MAKING MUSIC FROM SHARPS AND FLATS IN LIFE
Sermons Based on Selected Psalms
Psalms Sermon VIII – Psalm 39:1-7
David the shepherd lad who became King of Israel was a music maker. He played a harp – the most popular instrument in Old Testament times. The Book of Psalms is a collection of his compositions inspired by both his life experiences and his majestic moments with the Lord God.
As a sheep herder, the boy David became fascinated with the wonders of the out of doors even as he became familiar with the uniqueness of sheep.
As the one chosen by Samuel to be crowned the next king of Israel, David had no choice but to sharpen his defensive battle skills when Saul threatened his life; he had demonstrated his skills as a shepherd lad when he defended his sheep from the attack of wolves, and when he defended his family by killing their enemy Goliath with one stone fired by his slingshot.
David’s favor with God and the people worsened King Saul’s insanity, making him so blindly jealous that he made David the target of a relentless campaign to destroy the king-to-be.
David won the battle; but, more importantly, he won the hearts of the people because he had won the heart of the Lord God who had chosen him.
As king, David ruled righteously in accordance with God’s will; Israel enjoyed the golden years of their history during David’s reign.
Yet, as a man, David sinned; however, as a sinner, he was aware of his need for God’s forgiveness; as a forgiven child of God, he courageously accepted God’s punishment; as one who suffered the consequence of sinning against God, he also accepted the challenge of rebuilding his life for God.
As a Psalmist, David’s innermost thoughts - expressed in the verses of his poetry - have become the greatest collection of spiritual nuggets the world has ever known.
From a lifetime of positive and negative experiences, David has become our hero for making music out of the sharps and flats in life.
Any musician knows that it takes both to make good music. It takes the positives (the sharps) and the negatives (the flats). Arrange them in such a way that they blend into chords, orchestrate the chords into a harmonious melody, and what you get is a work of art that is pleasing to the ear.
Life is like that. The isolated sound of a sharp or the lonesome sound of a flat does nothing for the spirit. Get it all together in conformity with THE Great Composer’s divine plan for our lives, and what you have is harmonious living that is pleasing not only to God but to others as well.
These devotional messages, based on the Book of Psalms, are intended to draw from David’s orchestration of the sharps and flats in his life to help us make music from the sharps and flats in our own lives. Selah.
Psalm 39:1-7 . . .
The sea was beating against the rocks in huge, dashing waves. The lightning was flashing, the thunder was roaring, the wind was blowing; but the little bird was asleep in the crevice of the rock, its head serenely under its wing, sound asleep.
That is a picture of peace – to be able to sleep during the storms of life. In Christ, we are at peace during the confusion, bewilderments, and perplexities of life. The storm rages, but our hearts are at rest. Yes, in Christ, we have found peace – at last!
“But now, Lord, what do I look for?” Focus briefly on those two little words, “but now.” Sort of like saying, as you and I might be prone to say, “Now what?” Now that we have surveyed our situation, we given thought to the uncertainties of everyday life, what is left for me to consider?
The Psalmist – as he so often did - painted a word picture of the negativity in his life; but he never put a period at the end of the negativity; for, the negative aspect of life was not the end of his story; without hesitation, the psalmist invariably went on to make a positive declaration concerning the LORD.
Now, there are folks who, like the psalmist, constantly paint a negative word picture of their trials and tribulations; but, unlike the psalmist, too many of them put a period (if not an exclamation point) at the end of the negative - as if to say:
“That’s all there is about me; my life is like one great big wad of chewing tobacco - or, some might say, one huge jaw full of snuff; all it’s good for is to juice it up and spit it out.” And, you know what? Some of those negative folks don’t have a very good aim when they spit it out!
Recall what the psalmist had been talking about prior to his making a transition from the negative to the positive.
To begin with, he had started his “diatribe” by claiming that he was going to quit complaining. “I’ll keep quiet, especially when the ungodly are around me.” There are times, of course, when it’s best to simply keep your mouth shut; you know, like “they” used to say, “Silence is golden.” But I must tell you that I have learned in my lifetime that there are times when “silence may be yellow.”
When faced with the threat of violence toward you or someone you love, when you find yourself up against an enemy that might do you harm, when backed into a corner, when warned of an occurrence of abuse or neglect of a minor or, in many cases, the abuse or neglect of a defenseless elderly person, and on and on we could go reciting instances of unjust conduct and behavior, THOSE are the times when we must speak up.
Otherwise, we find ourselves with bad feelings like those described by David: “But as I stood there silently, the turmoil within me grew to the boiling point. The more I pondered, the hotter the fires inside me.” David felt very uncomfortable about the situation he found himself in.
Okay, David, what are you going to do? Are you going to remain tongue-tied? Are you going to “pass by on the other side” as did the priest and the Levite when they saw a “poor soul in the ditch?” Or, are you going to be like the “Samaritan” – a very different kind of person - skin color, nationality and culture; yet this foreigner, hated by the self-righteous folks, saw the victim in the ditch, and had compassion on him.
David wrestled within himself as to whether to speak his mind; finally, he did speak up: “Then at last I spoke, and pled with God: Lord, help me to realize how brief my time on earth is. Help me to know that I am here for but a moment more. My life is no longer than my hand! My whole lifetime is but a fleeting moment to you. Proud man!
Frail as breath! Just a shadow! And all my busy rushing to and fro gains nothing of lasting value; so I and others like me heap up riches for someone else to spend.”
Here we see what really troubled David. He had spent so much of his life pursuing fame and fortune – and he had been very good at it – yet he ponders the meaning of all he had achieved for himself - considering the brevity of life, and considering the vanity of being so self-centered.
When we boil life down to its lowest common denominator, what do we come up with? WE come up with ZERO! Remember that old saying - “You can’t take it with you.” You take zero material things with you.
Heard a preacher one time ask a very soul-searching question that is so pertinent concerning this idea of accumulating material wealth. He asked, “Have you ever seen a hearse pulling a U-haul trailer?” Well, have you?
My brother-in-law died last year. He was the kind of person who did not desire much of this world’s material wealth; his enjoyment was making other folks happy by making music; he also spent a lot of time making friends as a “ham” radio operator; he never spent much money on himself; he believed in saving for a rainy day; he stashed cash in pockets of clothing in his closet; he saved his money so that when his time came, my sister would have her material needs met; and, he never threw anything away!
Guess who is going through all his “stuff” today to sort it out and either sell it or give it away. Me. I have never seen so much “stuff” in all my life crammed into four rooms and two closets. Is there anyone here who can use today one of the first telephones used in Atlanta sixty years ago - or a Boy Scout manual dating back to the 1930s - or one of the first cookbooks ever printed in the South? Never threw anything away!
If there were such a thing as a direct line to heaven, I would call him up and ask him one question: “Why in heaven’s name did you keep all this stuff that nobody can use and nobody wants?” I can’t even give it away!
But it reminded me that I need to start going through my stuff to sort it out and get rid of it – before my time comes! I do not want my children to have to go through all the stuff that I have accumulated through the years.
When the psalmist finished his “diatribe” about the futility of all that he had amassed for himself, he came to the realization that he could not take the stuff with him; he realized that there are far more important issues in life than the “things” that constitute this world’s view of fame and fortune; none of his fame, nor his fortune, could give him THAT which he needed most!
And what did he need most? Let him tell you: “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My HOPE is in YOU.” Not in riches, nor fame, nor fortune – in YOU, O Lord, my God!
More than anything else, David needed hope. So, do you, and so do I. We need to keep hope alive! We need hope to carry on. We no longer need the “things” of this world to make us happy, or to give us hope – for, in the possession of things, there is no real happiness; in things, there is no hope.
Our hope is in the Lord who loves us and cares for us; our Hope is in Christ Jesus who died for us: our Hope is in Him who promised to come again and receive us unto Himself that where He is there we also may dwell. He is our Rock; He is our refuge. He is our salvation; He is our Hope!
The little bird found peace in the crevice of the rocks along the shore. Our peace is found in the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Rock of our salvation. Selah.
