Every great song has a melody or simple line called a “hook.” The best hooks are memorable and make you laugh or evoke a memory with a clever phrase or rhyme. Whether they’re worship songs or pop songs, my favorites don’t necessarily follow a formula, but each one has a strong hook that communicates an emotion I can relate to.
We all have a songwriter somewhere inside us, which makes live music so exciting. When we sing or sway with others in church or at a concert, we share understanding in an ineffable way with those around us.
This inclination to sing comes from God. When I pay attention, I notice that God often works like a master songwriter, highlighting themes in my life through a good refrain that He keeps repeating. Most often, I see this when reading his Word. But I can also notice a recurring theme randomly – on a street sign or when I pass a stranger in a cafe.
I have become more familiar with God’s melodic messages because often over the course of a few days or a week I see the repetition of a verse of Scripture. I might read a word in a devotional and then hear it the same day from a friend. For me, these choruses often turn into song ideas.
God sings over us in our daily lives, reminding us that His light continues to shine, “the true light that gives light to all” (John 1:1-18). He did not simply end his creation and let it go; he is intimately concerned and present with us.
When we listen, we will find answers to our prayer questions that will help us define what matters to us. Do we need to adjust our work schedules to accommodate a family dinner? Should we volunteer in politics for the next election? Should we go on a mission trip? The answers to these questions are not written in the Bible, but when we meditate on God’s truth in His Word, He sings a chorus of grace over us, shaping how we live and who we are.
God knows how to grab our attention with a memorable thought or an encouraging word, and He writes with a songwriter’s touch. Consider the poetic composition of John 1: “All things were made by Him, and without Him was nothing made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (vv. 3-4, NKJV).
In times of sorrow or triumph, God speaks to us personally. I began to seek the promptings of Spirit, those musical hooks, to help make sense of stories as they unfold, even and especially when our experiences or news feeds have no sense. “Are you here with us, Lord?” we pray.
He answered my doubts, for example, with John Newton’s hymn “Amazing Grace.” The song was originally called “Faith’s Review and Expectation,” and when that title comes to mind, it invites me to notice God’s faithfulness in times of uncertainty and to share that assurance with others. others.
Psalm 90 has also been a corrective and consolation for me: “Teach us to number our days, that we may have a wise heart” (v. 12). This phrase advises me to accept my limitations and receive God’s provision for my time and energy with each changing season.
God’s hooks can change over time and come from unexpected places. I remember being in a convenience store one afternoon, during a difficult time in life, listening to Fleetwood Mac’s iconic ballad “Landslide” on the radio. It reminded me that in all the changes in our lives, even when things fall apart, God is still the same. That day, in that moment, through my tears, I felt seen by a personal, compassionate God.
God’s songs can come in the form of a few words that seep into your mind: borrowed words, something you see as you walk around. Or, the song he sings about you might even come in a quiet moment, like a well-placed musical pause. “Silence is praise to you,” the Message version of Psalm 65:1 reminds us.
The fact is, God’s playlist is everywhere, because God wants to dwell with us everywhere – his grace and truth bursting into all our big, ordinary moments.
Sandra McCracken is a singer-songwriter living in Nashville. She is also the host of Slow work podcast produced by CT.
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