Sing Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs

Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs among yourselves, and make music to the Lord in your hearts.
Ephesians 5:19

Make music with your heart to the Lord

I love music, and I love Christian music. God made us so that music moves us.  God used David to play music to soothe the spirit that was tormenting Saul.

When I was at a very low point in my life, God gave me spiritual songs to take the focus off my trials and to focus my heart on Him.

Paul, in this passage, starts by telling us “not to be drunk with wine…but to be filled with the Spirit.” (5:18) And then goes on to instruct us to “Give thanks for everything to God” (5:20). Who controls you?  This is what this passage is all about.  Do you make music to the King of creation in your heart, or do you seek “relief” by allowing something else to control you? Such as wine. 

I had a professor in Seminary that assigned to our class to write two Psalms, one a psalm of praise and the other a psalm of Lamentation.  I was amazed at how doing that assignment impacted my heart. Focusing on what God has done for me and speaking (or writing) about my struggles allowed me to make music with my heart to the Lord. 

When you focus your heart on God, how you interact with others can now be spirit lead. When you allow your actions to be controlled by the spirit, how you interact with others will also be spirit lead.

Be filled with the Spirit.

Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear. Some of Saul’s servants said to him, “A tormenting spirit from God is troubling you. Let us find a good musician to play the harp whenever the tormenting spirit troubles you. He will play soothing music, and you will soon be well again.” “All right,” Saul said. “Find me someone who plays well, and bring him here.” One of the servants said to Saul, “One of Jesse’s sons from Bethlehem is a talented harp player. Not only that—he is a brave warrior, a man of war, and has good judgment. He is also a fine-looking young man, and the Lord is with him.” So Saul sent messengers to Jesse to say, “Send me your son David, the shepherd.” Jesse responded by sending David to Saul, along with a young goat, a donkey loaded with bread, and a wineskin full of wine. So David went to Saul and began serving him. Saul loved David very much, and David became his armor bearer. Then Saul sent word to Jesse, asking, “Please let David remain in my service, for I am very pleased with him.” And whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away.
1 Samuel 16:14-23,

Let the message about Christ fill your lives in all its richness. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.
Colossians 3:16

Ask yourself, Who or what is in control of your heart?  Read or sing the psalms, enjoy your favorite hymns, find the spiritual songs that will focus your heart on God,