The Accompaniment of Your Life

Have you ever stopped to think about the music of your life? When I was a kid I used to imagine that I was the star—often with a co-star (a friend or cousin)—in a movie. In my head—and sometimes out of my mouth, in impromptu words—a “theme song” would play. Usually it was something to do with the primary action (like the time I was Evel Knievel on my bike—don’t worry, no truly dangerous stunts were attempted) or the hero of the story. The “music” reflected the spirit and momentum of the tale.

But what about real life? Our lives, if we look closely, have themes. The “song” may change with the seasons we experience, but there are definite stand-out themes—a playlist, if you will. And you are the star of this production.

In God’s Word, there are hundreds of references to music—everything from types of instruments (the earliest of which were invented by a man named Jubal) to worship that chronicled pivotal historical events to celebration before the Lord with song and/or dance. Music is powerful—and obviously very important to the Lord. And I believe God always meant for it to coincide with our history.

If we look at just a few Biblical examples, we can see its prominence. Oh, to have been there to hear and to see!  

In Exodus 15, Moses and the children of Israel sang to the Lord as they crossed the Red Sea. Verses 2-4: ‘The Lord is my strength and my defence; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea.” Wow!

In Judges 5, Deborah (who was a prophetic judge) and Barak sang a song in celebration of their victory against Sisera, by the Lord’s design. In it were mentioned the valor of those who came to fight and the  disappointment that some who had opportunity to join forces on God’s side chose not to. Read what was sung of His terrible greatness in verses 4 and 5: “‘When you, Lord, went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water. The mountains quaked before the Lord, the One of Sinai, before the Lord, the God of Israel.”

I Chronicles 15:28 gives us a glimpse of the celebratory atmosphere when the ark of God was brought up from the house of Obed-Edom to the place David had prepared for it: “So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouts, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps.”

At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, musicians were brought from all over the region “to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres” (Nehemiah 12: 27b).

These examples show times of great joy, victory—celebration of victory and of God’s name being raised up. In these times, He was truly exalted.

But much of the Bible’s music also reflects sorrow. David wrote some songs out of deep sadness and turmoil. But…even these songs always gave glory to God and proclaimed His goodness, mercy, faithfulness—and His ability to ultimately prevail in any circumstance, even within David’s own soul. Psalm 51:7-12: “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

Where do these songs come from? What is their inspiration? Their source? I would venture to say that they are birthed by the Holy Spirit. And they are a testament to God’s work in our lives. The common thread is God’s majesty—His power, splendor, goodness, and care for all of His creation. And it isn’t something that ends here—the gift of music is eternal—in Revelation 5, the four creatures in heaven were seen bowing before the Lamb, each with a harp, and singing: “‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign^[b] on the earth.’” In Revelation 15, those who had been victorious over the beast sang, “Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.’^[b]” (verse 4).

Even in our times of deepest sorrow, we must remember that God himself is our Protector and the one who works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28), that “…you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head” (Psalm 3:3, ESV).

I look at it this way. Sometimes the music of our lives is upbeat and triumphant. Sometimes it is somber, as we endure a trial or mourn a loss. But always, if our hearts are committed to Him, the music will point to God as the one who is sovereign, the one who is worthy of all praise. I remember when the most fitting song for my family’s life was “Blessed be Your Name,” by Matt Redman, the gist of which is found in the verse, “You give and take away. You give and take away. My heart will choose to say, “Lord, blessed be Your name.”” My mom had been hospitalized for some recurring health issues, my father-in-law had passed away suddenly, and my husband had lost his job (also suddenly)—preventing us from buying a house, a move for which we had boxes already packed. We had a choice—to either praise God or allow our “song” to be written by our circumstances. We chose to praise Him. And through it, He brought great blessing.

What will the accompaniment of your life be? If you submit your way to the Lord, then He is the one really writing the song—and we get to accompany Him as we cooperate with His purposes. “In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death” (Proverbs 14:26-27, ESV).

Truly, the abundant life cannot be lived without seeking first “his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). He knows what we need, He knows the journey, and He knows the most beautiful music to create as the curtain is raised on each scene.

Your stardom comes through humility—through honoring God and knowing deep within that He is the greatest—“ You are the Lord, the famous one, famous one. Great is your name in all the earth. The heavens declare, “You're glorious, glorious.” Great is your fame beyond the earth” (from “The Famous One,” by Chris Tomlin). Will you co-author with Him the accompaniment of your life? A diamond album in the musical library of eternity.