Monthly Study
May 2024Sing to the Lord
Music in the Bible
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.—Psalm 150:6
God’s Word has much to say about music. In the Bible you’ll find songs, lyrics, song writers, voices, and instruments. We are told to sing and address one another with melody and to direct our voices to the Lord in worship. Music in the Bible calls God’s people to live and posture themselves a certain way. It calls for the music and song of the church to be rooted in lives of purity and holiness, abiding in Christ and His Word, while praising Him in all circumstances. It is my prayer that through this study, we will:
- See how songs of the Bible point us to the gospel of Christ
- Think about our future eternal song when Christ will reign
- Be stirred by the Spirit to sing, praise, and worship God
Your devotional author,
Brian Lee
Volume 37Edition 5
Managing Editor: Jamie Janosz, Senior Editor: Elena Mafter, Contributing Editor: John Koessler, Writer: Brian Lee, Art Director: Lynn Gabalec, Graphic Designer: Rachel Hutcheson, Marketing: JD Hamby, Production: Rhonda AuYeung
About the Author
Brian Lee
Dr. Brian Lee is a professor of Music at Moody Bible Institute. He serves in music ministry at Maranatha Bible Church in Chicago and is an active classical pianist as a soloist and chamber musician.
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Podcasts
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God’s Design for Music
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Music is often linked with our emotions. But the word music calls us to use our minds. It comes from the Greek mousa where we get the term “muse”—to meditate,...
May 1, 2024
Music and Prayer
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“To sing is to pray twice.” This quote, often attributed to St. Augustine, implies that prayer and singing for the Christian are deeply connected.
May 2, 2024
“Song of the Sea”
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It has been said that if you want to learn how to pray, study the prayers in Scripture.
May 3, 2024
The Song of Moses
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Many of us can easily think of a song that is meaningful to us. It may contain a powerful message or a personal connection to a time, place, memory.
May 4, 2024
The Music of Jericho
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What is your favorite day of the week? Studies show that Friday and Saturday are the favorite days for most. But how many of us would say Sunday?
May 5, 2024
Deborah and Barak’s Song
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Since biblical times, God’s people have been a singing people. But when we sing in worship, who is our audience?
May 6, 2024
David’s Unique Talent
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It goes without saying that to be hired for a job, you must have the skills the position requires. But apart from abilities, education, or experience,...
May 7, 2024
Dangers of a New Cart
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Most of us are attracted to anything new: a new house or car, the latest smartphone, perhaps even a modern thought or practice.
May 8, 2024
A Decree to Remember
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Whether with a card, email, or text, remembering the birthday of a loved one often leads us to write words of gratitude and praise to that person.
May 9, 2024
Elisha and a Musician
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One of the joys I have serving at my church is playing the prelude music for weekly Friday night gatherings.
May 10, 2024
Praise Before Deliverance
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When trouble arises, is our first reflex to look to God, to worship and praise Him before anything else?
May 11, 2024
Music in the Temple
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What do you do to get ready for worship? Put on your Sunday clothes? Scramble to get the whole family out the door on time? The Bible tells us that we are to “guard [our] steps when [we] go to the house of God” (Eccl. 5:1). What does it mean to guard our hearts and minds for worship?
May 12, 2024
Walls Around the Temple
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From ancient times to modern history, walls were often built around a city to mark and enclose a settlement of people.
May 13, 2024
Sing the Word
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You would be hard-pressed to find an entire book of the Bible completely about one topic. But did you notice that God’s Word has an entire book devoted to music?
May 14, 2024
Songs for the Journey
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We often play our favorite songs in the car while taking a road trip with family or friends, or we listen with our headphones or earbuds on while flying from one airport to another.
May 15, 2024
Psalms: Songs of Zion
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There is a worship song that blesses me each time my church sings it. It’s called “We Will Feast in the House of Zion.” It speaks of a day when those in Christ will feast with Him and weep no more (Rev. 21:4), and when “we will sing with our hearts restored.”
May 16, 2024
The Ultimate Love Song
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Love songs have always been popular. Songs that express love between a man and a woman are virtually as old as human civilization.
May 17, 2024
Uncompromised Worship
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At the start of our study, we learned that the word music comes from the Greek mousa, which is where we get the word muse,...
May 18, 2024
A God Who Sings
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One of the joys I experienced as a dad was holding my very young children and singing over them, whether it was to make them smile or help them sleep.
May 19, 2024
Supper and a Song
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Have you been to a festival or reception where the occasion was marked by both food and joyful music? Weddings are one example of a time where we use music as an important part of the celebration.
May 20, 2024
A Night Song
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There is no musical instrument like the human voice. Scientists still grapple with fully comprehending the physiology of the human body.
May 21, 2024
Psalms, Hymns, Spiritual Songs
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Over the history of the church, there have been many different types of songs of faith. From chant and organum, where one or more voices are added to a plainchant melody...
May 22, 2024
Spirit-Filled Singing
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Some Christians get uncomfortable when the topic of the Holy Spirit comes up. But there is nothing to fear because the Bible speaks about the Spirit...
May 23, 2024
Worship and Peace
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Quiet music can have such a soothing effect on us, that many people use it to fall asleep. It can calm our heart rate and still our minds, leaving us with a feeling of peace.
May 24, 2024
The Hymn of Christ
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Did you know that there are possibly two hymns embedded in Apostle Paul’s letters to the churches? One of these texts is found in Colossians 1:15–20.
May 25, 2024
The Mind of Christ
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When people think like us, we sometimes say we are like-minded. We believe similar things and act a lot like one another. As believers, we are told to...
May 26, 2024
Words to Bless
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The average person speaks several thousand words daily, not to mention the words in texts, emails, social media posts. Multiply that in a given week, month, year,...
May 27, 2024
The Beginning and the End
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If there is one book of the Bible that has the reputation of being difficult to understand, it may be Revelation. But we should not avoid it,...
May 28, 2024
Worthy Is the Lamb
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Jesus is given many names in Revelation, including one that is written on Him “that no one knows but himself” (Rev. 19:12). But one name is repeated more than any other:...
May 29, 2024
Sing Hallelujah!
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We often sing and say “hallelujah” (or “praise the Lord”) as Christians. But where is this found in the Bible? In the New Testament, hallelujah is used in only one place, Revelation 19.
May 30, 2024
Listen, Obey, Sing
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When we listen to music, we think of hearing something after it has made a sound. But any act of music-making requires listening before any note is heard.
May 31, 2024