MOOD MUSIC

 

MOOD MUSIC

         What is your favorite kind of music?  Rock and roll, classical, jazz, country, head-banging music? Have you ever noticed that your music either reflects your mood or changes your mood? If you are excited, you want fast, happy, exciting music. If you need peace and quiet, you prefer softer music. If your heart is breaking, you may want to listen to country music (like Achy Breaky Heart).

         Do you include Christian music as one of your choices? I did not grow up listening to Christian music on the radio. I was willing to sing it at church or with the family around the piano, but I just couldn't seem to get into it when I heard it on the radio. I'm a product of the '60's, so I preferred rock and roll. Rock and roll is fast paced and worldly, which reflected my former life.  It's not that I was a bad person. I was a regular church goer, but I didn't give God much thought outside of the church. I was uninterested in developing a relationship with my heavenly Father. When I did turn my life over to God and began to listen to a Christian radio station, I found the music was foreign to me. I was still drawn to rock and roll. But the more I listened to Christian music, the more I came to appreciate it. 

I began to concentrate on the words. They really spoke to me. Then I noticed the music was catchy, too. I had "grown" to like it. Following is what the Bible has to say about music:

Judges 5:3 - "Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I will sing to the LORD, I will sing; I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel."

I Chr. 15:16 - "David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to sing joyful songs, accompanied by musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals."

I Chr. 16:9 - "Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts."

I Chr. 16:23 - "Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day."

I Chr. 16:32-33 - "Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!  Then the trees of the forest will sing, they will sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth."

II Chr. 20:20-21 - "After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever."  As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated."

Ezek. 33:32 - Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.

Neh. 12:27-28a - "At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres.  The singers also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem..."

Ps. 5:11 - "But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you."

Ps. 9:2 - "I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High."

Ps. 13:6 - "I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me."

Ps. 21:13 - "Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might."

Ps. 30:4 - "Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name."

Ps. 32:11-33:3 - "Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Ps. 33:1-3  Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.  Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.  Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.

Ps. 33:2-3 - "Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.  Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy."

Ps. 47:6-7 - "Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.  For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.

Ps. 51:14 - "Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness."

Ps. 57:7-9 - "My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.  Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.  I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.

Ps. 59:16=17 - "But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.  O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God."

Ps. 63:7 - "Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings."

Ps. 65:13-66:1 - The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.  For the director of music. A song. A psalm. Shout with joy to God, all the earth!  Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!  Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.  All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name."

Ps. 67:1 - "For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song. May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us..."

Ps. 67:4 - "May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth."

Ps. 68:4 - "Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds -- his name is the LORD-- and rejoice before him."

Ps. 71:22-23 - "I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.  My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you-- I, whom you have redeemed.

Ps. 81:2 - "Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre."

Ps. 92:1-4 - "A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day. It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp."  For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands.

Ps. 95:1-2 - "Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song."

Ps. 96:1-2 - "Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.  Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.

Ps. 96:12-13 - "let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; they will sing before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth.

Ps. 98:1 - "A psalm. Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

Ps. 98:4-9 - "Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn-- shout for joy before the LORD, the King.  Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.  Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth.

Ps. 98:8-9 - "Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

Ps. 101:1 - "Of David. A psalm. I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will sing praise.

Ps. 104:33 - "I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live."

Ps. 105:2 - "Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts."

Ps. 108:1-3 - "A song. A psalm of David. My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul.  Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.  I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples."

Ps. 119:172 - "May my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous."

Ps. 135:3 - "Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.

Ps. 138:4-5 - "May all the kings of the earth praise you, O LORD, when they hear the words of your mouth.  May they sing of the ways of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD is great.

Ps. 144:9 - "I will sing a new song to you, O God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you..."

Ps. 145:7 - "They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness."

Ps. 146:2 - "I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live."

Ps. 147:1 - "Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!"

Ps. 147:7 - "Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp."

Ps. 149:1 - "Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints."

Ps. 149:3 - "Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp."

Ps. 149:5 - "Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds."

Ps. 150:1-6 - "Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.  Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.  Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.  Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD."

Prov. 29:6 - "An evil man is snared by his own sin, but a righteous one can sing and be glad."

Isa. 12:5-6 - "Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.  Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you."

Isa. 38:18-20 - "For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.  The living, the living--they praise you, as I am doing today; fathers tell their children about your faithfulness.  The LORD will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the temple of the LORD.

Isa. 42:10 - "Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them."

Isa 44:23 - "Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, O earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel."

Jer. 20:13 - "Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked."

Lam. 5:14-15 - "The elders are gone from the city gate; the young men have stopped their music.  Joy is gone from our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning.

Ezel 26:13 - "13  I will put an end to your noisy songs, and the music of your harps will be heard no more.

Amos 5:23 - "Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps."

Lk 15:25 - ""Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing."

Rom. 15:9-11 - "so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name."  Again, it says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people."  And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples."

Eph. 5:19 - "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord..."

Col. 3:16 - "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

James 5:13 - "Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise."

Becky Wall