We don't know what He looked like
Whether He was tall and thin
If His hair was long or short
Or the color of His skin
We're only told His hands could heal
And His voice could calm the wind
And how He sometimes prayed all night
Then welcomed children close to Him
No, we don’t know what He looked like
But when darkness hid the sun
At the cross the soldiers cried out
“Truly this must be God’s Son!”
So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!” Matthew 27:54 NKJV
And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward, make some for yourself and your son.
1 Kings 17:13 NKJV
If you wonder how your small contribution in a world full of big problems will make a difference, you are not alone. When we are in trouble, like the woman in today’s verse, sometimes God comes to our aid in unexpected ways. Maybe that morning, when she saw Elijah coming up the road, she had hopes that He was coming to help her, but instead He came asking for her to do something for him. His request reminds me of our, “Junk mail.” People who we don’t even know, ask us for money for their important projects or needs, and they want us to respond right away! But why was God asking her to bake a cake for a stranger, when she was the one in need? That may seem strange, but sometimes God does the same for us. When we are too busy, He brings us a troubled neighbor. Will we give them a smile, a hug, or a word of encouragement, even when things in our own life seem to be falling apart? The things we give in those situations are the offerings that are most precious to God. Elijah didn’t ask her to bake him a cake, because of selfishness, but because he was following God’s instructions. In fact, Elijah might have felt ashamed to be begging from a widow and she might have been offended by his request. But as they both obeyed, God blessed them, and they both received not only food through the famine, but they also had their story recorded in God’s word, and it is still encouraging us after three thousand years! Remember that your story can encourage someone today. God just may ask you to give away something that you have saved for yourself. Are you willing to give what you have to others even when it seems so small? Are you ready to bake a cake today?
One thing that makes me sad is how in church, we often come to the lyrics of the greatest song book in the world and all we do is read it together in unison with a monotone voice. Yes, God’s word is perfect but forgive me when I say that maybe even God gets bored with the way we use it. We seem to have forgotten that this was not the way it was intended to be presented. Instead, why not think of the Psalms as songs whose melody has fallen asleep, and listen to every new melody as if it were a Psalm knocking on our door and asking for words to sing it? While singing scripture, may seem to be somewhat whimsical or arbitrary, if you try it you will soon find some wonderful benefits just waiting to be discovered. But why would God want to communicate with us this way? Maybe the answer is the same as the reason why young people pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars to listen to their favorite pop star. Back when we were teenagers, the preferred medium for us was the local AM radio station. Our favorite songs would make us laugh, cry, or feel romantic (Oh! They’re playing our song!)
The Psalms are no different. For just a few examples of happy or sad, how about
“Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy;.” Psalm 126:2
And what can be sadder than:
“I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping.” Psalm 6:6.
God knows that when we laugh, cry, get discouraged or even complain to Him, that we connect with Him and with His word on a whole different level. Secondly, singing scripture helps us remember the words. If we could go back in time a few centuries, we would discover that the printed word as we know it didn’t exist. The only copies of the scriptures were handwritten. Every copy in today’s dollars, would cost the equivalent of hundreds or even thousands of dollars. So, God found a way for His people to remember His words without books. I think of it a little like when we listened to the radio and the DJ announced a new song, someone would inevitably shout, “Hey be quiet man! You got to hear this one!” Then we would crank up the volume and sing along, while someone kept beat on the glove compartment or steering wheel. By the end of the week most of us knew every word, though much to our teacher’s chagrin, we couldn’t recall the date of the battle of Bull Run or the names of past presidents! God wants us to engage with His word in the same way. First, He calls us to engage with our hearts, then with our lips, and also with the people around us. Back in the Old Testament days, songs were written to be sung by everyone. Think of how when Moses finished bringing the people through the Red Sea, the first thing he did was to sing. But he wasn’t alone. No! As soon as he started up his sister Miriam lead all the women out onto the beach where they played tambourines, danced, and sang along. Now that was some kind of celebration! (Keep your radios tuned tomorrow for part 2) Here are a couple of scripture songs, one in English and the other Hebrew, just to give you some ideas.
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