MAKING MUSIC FROM SHARPS AND FLATS IN LIFE
Sermons Based on Selected Psalms
Psalms Sermon XII – Psalm 121
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 121 . . .
This is a psalm of the blessed assurance that we are not alone, no matter where we are on our life’s journey – and it does not matter whether we are awake or asleep. God is with us during our loneliest and most fearful moments.
In my daily prayers, I ask God to place His hedge of protection around each of us - wherever we go, as we go to and fro, wherever we are, whoever we are with, and whatever we are doing. I pray that our lives might be lived each day in accordance with His will - in the awareness that his presence surrounds those who trust Him for their security and well-being.
There is a sense of peace in my heart and mind - just believing that the God who can create an entire universe also knows and cares intimately about each of us. We are not alone. God promises to be beside us and to journey with us.
When the psalmist speaks of lifting his eyes to the hills, the image that comes to my mind is that of the Virginia Blue Ridge mountain range known as the Peaks of Otter – which to me is the most beautiful spot on earth.
When my wife and I lived in Roanoke Valley, we spent quite some time visiting that place where we reverenced God, refreshed our innermost being and relaxed our mind and body.
As you can tell, I love to go to the mountains and gaze upon their beauty – especially in autumn when the leaves turn; and the splashes of color are so beautiful that they render me speechless. Words cannot describe the drama of God’s beautiful world – regardless of the season of the year.
In the mountains, a sense of awe and wonder comes over me; there is a feeling of the peace that surpasses understanding; and yes, the majesty of the mountains gives me a sense of safety and security.
This psalm speaks volumes to me, if for no other reason, it reminds me of the places during my life’s journey where I have found peace of mind and rest for my soul.
As pilgrims in Old Testament times made their way from villages to the temple in Jerusalem, their journey was long and tiresome.
At times, they became anxious and fearful of what might be their fate around the next bend in the pathway; sometimes they feared for their safety as their journey took them alongside steep cliffs; at other times, they experienced anxious moments as they walked through the valleys of shadows, not knowing what dangers might lurk ahead of them.
Yet, the psalmist reminds us that, IF we belong to the Lord maker of heaven and earth, creator of mankind, if our trust is in him to be our guide, then it will be that, just as the pilgrim on a journey to Jerusalem lifted his eyes to the hills and wondered where his help comes from, we too shall lift our eyes and gaze upon the wonders of God’s world and answer our own question, as did the psalmist. We will be able to say, “My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.”
There are times in our own lives when the walls of our rooms give us a sense of protection, but they also can cause us to feel isolated and fearful. The pictures we hang on our walls provide us with a sense of peace; the memories associated with those pictures remind us that our lives have been filled with blessings. Thank God for memories!
So, the place where we live, as we continue our journey, can reassure us that we are not alone; we at least have our memories; but let us never forget that the God who is maker of heaven and earth is near and, in fact, always there when we need him. He wants us to call on him and to talk with him when we feel like the walls are closing in on us.
There is not one of us who is not faced each day with challenges that threaten our sense of peace and security; especially as we grow older, there are health issues and disabilities that confront us; so we ask how will we get through it and what might be the source of our help.
The psalmist says, “The Lord is your shade at your right hand.” You know, I suppose one of the greatest obstacles to our sense of well-being is our deep feeling of uselessness. This feeling is often associated with age; and, as Christians, perhaps we all need to appreciate the wisdom and maturity of age, the reward of a life filled with happy memories and so many blessings that we cannot remember them all.
Wisdom can only come with age and with a God who at every stage of life is with us, including our journey throughout the process of aging.
I must tell you that there are so many relationships and friendships that I appreciate now that I am old more than ever. There is so much I understand now that escaped me when I was so busy doing so much that I hardly had time to contemplate the mysteries of life and death.
To me, aging is a growing process through which I have learned to slow down and realize that rest is a good thing . . . that to pause and smell the roses is a pause that refreshes . . . that to ponder the skies above me and wonder how a God who put the stars in place, who gave us the sun by day and the moon by night, would know about little old me, much less care about me and mine.
Yet, I have learned in whatsoever state I find myself, therein to be content. You want to know why? Let me tell you, very simply: Despite all my pondering and wondering, I know that God is with me because there is no way I could experience the peace of God in my mind and in my heart if He were not present. You see, my God is real, and I can feel His presence in my soul.
The psalmist says, “The Lord shall keep you safe.” You see, this man who stayed in touch with God answered his own question about his concern for safety and security. We too can be sure that the God who chose to create us certainly will not abandon us.
Then the psalmist drives home the point that really should convince each one of his children that God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of distress: “The Lord shall keep watch over you!”
What a wonderful image he depicts here! Just think about it! The Lord, who dwells in the highest reaches of the universe, the Lord, who dwells in the lowliest of circumstances, is with us each step of our way!
If we choose to stay close to him . . . to abide in his presence . . . to continue in his Word . . . to communicate with him . . . call on him in times of trouble . . . place our hand in his as a little child places a little hand in the hand of his or her earthly father, the Lord God our heavenly Father will not let us stray from the right path.
We may momentarily stumble or stray, but he will be with us and not let us fall or lose our way. This infinitely caring God of ours is a God who never sleeps; he is always awake; he is eternally vigilant. Twenty-four hours a day, day after day, year after year, generation after generation, God our Father watches over us . . . cares for us . . . guides us on our way.
Thus, we can say and really mean it: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Selah.
