“There is no accounting for taste when it comes to music. What is a golden oldie for me, may be a song that should have died years ago for you,” I told Ed last week. I had been listening to the Broadway musical show by Fats Waller, Ain’t Misbehavin. It showcased some songs from the 1920s and ‘30s. It was a walk in the past for me. Ed was sure there would be no songs that he had ever heard of in that musical.
I grew up listening to the radio instead of watching television, which meant I tended to absorb what I heard, especially in songs that were popular over the years. I told Ed there are others who could also quote many words of four of the songs I named from the musical:
“Ain’t misberhavin’ saving my love for you.”
“I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter."
"I can't give you anything but love."
“Be sure, it’s true when you say, I love you. It’s a sin to tell a lie.”
My old neighbour had heard of all four of those songs which proves these old songs were recorded again in following decades. In the church year, we often return to old hymns that reflect the birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension and the return of Christ. There is a joy in those old hymns that are familiar and comfortable to those in the pew. Music does give many folks gladness in church and in their lives.
No matter what hymn or song we sing we need to be sure that when we sing or say that we love God that it is true. It is a sin to tell a lie. How much do we love God? Is it as much as we love money or our own opinions? Like the Israelites who followed Moses toward the promised land, it is easy to harden our hearts and ignore the love of God shown towards us. Saying we love God may not be true. Sometimes we are more concerned with the music at church than with hearing and obeying God’s voice in His word read and preached there.
As the angel proclaimed from heaven, we are to, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come." God calls us to himself so that we would not spend our lives in love with money and never satisfied with our income. His word speaks the truth: "Naked, a man comes from his mother's womb, so as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labours that he can carry in his hand."
God sent Jesus to Earth to give us His love. Being love, God did not give us anything but love. Our Father saw how we dream and scheme to find happiness without him. Sadly, we will cross our fingers in hope rather than raise our hands up in prayer and trust to God. Jesus was and is God’s living love letter among us. His loving obedience to his Father was so it could cover our own lack of love and obedience to God. Jesus Christ as our loving Saviour and Lord is music to our ears.
