Monday 1 October 2012

Acts 16:16-40

"Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." 
{Ephesians 5:19-20} NIV 1984

What a beautiful instruction, from an apostle of our Lord, to the children of the most High God. We are to not only speak to each other in worship language, we are to speak out of the overflow of our hearts. It is one thing to say 'thank you Lord', or 'praise the Lord for everything that happens to me, because I am told to in the Bible.' That type of obedience has a blessing; it is trusting and obeying which is good for us. 

But how much better is it, if those words from our lips come out of hearts that are full of music to our gracious Lord? What is our situation this morning? What will our situation be tonight? As you look down the week ahead, the month ahead, the year ahead, how does that path look? Child of God, everything that is happening, good or bad, has been filtered through our Heavenly Father who loves us and who is actively working in our lives for our good! 

Paul has credibility in giving this instruction; stripped and beaten, and in a dark cell for obeying God and doing His will, Paul and Silas' lips began to move because of the attitude of their hearts. The music in their hearts spilled out onto their lips. 
O child loved by God, may there be a melody in our hearts this day. 

In my heart there rings a melody,
There rings a melody with heaven's harmony; 
In my heart there rings a melody, 
There rings a melody of love! 
{Elton Menno Roth, 1924}

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