Singing and making melody

And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, - Ephesians 5v18-19


I sometimes wish I knew more about music. I do love music. I love listening to it, and much to the chagrin of those around me, I enjoy singing. I just don’t know a whole lot about it. A semester seminary course on song leading in 1980 is the extent of it.

God obviously cares about music. So much, in fact, that the first thing he talks about when He says “Be filled with the Spirit,” is music. “Speaking to each other in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs.” It is clear that God supports a variety of music, and that it is a part of being filled with the Spirit. I don’t know enough about music to talk about musical styles, so I want to go on to the next phrase.

“Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” We are musical beings and God wants us to use that to glorify him. There needs to be a “heart’s song” in each of us. It is the heart’s song that leads us to truly worship him. It is easy to join along in sing in church. Anybody can do that. Even the lost can look in the hymnal or on the screen to follow along with the song leader.

God says for us to be singing, and also making melody in our hearts. This phrase “making melody” means, literally, to “pluck strings.” If we are filled with this Spirit His song hill our lives and He pluck the strings of our heart. When that happens the most natural thing will be for that heart’s song to be seen in our lives. If the Spirit’s fullness controls us our heart’s song will always be to the Lord.

While we are singing the wonderful songs of the faith, lets us take time to look inside ourselves to see what the songs and melodies of our hearts reveal.