This week we’ve been learning how to soundtrack our lives. First, we reminded ourselves that soundtracks wield enormous power to shape our experience of a given story. Next, we watched how God changed King David’s soundtrack and what a difference it made in his life. Today, I’m going to show you how to discover God’s soundtrack for your life. How to identify a God song.
The key is found in David’s description of what happened to him one day: “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance” (Psalm 32:7).
What a beautiful image: God surrounded David with songs. In that particular season of life, they happened to be songs of deliverance. But the songs could have been about peace, joy, focus, repentance, wisdom, or any other biblical theme.
The same is true for you and me. God is surrounding us with songs. How cool is that? Now lets tune in and find God’s song for you.
How do you identify a God song amongst all the other ones?
If you want to identify a God song, watch for these clues:
1. How to identify a God song: Repetition.
The other day I decided to listen to “Jesus Saves” by Jeremy Camp on my iPhone. It’s a great song. Once it was done, the song began to repeat. That’s weird, because I hate listening to the same songs over and over. I’ve set my iPhone to not repeat songs so I don’t get sick of them.
I was about to choose a different song when I sensed God say, “No. Listen to it again. And really listen.”
Okay… so I did. Awesome lyrics. I was reminded of the saving power of Jesus Christ.
The song reached the end and began to play a third time. I was about to choose a different song when I sensed God say, “No. Now sing the song with all your heart.”
Seriously? But I did. I let myself be captured by the essence of the song. By the end, my faith had shifted and grown. I could feel it. Jesus saves. Amen!
Later that day I sat in a coffee shop with a guy in tears who’s going through a painful crisis. He desperately needs God to intervene in his life. On the way home I turned on the radio and guess what? Jesus Saves came on. No kidding. My heart had already primed to believe Jesus could work a miracle. As I prayed for my brother in Christ, the song “surrounded me” and God used it to guide my prayers.
2. How to identify a God song: Standing out.
My story also illustrates the second principle for awakening to God’s Soundtrack Songs for your life: You’ll be minding your own business, and a song will stand out to you. You’ll have a feeling, “this is significant.” In my case, God cleared his throat and said, “Listen again.” How will you know if something stands out? It just will. In it’s own way.
3. How to identify a God song: Resonance.
Three songs resonate with my spirit and speak directly into the season of life I’m in right now:
Feed the Machine, by Red. This is a matrix-esque song that pretty much screams in protest and reminds me not to lie down and fall asleep in the clutches of dead religion and the system that feeds it.
The Best is Yet to Come, by Red. Our kiddos are growing up so fast that I’m getting dizzy with nostalgia. As I mourn the seasons that have already come and gone and how little time we have left with them, God is reminding me that the best memories are yet to be made.
Exalted One, Elevation Worship. The words that repeat here are “Our eyes are on you.” God reminds me, “Keep looking to me. For everything.”
It can be a powerful experience when a song puts into words and music exactly what you’re feeling or what you need to hear. Sometimes these God songs leave me in a puddle on the floor as God speaks to the core of me. Which brings me to #4:
4. How to identify a God song: What it does to you.
Remember the purpose of a soundtrack:
- To bring God’s story to life in us
- To awaken us to our calling
- To draw us into the action with the right attitude
- To bring our hearts into resonance with his
- To inspire us and focus our energies.
If a song does any of these for you, it’s probably a God-song. Add it to your playlist.
Play. Repeat.
What about you? Is there a song or two God has been adding to your life soundtrack lately? I’d love to hear about it!
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