What Is Your Music Married To?
Happy December everybody!
I have a lot of things on my heart to share with you this month, but the Lord surprised me by a two-way journaling recently. I feel like this is what He wants me to say to you. So I'm going to read a little bit to you, what I heard and then I'm going to share some bible verses.
Here's what I heard: both integrity and music can co-exist. They don't have to be paired as music and self or music and promotion or music and mess. It can be music and miracles and many other beautiful things. I heard the Lord say to me that music always pairs with something - that we should view it like a spouse. Music is relational - it's a connected. It's never single.
And then I heard Him ask me this question: what is your music married to? I answered…it's not just melody and lyric. It carries something else with it. It comes as a pair. I asked the Lord to show me some examples in scripture and here's what I found…
Psalm 71:23 says, “My lips will shout forJOY when I sing praise to you, I whom you have delivered.”
I hear lots of different things in there, but JOY really stands out to me - meaning that “joy” is married to the song.
Psalm 105:2 says, “Sing to him, sing PRAISE to him, tell of all his wonderful acts.”
In that, I see PRAISE being paired with song.
Psalm 101:1 says, “I will sing of your LOVE and JUSTICE to you. Lord, I will sing praise.”
There, it’s super clear - LOVE and JUSTICE. Those two are paired with music.
Colossians 3:16 says, “As you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns and songs from the spirit, singing to God with GRATITUDE in your hearts.”
This says gratitude to me - singing with GRATITUDE. You can tell immediately what the song is married to - it's gratitude, the spirit of gratitude.
I also saw some sad things that I heard the songs being paired with…
Psalm 69:12 says, “Those who sit in the gate talk about me. And I am the song of the drunkards.”
That sounded like GOSSIP to me being paired with the song.
Job 30:31 says, “Therefore, my heart is turned to MOURNING and my flute to the sound of those who weep.”
That sounded like the song was with the MOURNING or sorrow, to me.
I want to ask you now the same question that I felt the Lord was asking me. What is your music married to?
And then, once you answer that question, I want you to think about marriage, the way that the Bible talks about marriage…as a covenant.
One of my favorite verses, Romans 11:29, says, “the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.”
I want you to remember this season and even as you're headed into next year. Your gift and calling has not been removed in any way.
I know in any marriage there are ups and downs and that's a normal, right? We may experience the seven-year itch. We may experience battles and challenges, but that doesn't mean our marriage is unhealthy necessarily. In the same way, if you’re experiencing a challenging season with your music, be reminded that it doesn’t necessarily mean that what you're carrying isn't healthy and good and right.
I want to encourage you that the Lord will not revoke your gift this season. And remember to be faithful to what He has given you and to what He has called you to.
Merry Christmas, everyone!