, David played his harp (1 Samuel 16:23). Saul was refreshed and the evil spirit departed.  

Music inspired. When Jehoshaphat was going into battle he appointed singers unto the Lord. As they went out before the army, they sang, “Praise the Lord; for his mercy endures forever” (2 Chronicles 20:21-22).

Music taught God’s Word. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).

Music released the power of God. Paul and Silas found this out when they were in jail. “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, and the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s shackles were loosed” (Acts 16:25-26).

Music etched the mighty power of God into memories. In Exodus 15:1, Moses sang a song of praise to God for deliverance from Pharaoh. “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord: I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously…” It’s quite long so I won’t quote all of it here. Some say this song of Moses is the oldest recorded song in the world.

Songs were used throughout biblical times to express joy, triumph, grief, relief, celebration, thanks, praise, and so on. Matthew 26:30 tells us that when the last supper had ended Jesus and the disciples sang a hymn before leaving. What a powerful image!

God created music and it is good, even if man tries to pollute it. God put something in me that loves music and I’m so grateful. When I unexpectedly hear one of favorite songs – and I have a lot of favorites – it fills me with joy.  

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O Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! How great thou art! Fill my heart and my mouth with songs of praise for You and Your greatness. When music floods my soul let me remember that You created music and it is good.