The Special of the Day... From the Orange Moon Cafe...
"With My Song"
My granddaughter Emma, 13, recently gave me an old hymnal - published in 1907 - she found in an antique store. "Granddaddy would like this" she thought when finding the book, and she was right. I read one hymn each day (or sing it if familiar with the day's selection), and find that Emma chose a hymnal that faithfully reflects devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ and the Scriptures.
"I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also" (I Corinthians 14:15).
Singing to and of the Lord involves both the devotion of the heart and the dedication of the mind. Beautiful melodies and harmonies are wonderful gifts of God. However, we must also sing His truth in order to be genuinely blessed by hymnody, and more importantly, to bless the heart of God as we lift our voices to Him. This correlates with the worship "in spirit and in truth" referenced by the Lord Jesus in His discourse to the woman at the well (John 4:23-24). Thankfully, countless hymns written and sung through the ages meet the test of authenticity in both ways. This provides illumination and encouragement for believers, and again, brings pleasure to our Heavenly Father as we sing with our hearts and minds, as well as our voices.
Emma's gift will always be special to me because Emma is so very special to me. God blessed my heart through her generosity and the fact she thought of me when finding the hymnal. However, her wise choice also greatly blesses me as our Lord's truth shines through the hymns of the tattered, old volume. Thank you, Emma! And thank You, Heavenly Father, for a gift made special by the one who gave it to me, and by its faithful representation of the Giver of "every good gift, and every perfect gift" (James 1:17).
Oh, one more thing. When purchasing the hymnal, Emma did not notice an inscription that indicated the book was originally owned by someone in Decatur, Alabama. As the Psalmist said of Zion, "This man was born there" (Psalm 87:4). Yes, Decatur, Alabama served as my birthplace, and as the home of the hymnal's original owner. So, let me suggest that if you ever need someone to obtain a hymnal for you, Emma Grace Davis is your young lady for the job!
"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise Him."
(Psalm 28:7)
Weekly Memory Verse
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise Him.
(Psalm 28:7)
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