By Mike Harland
It seems like these days most people have a playlist. Think of it as the soundtrack for your life. Or, for you baseball fans, the “walk-up music.”
As you think about 2019, what comes to mind? What kind of changes do you see in store?
Music can have an amazing impact on how we view life. Our lives become so busy that we find it hard to find time to reflect on all the ways God is at work. Stress and pressure take our song.
So, what should we do? We could follow the example of Saul.
In I Samuel 16, we read the sad story of Saul and the departure of the Spirit of God from him. The prophet Samuel had anointed David as king, but Saul was still on the throne.
Saul’s sin and rebellion against God had brought on him the judgement and consequence of his choices, and the Spirit that rested on him had left. He was a miserable wreck.
Saul sent word that he wanted a gifted musician to play to help alleviate the torture of an evil spirit. They came back with David, widely known as an accomplished musician.
The story concludes, “Whenever the [evil] spirit from God came on Saul, David would pick up his lyre and play, and Saul would then be relieved, feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him” (I Samuel 16:23, CSB).
Granted, Saul was not in a right standing with God. And, the music, in and of itself couldn’t change the effects of his own rebellion. Saul had pushed God off the throne of his life and nothing could help—except repentance.
But the impact of the music on Saul’s countenance is worth noting.
When David played, Saul was refreshed. Perhaps the child of God can learn something from the evil king. Listening to great music that focuses on Jesus and His grace at work in our lives could help us focus on Him and move through the challenges of following Christ as a faithful disciple.
Consider these 19 songs as a great start to building a list of songs for your life “playlist” in 2019.
- Praise The Name (Anastasis)
- Amazing Love (My Lord, What Love Is This)
- All Is Well
- Who You Say I Am
- What A Beautiful Name
- The Blood of Jesus Speaks For Me
- How Deep The Father’s Love
- Revelation Song
- I Will Not Be Shaken
- How Far Love Goes
- Because He Lives (Amen)
- Blessed By Your Name
- Just As I Am
- He Knows My Name
- Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery
- He Leadeth Me
- Christ Is Able To Save
- These Are The Names Of God
- Nothing Shakes The Hope
There are many other songs worthy of such a list. As you find others, focus on songs that focus on Jesus, the way the Apostle Paul focuses on him in Colossians 1:15-20.
These verses are written in song form, like a lyric. If we had a peek at Paul’s playlist, I suspect we would find this passage:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities —
All things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things,
and by him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church;
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven,
by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. – Colossians 1:15-20 (CSB)
Mike Harland
Mike is the director of Lifeway Worship.
