I’m the mother of seven children, and as I got into my late 20s and early 30s, my health started to decline, until I was finally given the diagnosis of a chronic disease. I struggled to get out of bed in the morning or care for my children. The Father has graciously helped and healed me, but I vividly remember the guilt and despair that would set in on dark days.
What can you do when you’re feeling tired and yucky from poor health or normal “mom fatigue”—and struggling to not fly off the handle in anger at others, to not break down in tears for an hour, or to not have a panic attack?
What can you do when you know Scripture tells you to be patient and loving, but because you’re sick or exhausted, you can’t seem to control your reactions toward others?
“And let the peace of Elohim rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one Body, and be filled with thanks. Let the Word of Messiah dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing with pleasure in your hearts to the Master in psalms and songs of praise and spiritual songs” (Colossians 3:15-16, ISR).
These verses tell us in simple terms how to have the peace of Elohim rule in our hearts. One is to be filled with thanks, and another is to let God’s Word dwell in us richly. Yet for our purposes today, I want to emphasize the musical portion at the end.
In 1 Samuel 16:23, we read that David’s harp-playing brought great relief to the torment Saul experienced from an evil spirit. How much more relief can the music Yah created bring peace to your heart, when you’re filled with His Spirit and His Word is dwelling in you richly!
When I’m sick, my emotions are especially raw. Discouragement can set in quickly. The Bible says, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).
It can take a lot of discipline to think about lovely things, especially when we’re worn out. Music can help put our thoughts on auto pilot.
Let’s qualify which kinds of music will help you:
- Music which encourages thankfulness. When you don’t feel well, you probably struggle with being thankful, yet a thankful spirit is key to being filled with God’s peace (see Philippians 4:6-9, Proverbs 15:15, and Psalm 107:22).
- Music which is rich in the Word of Messiah. Classical music is nice and all, but when you’re sick, you need mega-doses of God’s Word! Look for songs whose lyrics are straight from the Bible.
- Music which helps you sing with pleasure. Not only should you listen to good music; you should also sing along—with pleasure! At the very least, you should sing along “in your heart” to God as you tap your toe.
I have some favorite songs that I keep in special playlists, just for times that I might need them. With all of the devices available to me, I can have music in the kitchen, as my alarm in the morning, in the school room, and as I’m working at the computer.
In the Bible, we read about some various times that Godly men and women used music to encourage them and stir them up to faith and good works:
- In the morning (Psalm 59:16)
- In bed at night (Psalm 42:8)
- On the Sabbath (Psalm 92:1)
- After a meal (Matthew 26:30)
- On Feast Days (Psalm 27:6)
- In prison (Acts 16:25)
I would like to encourage you to grab a colored pencil and mark all the references to music in the Psalms. I like using blue, which is the color of sapphire stones. The Hebrew word sapphire, or cepher, means to declare.
You can then use all those highlights to compile a list of all the reasons we should sing. I’m sure it will include reasons like this:
- To forget not all his benefits (Psalm 103:2)
- Because He gave us breath (Psalm 104:33)
- Because we know the mystery of the gospel (Ephesians 6:19)
- Tell of all His marvelous works (Psalm 9:1)
- Because He has dealt bountifully with us (Psalm 13:6)
After a day of filling your heart with Scripture through music, it will be no coincidence that your home will become a more peaceful place. Music really helps us feel better!
Of course. Yah said it would. 😊
P.S. This article appeared in the May/June 2023 issue of Torah Sisters Magazine.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture in this blog post taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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