Google an image of "God Today" and you end up with a number of pics of George Strait. Hmmmm, some cosmic clue to God's likeness or an earthly appearance or inspirational nod to today's discussion about tune and instrumentation of the psalms? Nah, just Google acknowledging Strait's song: "I Saw God Today."
For the director of music. To the tune of, "The Death of the Son." A Psalm of David.I will praise You, O Lord, with all my heart;I will tell of all Your wonders.I will be glad and rejoice in You;I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
There are a number of psalms sung to particular tunes but the tunes aren't recorded. But I'm curious about them and I'm also curious when it designates that a psalm is for stringed or other instrumentation. It would be interesting to me to sing them to their original tune or with their proper accompaniment. To honor the intention of the writer. If God inspired the words, why not the tune and the instrumentation? God was instrumental, so to speak, in the selection of the choir members and musicians, wasn't He? Yes, the words are important. But are words the only thing here that is important? We seem so right brained in our pursuit of God. And isn't He lord and creator of both sides of our brain?
Why does the Bible record tunes and accompaniment? Isn't it as important as recording the dimensions of the ark? Why argue over prepositions and not care to sing the psalms with accompaniment? We are not consistent. We come to the scriptures with preconceived notions and traditions and teachings rather than with belief and faith and a confidence that God still speaks through His scripture and that what He told them thousands of years ago might not be as important as what He is telling us and you right now through those words. What do we believe about God and scripture? Does it speak to the individual? Does it speak to now? Is it possible that God has different things to say to different ages and individuals through the very same scriptures? I believe so.
This psalm of praise speaks about God's wonders and how we shouldn't be able to contain our thoughts about them. For me that means not only talking about the wonder of what God has done for me personally, day by day, and universally what He has done for all of us through His Son, but it also means praising the wonders of His creation. It's hard for me to take a walk with God on a path in the mountains and not say something about it. I rejoice in the wonders of God's world. But it's April and I have yet to take a hike in the Smokys this year and I miss it and I miss Him. Lord knows.
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