Morning Moments

Ephesians 5:17-21 (HCSB)
17 So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
18 And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled by the Spirit:
19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music from your heart to the Lord,
20 giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
21 submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.

I have always loved this passage of Scripture because this is the TRUE indication of being filled with the Spirit. Regardless of where one is, what one is is the key and as believers we are either filled with the Spirit or filled with the flesh. How we speak, sing, give thanks, and submit are indicators of our yieldings to the Spirit of God.

Permit me to quote from Samuel Logan Brengle's writing in The Guest of the Soul:

“The world owes an immeasurable debt to Christianity for its treasures of music and song. Jesus sang (Matt 26:30). Oh, to have heard Him! And in his Letters, especially, to the Ephesians and Colossi ans, Paul exhorts the Christians to speak to themselves, “teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace inn your hearts to the Lord,” and making melody in your hearts to the Lord” (Col 3:16; Eph 5:19). They were to sing to be heard not of men only, but of the Lord Himself.”

The great old Negro Spirituals are good examples of how one can sing in the deepest of agony of soul. Just think on the words, “Nobody knows the trouble I've seen; Nobody knows but Jesus.” In the name of Political Correctness, we have sacrificed some of the most encouraging expressions of songs of the soul. In the darkness of nights of fear and agony the soul cried, “Just a little talk with Jesus makes it right.”

NO ONE should ever attempt to justify any mistreatment of one human being by another, but in the darkness of depraved behavior the child of God can find a soul song because of Jesus. Don't you think we need some soul songs today? We chide and complain, moan and grumble, when we ought to be singing as never before.

If I remember correctly, one writer said, “When the night gets dreary and my soul is weary, I know my Jesus cares.” That is something to sing about.

So let us speak and sing and submit to the Lord we confess, and “in everything give thanks; for this is the WILL OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS!

BLESSINGS!