"Let us find a good musician to play the harp for you whenever the tormenting spirit is bothering you. The harp music will quiet you, and you will soon be well again."

1 Samuel 16:16 (NLV)

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 16:23 (NLV)

She’d Rather Sing

A brave little girl was taken to a doctor for a minor, but painful operation. When all was ready, the kindly doctor said, “This will hurt, but you may cry or scream as much as you please.” The little girl looked up at him, smiling, and said, “I would rather sing,” which she did with her sweet, childish voice and went through her brief ordeal without sigh, groan or tear.

—The Presbyterian

Daily Meditations by Pat Nordman Š

August 29

Ten Commandments for a good marriage:

1) List your spouse's good points;
2) List your negative contributions;
3) If possible, read God's Word together;
4) Use your imagination to visualize yourself loving your spouse;
5) Let God have the last word;
6) Forgive, as God has already forgiven;
7) Give thanks to God for this person;
8) Don't discuss problems with friends who thought the marriage a mistake;
9) Be grateful for this set of circumstances; it can mean growth;
10) Make the first move: "I'm sorry; forgive me," whatever it takes to get the marriage back on God's track.

Pat Nordman Š

Excerpts from today's Spurgeon's Devotions With links to the entire devotion
Spurgeon's Morning for August 29	Spurgeon's Evening for August 29
"Have mercy upon me, O God." – Psalm 51:1	"All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk." — Numbers 6:4
Only on the footing of free grace can the most experienced and most honoured of the saints approach their God. The best of men are conscious above all others that they are men at the best. Empty boats float high, but heavily laden vessels are low in the water; mere professors can boast, but true children of God cry for mercy upon their unprofitableness.	He who yields a point or two to the world is in fearful peril; he who eats the grapes of Sodom will soon drink the wine of Gomorrah. A little crevice in the sea-bank in Holland lets in the sea, and the gap speedily swells till a province is drowned. Worldly conformity, in any degree, is a snare to the soul, and makes it more and more liable to presumptuous sins.

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August 29 Jer 51:1 - 52:34

365 days of Bible Readings Linked to Bible Gaitway TM

Current Bible Question

What is the only book in the Bible that contains numerous directions for musical accompaniment?

Previous question and Answer:

When the foundation for the second temple was laid, the priest played trumpets. What did the Levites play?

Cymbals (Nehemiah 12:35-36)

Today's Devotion

But my mouth would encourage you;
comfort from my lips would bring you relief.
Job 16:5 (NIV)

Stomping Ground

by Cathy Vinson

"Isn't this what I said while I was still at home?"

(Jonah 4:2)

Muffy Crosswire is a name known across a number of households. She is the rich, spoiled playmate of PBS' Arthur. She resembles the few in a position of life where stomping their feet in protest still may affect their reality.

"At home" still gives us plenty of room and leverage to stomp our feet. It is ironic mercy that pulls out the rug from underneath us and removes us from the plot of flooring for stomping, from being "at home" as Jonah. It takes us to the place where stomping will not exclude us from happenings. Over the years of seeing stomping's ineffectiveness we begin to learn.

When the rug is being literally pulled out from under our feet, do we give up all flooring or do we shimmy to that last 12 by 12 inch piece of tile? It will be reserved for the right to stomp our foot just in case.

And what will we call out from that last crowded foothold "I can't, I can't! or "I won't, I won't."? Does God yield to that cry?

Where the care of others is concerned, for our good, He will not relent. He resisted Jonah. He will allow US to lose our securities in order to act out His compassion.

But why is this laid on ME? Why are we the scapegoat? "Do you have the right to be angry?" asks God of Jonah (vs 4:9). "Well, yes, I still have reserved this tile of flooring for this right of mine to protest and stomp my foot."

Bicker as we may, it is to our benefit that there is no relenting to our protesting. God offers us more spiritual blessing than we would even want for ourselves. We'd be totally happy to be off the hook for the ease that temporarily would be granted. "Do we do well to be angry?" (KJV) In the wisdom of God, we have not tended or made to grow what He cares about. God has done it all. He has given us this privilege of caring within His compassion. No He did not cower to our stomping. His love explains to our folded arms..."(Ninevah) has...people who do not know their right hand from their left...Should not I be concerned about their great city?" (vs 11).

We will leave our tile in exchange for the enormous roaming opportunity of God's compassion.

Cathy VinsonŠ

Send a note to Cathy Vinson , the writer of this devotion.

Where the care of others is concerned, for our good, He will not relent. He resisted Jonah. He will allow US to lose our securities in order to act out His compassion.

Other Whispers from the Wilderness Devotions are found HERE

Music in the Bible

The Rattler-Sistrum

The sistrum was a small U-shaped frame with a handle atttached at the bottom of the curve. Pieces of metal or other small objects were strung on small bars stretched from one side of the systrum to the other. This noise maker dates back to ancient Egypt. Similar instruments are found in other ancient cultures. The instrument was played by women on both joyous and sad occasions.

The systrum is the correct translation for the the instrument named in 2 Samuel 6:5. Some versions translate this instrument incorrectly. The KJV uses the term cornet, while the RSV uses the translation castanets.

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~ Opera ~

We interrupt this program with a special report: OPERA MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH!!

Well, maybe not for us humans. But for at least one member of the animal kingdom, listening to an opera turned out to be an exercise in fatality.

No joke.

An okapi--a rare African mammal related to the giraffe--died at the Copenhagen Zoo last year while opera singers rehearsed in a nearby park. When performers from the Royal Theater launched into selections from Wagner's "Tannhauser und der Sangerkrieg auf Wartburg," the poor animal just couldn't hack it. (With a title like that, no wonder.)
According to the autopsy report, the okapi, a 6-year-old female named Katanga, suffered a severe stress attack.

Ouch!

Wagner's operas were pretty heavy drama, but I don't think he ever expected anything like this to happen.

But maybe there's something to be learned from this.

If you happen to be an okapi, or anything remotely related to the giraffe, or even if you just have a real long neck, you'd probably be wise to heed this advice:
The next time you hear an opera, you better get off your seat, get on your feet, and, most importantly,

GET OUT OF THE ARIA!

-- "Strange World," Campus Life, Vol. 53, no. 8.