MAKING MUSIC FROM SHARPS AND FLATS IN LIFE
Sermons Based on Selected Psalms
Psalms Sermon XVI – Psalm 146
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 146 . . .
For as long as I live, there is one thing I can do and must do. There are many things I used to do but no longer can do. There are many things I would like to do but no longer can do. The same is true for many of you.
Some of us have been slowed down by the aging process; others of us must rely on someone else to take care of us; still others of us have had our lives disrupted by disease and disability to the extent that we no longer care.
Yet, during trying circumstances, a few of us have learned in whatsoever state of body or mind we find ourselves therein to be content.
As much as we would like for things to be different we know that circumstances are not going to change for the better, so we adapt and learn to cope as best we can.
Such was the situation the psalmist found himself in during much of the time that he devoted himself to writing the psalms and putting the words to music.
Here was a man who had experienced the height of luxury but also the depth of despair . . . had lived on the mountain top but also in the valley . . . had known the joy of victory but also the agony of defeat. . . had sat on the throne of a kingdom but also wallowed in the pit of sorrow . . . had won the heart of God but also lost several battles with temptation . . . had pledged his allegiance to God but also pled with God to forgive him.
This man David has given to us 150 psalms that speak to us today of the ups and downs, the victories and defeats, the blessings and the trials, the thrills and the temptations, the joys and the sorrows, the successes and the failures, the good days and the bad days, the strengths and the weaknesses that have been and continue to be the way life has gone for each one of us.
The challenge presented to us by the psalms is that despite the mixture of good and bad in our lives, it is so important for our well-being that we make the most of every opportunity we have to do the one thing that we all can do – and that is, we can and must praise God from whom all blessings flow.
I have called this series of sixteen devotional messages from the psalms “Making Music from the Sharps and Flats in Life” because that is what David did, and that is what the psalms challenge us to do.
“Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise Him all creatures here below; praise Him above ye heavenly hosts; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.”
The last five of David’s psalms are devoted to the worthiness of God to be praised. He begins this final series by shouting the word “Hallelujah!” Then he calls on individuals to praise God --- Psalm 146:1-2 . . .
He concludes this final series of five psalms by shouting the same word “Hallelujah” as he calls on everything that has breath to praise the Lord --- Psalm 150:6 . . .
In between the two “hallelujahs” David extols all of the attributes of God along with all the things He has done – and continues to do – for which His people praise Him:
He is the maker of heaven and earth. Praise God!
He upholds the cause of the oppressed. Praise God!
He sets prisoners to sin free. Praise God!
He gives spiritual sight to the blind. Praise God!
He lifts up the fallen. Praise God!
He loves the righteous. Praise God!
He watches over those who trust Him. Praise God!
He frustrates the ways of the wicked. Praise God!
He reigns forever. Praise God!
He heals the broken hearted. Praise God!
He determines the number of the stars. Praise God!
His understanding has no limit. Praise God!
He sustains the humble. Praise God!
He covers the sky with clouds. Praise God!
He sends the earth rain and makes grass grow. Praise God!
He provides food for the cattle. Praise God!
He gives peace to those who trust Him. Praise God!
He spreads the snow like wool. Praise God!
He melts the snow and the ice. Praise God!
He stirs up breezes and the waters flow. Praise God!
He reveals His word to His people. Praise God!
He keeps His people close to his heart. Praise God!
He redeems His people. Praise God!
Once David got on a roll with his litany of praise, it seemed that there was no stopping point. Five times he tried to bring his list of reasons for praising God to a close, but it was like his cup just kept running over as his thoughts of God’s greatness and goodness flowed like a river from his mind.
I suppose you could call this litany of praise David’s Niagara Falls of Praise. His thoughts spilled out like tons of water that gush forth from the Niagara River over the edge of the precipice into the depths below.
God’s goodness and His mercy has been poured out upon us all our lives to such an extent that we really cannot take it all in at one time. That is why it is our privilege and our prerogative to make praising God a daily part of our routine, so that we can say as did the psalmist: “I will praise the Lord all my life; I will give praise to my God as long as I live.”
It is one thing to say, “I will praise the Lord all my life” but it is quite another thing to do it. The truth of the matter is that there can be and will be no praising God until and unless there is TRUST in God.
In the 146th psalm, David makes this very point: “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, their help is no longer available to you. Instead, you depend on getting help from the Lord God maker of heaven and earth and creator of mankind.”
Yes, of course, we have no choice but to depend on others around us for help with our routines of daily living – especially as we get older and no longer enjoy the good health and energy we once had – and we ought to be appreciative of those who help us; and we should tell them so.
But when it comes to our peace of mind and heart and soul that were created by the Lord God – that part of us that lives within us and lives on after we have departed this life – that innermost self of ours that stays with us no matter where we are – whether alone in our rooms or mixing and mingling with our fellow pilgrims – we must place our trust in Him to watch over us, to guide us, to keep us, and to be with us throughout out journey.
David says that the Lord our God is delighted when those of us who trust Him for our salvation and spiritual peace, praise Him continually.
This is not to say that we praise God with every breath that we take, but it is to say, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”
How do we do this? How do we praise the Lord? Well, obviously, if everything that has breath is called upon to praise the Lord, it would have to be that, first and foremost, we praise the Lord with “lips of praise” by either saying or singing our praise - words of adoration and words of appreciation – in other words, verbal expressions of “thanks giving.”
Let us not overlook the fact, though, that we also praise the Lord with “lives of praise” by what we do – our deeds of kindness and service that honor God; in this way, we show Him that we appreciate His goodness and mercy toward us by treating others in the same way; in other words, what you might call “thanks living.”
For as long as I live, I will praise the Lord! What about you? Selah!
