Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

MAY 17
SUNDAY


WAKE-UP
MUSIC

READ:
Deut. 31:16-22
____________________________________________

Let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly in
all wisdom; teaching
and admonishing one
another in psalms and
hymns and spiritual
songs. __Col. 3:16
_____________________________________________

In a suburb of Nairobi, Kenya, a group of international refugees has been singing songs that they hope will wake up their homeland. According to the BBC, the group Waayah Cusub has been enjoying extensive airplay on radio stations and television channels by using bold lyrics to address social issues. One of the musicians says, "We are not happy with what is happening back home; in fact we have recorded a thought-provoking song that we hope will bring our leaders back to their senses."

Long before Waayah Cusub began using songs to call for an end to social pain and violence, God taught Moses to use music in a bold and provocative way. Knowing that His people's sinful inclinations would distract them when they began to enjoy the prosperity of the Promised Land (Deut. 31:21), God told Moses to teach them the song of chapter 32. It is a shocking song warning, designed to get the attention of those who would forget God and fill their lives with trouble.

Could our wise and loving God be repeating that strategy with us? Is there a psalm, a hymn, or a spiritual song that is calling us back to His faithfulness and amazing grace? What song might He be using to get under the radar of our natural defenses and renew our hearts today? __Mart De Haan
_____________________________________________________________

``````````````````Come, Thou fount of every blessing;`````````````
```````````````````Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;``````````````
```````````````````Streams of mercy, never ceasing,``````````````
```````````````Call for songs of loudest praise. __Robinson`````````
_____________________________________________________________

Where words fail, music speaks.
__Hans Christian Andersen

***********Today's Bible Reading __ Deuteronomy 31:16-22********

And the LORD said to
Moses: "Behold, you will
rest with your fathers; and
this people will rise and play
the harlot with the gods of
the foreigners of the land,
where they go to be among
them, and they will forsake
Me and break My covenant
which I have made with
them. 17 Then My anger shall
be aroused against them in
that day, and i will forsake
them, and I will hide My
face from them, and they
shall be devoured. And many
evils and troubles shall befall
them, so that they will say in
that day, 'Have not these
evils come upon us because
our God is not among us?'

18 And I will surely hide My
face in that day because of
all the evil which they have
done, in that they have
turned to other gods.

19 "Now therefore, write
down this song for
yourselves, and teach it to
the children of Israel; put it
in their mouths, that this
song may be a witness for
Me against the children of
Israel. 20 When I have
brought them to the land
flowing with milk and
honey, of which I swore to
their fathers, and they have
eaten and filled themselves
and grown fat, then they will
turn to other gods and serve
them; and they will provoke
Me and bread My covenant.

21 Then it shall be, when
many evils and troubles have
come upon them, that this
song will testify against
them as a witness; for it will
not be forgotten in the
mouths of their descendants,
for I know the inclination of
their behavior today, even
before I have brought them
to the land of which I swore
to give them."

22 Therefore Moses wrote
this song the same day, and
taught it to the children of
Israel.