Glimpses of Truth

Important Words!

I like to whistle.  Well, I guess I like to, because I seem to do it often.  Sometimes my wife will ask me things like, “What’s the name of that tune” or “When or where did you hear that song?”  Often I respond, “What song?”  I guess I whistle without even thinking about it. 

Songs, not just the words but the tunes, have always played an important part in the culture of each society.  We have “play” songs, “dance” songs, “war” songs, and “victory” songs.  There are those songs which move us to greater heights, and today there are songs which fill our minds with filth and teach us ungodly words and ways.

Songs make us laugh, bring back memories, bring tears to our eyes, and often inspire us to do something or go somewhere.  It’s amazing what a song can do to us or for us.  There are songs about truth and songs about fiction, songs which tell us to be happy, be healthy, be successful – songs. 

One definition of a song is “a metrical composition intended or adopted for singing.“  They may be poetic, rhyming, religious - all kinds - art, pop, folk, sacred verses secular – songs.  Opera?  I don’t usually think of that as a song.

I typed “songs” in my computer search engine, but I chose not to go to each site.  I wanted to get this article to the paper before 2023!  There were 172 million sites under “songs.”  I know I like to whistle, but my pucker would be in some trouble after page 2, don’t you think? 

Do you sing?  My Bible program records the words “sing,” “songs,” and “sang” 118 times.  God’s people were always singing.  God’s people have a song to sing.  They have rejoicing.  But let’s face it, the world also sings its song.  It rejoices also.  But what it rejoices in is not eternal.  It wears out, rusts, or is soon replaced by something else that will soon go to the landfill.  That’s an empty song.  Its words are meaningless.  Its tune only tickles the ears, plays with our emotions. 

The Church today is experiencing a great deal of this.  I hear from people almost daily as to why they attend a particular Church.  “We like their music.”  I often wonder what that really means.  You know, I hunger for someone to come to me and say, “I attend at a particular place where God’s Word is the center tentpole of all that goes on there.”  Yes, I know that sounds a little old fashioned, but I guess I’m a little old fashioned.  Conservative – yes, trying to conserve the authority and the place for God’s Word.

The Church doesn’t need manipulative ways to accomplish what only God can do.  Listen up!  I’m not against the method, but I am against the watered-down Truth.  Watered-down milk will never lead us to the meat of the Word.  Anything which injures the truth destroys that which changes us eternally. 

I read about a baseball pitcher, Dizzy Dean, whose career ended because his toe got hit by a line-drive.  That injury ruined his throwing motion, because when he came off the rubber to pitch, he had to compensate by turning his foot the wrong way.  Consequently, he began overextending his arm, which eventually ruined it for pitching.  Something so small can so easily take away the ability to succeed. 

I like to whistle, but it only plays with my emotions.  It’s never life-changing.  It’s okay, but the words are more important.