Matt Redman

Topic: Love

Focus: Being glad

Psalm 104:33-34 (KJV) I will sing to the Lord as long as I live:
 I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of Him shall be sweet: 
I will be glad in the Lord.

Something about music and love go together. When a man and a woman are in love—they almost always have a favorite love song that makes them think of their relationship—and each other, when they hear it.

Music is precious to the heart of God. He loves it when we sing to Him. He created us with the ability to discern pitch and harmony. The tonal values of every note on the musical scale are unique. Each one is as distinct as the colors of the rainbow. From the highest to the lowest notes we are able to hear—each one is a pure, distinct frequency that God intended for us to use for praise.

I love the fact that God gave us the ability to use music as a way of communicating our love for Him. Some people don’t really know how to have a love relationship with God. They can’t imagine being in communion with Him all day vocally or being in constant meditation of Him. But to live that way causes a person to be glad.

Before David was King of Israel, he spent a lot of time out on the hillsides watching his father’s sheep. He had a lot of time on his hands and he put it to good use. As David looked out over the rolling fields of grass and flowers and gazed up at the sky—he saw all of it as the beauty of God’s handiwork. He didn’t just think to himself, ‘Here I am, stuck another day with these stupid animals, wasting my life away. How boring.’ No, he saw the wonder of God’s creation and his heart was overwhelmed at the majesty of God’s power and ability. David was so delighted with what he saw that he wanted to tell the Lord how impressed he was with all that He had made.

David loved spending his time thinking about new and creative ways he could praise the Lord. He utilized his time making musical instruments to accompany himself as he sang. As he used his voice to praise the Lord—he was given insight and inspiration from God as to how He wanted David to praise Him. God filled David’s mind with words and concepts that were true revelation of His divine character and nature. As David spent time meditating on the beauty of the Lord—he came to know Him. The more David knew the Lord, the more he loved Him.

(Read more below)

Now, you can listen and/or read!

 

Maintaining a love relationship requires time. If you’re in love with someone—you naturally want to spend time with them. When you’re apart—you’re constantly thinking of ways to have more time for each other and what you will do when you are together again. When you really love someone—it’s normal to think of them most of the time. When you’re away from each other—you try to communicate in some way. When you write or receive a letter from someone you love—it’s a treasure. You hardly ever read a love letter that was written to you just once. You read it over and over again—absorbing the words and contemplating the love that motivated them to be written.

David wrote love letters to God—and then sang them. Or, he just wrote down what found himself singing over and over. Either way, David spent a lot of quality time writing verses and singing songs that were focused on the Lord and His goodness. David’s love for the Lord made him able to always see a bright side in his circumstances. David knew the Lord well, because the Lord drew nearer to David when he sang to Him and gave Him praise. They were close.

Even though David was passionate for God, things weren’t always easy for him. He encountered many challenges, dangers, losses, loneliness, and rejection. In David’s times of pain—he turned to God and his music. He encouraged himself with the songs God had given him to sing. David chose to make music in his heart to the Lord. Even when he was desperate—David purposely disciplined himself to recall other times of desperation, and how God came to his rescue. David grew to understand that as he spent time meditating on the Lord and singing to Him—his love for God increased and God drew closer to him.  Recognizing the way praising God brought greater intimacy with Him, made David want to praise the Lord all the more.

If you were in love with someone and were getting these amazing letters from that person and then one day realized they were letters written by someone else that the person you were in love with was just copying—you’d probably still like the fact that they cared enough to do that and that they wanted to impress you—but doesn’t it mean a lot more when you know a love letter is written purely out of someone’s heart and completely out of the love they feel for you?

That’s what God wants from you. It doesn’t matter if you’re a great singer. Think of the delight new parents experience as they observe each and every movement and sound that comes out of their new baby. Even the cries are precious and bring the attention of the caring parents to the child’s aid.

Declaration: I will find new strength by spending more time thinking of reasons why God is worthy of my praise. As I praise Him—I will know Him and love Him better—and my heart will be glad.

Focus: Being glad

Psalm 104:33-34 (KJV) I will sing to the Lord as long as I live:
 I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of Him shall be sweet: 
I will be glad in the Lord.

Something about music and love go together. When a man and a woman are in love—they almost always have a favorite love song that makes them think of their relationship—and each other, when they hear it.

Music is precious to the heart of God. He loves it when we sing to Him. He created us with the ability to discern pitch and harmony. The tonal values of every note on the musical scale are unique. Each one is as distinct as the colors of the rainbow. From the highest to the lowest notes we are able to hear—each one is a pure, distinct frequency that God intended for us to use for praise.

I love the fact that God gave us the ability to use music as a way of communicating our love for Him. Some people don’t really know how to have a love relationship with God. They can’t imagine being in communion with Him all day vocally or being in constant meditation of Him. But to live that way causes a person to be glad.

Before David was King of Israel, he spent a lot of time out on the hillsides watching his father’s sheep. He had a lot of time on his hands and he put it to good use. As David looked out over the rolling fields of grass and flowers and gazed up at the sky—he saw all of it as the beauty of God’s handiwork. He didn’t just think to himself, ‘Here I am, stuck another day with these stupid animals, wasting my life away. How boring.’ No, he saw the wonder of God’s creation and his heart was overwhelmed at the majesty of God’s power and ability. David was so delighted with what he saw that he wanted to tell the Lord how impressed he was with all that He had made.

David loved spending his time thinking about new and creative ways he could praise the Lord. He utilized his time making musical instruments to accompany himself as he sang. As he used his voice to praise the Lord—he was given insight and inspiration from God as to how He wanted David to praise Him. God filled David’s mind with words and concepts that were true revelation of His divine character and nature. As David spent time meditating on the beauty of the Lord—he came to know Him. The more David knew the Lord, the more he loved Him.

(Read more below)

Now, you can listen and/or read!

 

Maintaining a love relationship requires time. If you’re in love with someone—you naturally want to spend time with them. When you’re apart—you’re constantly thinking of ways to have more time for each other and what you will do when you are together again. When you really love someone—it’s normal to think of them most of the time. When you’re away from each other—you try to communicate in some way. When you write or receive a letter from someone you love—it’s a treasure. You hardly ever read a love letter that was written to you just once. You read it over and over again—absorbing the words and contemplating the love that motivated them to be written.

David wrote love letters to God—and then sang them. Or, he just wrote down what found himself singing over and over. Either way, David spent a lot of quality time writing verses and singing songs that were focused on the Lord and His goodness. David’s love for the Lord made him able to always see a bright side in his circumstances. David knew the Lord well, because the Lord drew nearer to David when he sang to Him and gave Him praise. They were close.

Even though David was passionate for God, things weren’t always easy for him. He encountered many challenges, dangers, losses, loneliness, and rejection. In David’s times of pain—he turned to God and his music. He encouraged himself with the songs God had given him to sing. David chose to make music in his heart to the Lord. Even when he was desperate—David purposely disciplined himself to recall other times of desperation, and how God came to his rescue. David grew to understand that as he spent time meditating on the Lord and singing to Him—his love for God increased and God drew closer to him.  Recognizing the way praising God brought greater intimacy with Him, made David want to praise the Lord all the more.

If you were in love with someone and were getting these amazing letters from that person and then one day realized they were letters written by someone else that the person you were in love with was just copying—you’d probably still like the fact that they cared enough to do that and that they wanted to impress you—but doesn’t it mean a lot more when you know a love letter is written purely out of someone’s heart and completely out of the love they feel for you?

That’s what God wants from you. It doesn’t matter if you’re a great singer. Think of the delight new parents experience as they observe each and every movement and sound that comes out of their new baby. Even the cries are precious and bring the attention of the caring parents to the child’s aid.

Declaration: I will find new strength by spending more time thinking of reasons why God is worthy of my praise. As I praise Him—I will know Him and love Him better—and my heart will be glad.

Focus: Being glad

Psalm 104:33-34 (KJV) I will sing to the Lord as long as I live:
 I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of Him shall be sweet: 
I will be glad in the Lord.

Something about music and love go together. When a man and a woman are in love—they almost always have a favorite love song that makes them think of their relationship—and each other, when they hear it.

Music is precious to the heart of God. He loves it when we sing to Him. He created us with the ability to discern pitch and harmony. The tonal values of every note on the musical scale are unique. Each one is as distinct as the colors of the rainbow. From the highest to the lowest notes we are able to hear—each one is a pure, distinct frequency that God intended for us to use for praise.

I love the fact that God gave us the ability to use music as a way of communicating our love for Him. Some people don’t really know how to have a love relationship with God. They can’t imagine being in communion with Him all day vocally or being in constant meditation of Him. But to live that way causes a person to be glad.

Before David was King of Israel, he spent a lot of time out on the hillsides watching his father’s sheep. He had a lot of time on his hands and he put it to good use. As David looked out over the rolling fields of grass and flowers and gazed up at the sky—he saw all of it as the beauty of God’s handiwork. He didn’t just think to himself, ‘Here I am, stuck another day with these stupid animals, wasting my life away. How boring.’ No, he saw the wonder of God’s creation and his heart was overwhelmed at the majesty of God’s power and ability. David was so delighted with what he saw that he wanted to tell the Lord how impressed he was with all that He had made.

David loved spending his time thinking about new and creative ways he could praise the Lord. He utilized his time making musical instruments to accompany himself as he sang. As he used his voice to praise the Lord—he was given insight and inspiration from God as to how He wanted David to praise Him. God filled David’s mind with words and concepts that were true revelation of His divine character and nature. As David spent time meditating on the beauty of the Lord—he came to know Him. The more David knew the Lord, the more he loved Him.

(read more below)

Now, you can listen and/or read!

 

Maintaining a love relationship requires time. If you’re in love with someone—you naturally want to spend time with them. When you’re apart—you’re constantly thinking of ways to have more time for each other and what you will do when you are together again. When you really love someone—it’s normal to think of them most of the time. When you’re away from each other—you try to communicate in some way. When you write or receive a letter from someone you love—it’s a treasure. You hardly ever read a love letter that was written to you just once. You read it over and over again—absorbing the words and contemplating the love that motivated them to be written.

David wrote love letters to God—and then sang them. Or, he just wrote down what found himself singing over and over. Either way, David spent a lot of quality time writing verses and singing songs that were focused on the Lord and His goodness. David’s love for the Lord made him able to always see a bright side in his circumstances. David knew the Lord well, because the Lord drew nearer to David when he sang to Him and gave Him praise. They were close.

Even though David was passionate for God, things weren’t always easy for him. He encountered many challenges, dangers, losses, loneliness, and rejection. In David’s times of pain—he turned to God and his music. He encouraged himself with the songs God had given him to sing. David chose to make music in his heart to the Lord. Even when he was desperate—David purposely disciplined himself to recall other times of desperation, and how God came to his rescue. David grew to understand that as he spent time meditating on the Lord and singing to Him—his love for God increased and God drew closer to him.  Recognizing the way praising God brought greater intimacy with Him, made David want to praise the Lord all the more.

If you were in love with someone and were getting these amazing letters from that person and then one day realized they were letters written by someone else that the person you were in love with was just copying—you’d probably still like the fact that they cared enough to do that and that they wanted to impress you—but doesn’t it mean a lot more when you know a love letter is written purely out of someone’s heart and completely out of the love they feel for you?

That’s what God wants from you. It doesn’t matter if you’re a great singer. Think of the delight new parents experience as they observe each and every movement and sound that comes out of their new baby. Even the cries are precious and bring the attention of the caring parents to the child’s aid.

Declaration: I will find new strength by spending more time thinking of reasons why God is worthy of my praise. As I praise Him—I will know Him and love Him better—and my heart will be glad.