The Power of Music

 

THE POWER OF MUSIC

This picture of my sister Ava and I was taken years ago in a cathedral in Palermo, Sicily.  We often sang duets together in our church.  No one else was around, so we decided to break into song just for the fun of it.  After all, music is a universal language -- and we don't speak Italian.

There’s a song our choir used to sing that begins with these words, “All praise, King Jesus; all praise Emmanuel.  King of kings, Lord of lords, Bright Morning Star…”  I can’t remember the rest of the words, nor the name of the song, but I just love the wonder and awesome praise contained in those beginning words.  It’s the song of my heart!

 In a song, the sound of the music and the power of the lyrics can work together to create something that touches the soul more deeply than mere words can do.  Here are some interesting quotes describing the power of music:

 --“Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends,” Alphonse de Lamartine

--“Joy, sorrow, tears, lamentations, laughter – to all these music gives voice,” Albert Schweitzer

--“Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast; to soften rocks, or bend the knotted oak,” by William Congreve in 1697.  Interestingly, this idea was taken from a poem written way back around 65AD by a Roman poet Lucan, who wrote, “Whose charming voice and matchless musick mov'd / The savage beasts, the stones, and senseless trees.”

 I agree with each of these well-spoken quotes.  Music wrings at the heart and can express a truth in a poetic way that – as the poet said – can “soften rocks or bend the knotted oak.”  Below, I’ve chosen some stanzas from songs that have recently spoken to my heart.  Some present powerful Bible stories in a few words, while others describe cries of the heart with poignancy.  You can listen to these songs on YouTube.  Be blessed by their messages!

      Gardens to Graves, by Elevation Worship

You turn mourning to dancing  /  You give beauty for ashes
You turn shame into glory  /   You're the only one who can
 You turn graves into garden  /  You turn bones into armies
You turn seas into highways  /  You're the only one who can   

       God Who Listens, by Chris Tomlin

The God who made the winters and the summers
The One who put the stars all in their place
The only One who stands above all others 

He knows me by name

The angels hide their faces in His presence
The demons run for cover when You speak
You rule the world and reign above the heavens
And still draw close to me

I'm not just hopin', I'm not just wishin'
I know I'm prayin' to a God who listens
I know He hears me, I know He's livin'
Yes, I am prayin' to a God who listens

      Another in the Fire, by Hillsong

There was another in the fire  /  Standing next to me
There was another in the waters  /  Holding back the seas
And should I ever need reminding  /  Of how I've been set free
There is a cross that bears the burden  /   Where another died for me

I can see the light in the darkness  /   As the darkness bows to Him
I can hear the roar in the heavens  /  As the space between wears thin
I can feel the ground shake beneath us  /  As the prison walls cave in
Nothing stands between us  -  Nothing stands between us

There is no other name  /  But the name that is Jesus
He who was and still is  /  And will be through it all

The Psalms are full of songs of praise to the Lord.  One of my favorites is Psalm 96:  "Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!  Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day, declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples."