Sanctified Soul Music
To the chief singer on my stringed instruments. Habakkuk 3:19c
Just another day that my Lord, has kept me. Just another day that I've been in my Savior’s care.
With these words, it is my sincere belief that the prophet Habakkuk showed that music can spring forth from anyone’s life. These are the last words in a chapter that started as a prayer and ended in praise. Then, He seemingly, with the last statement, knew that a person’s spoken words put in the musically gifted ears, hands, and heart of the right individual could be put to music.
Your life, too, has great musical potential, for we all have a wealth of experiences from our lives to draw from. The experiences of life give birth to music.
You here today may have a meaningful message in song within you that could possibly sell a million cd’s based merely on the things that you have witnessed and lived through. To you, it may not have rhyme or rhythm, but you need to know that it has reason and the reason is contained in the lyrics and your lyrics are derived directly from your living testimony.
People have found that their personal ‘strugglin’ and ‘strainin’ can squeeze a song or two from the storehouse of their soul’s experiences. Trials and tribulations can trigger one to exhale a gospel track from the deep treasures of one’s inner sanctum-the very core of a person’s being.
There was a Christian man who was away from home and his pregnant wife, who received a telegram that was very urgent. The telegram contained a simple message, “your wife just died.” She died but gave birth to a newborn son. When the man made it home to be with his baby boy and grieve for his wife, the child also died the night that he returned. The man buried his wife and son in the same coffin. He then isolated himself within his apartment. He felt that God had been unfair to him. A friend came by to visit on the following Saturday and encouraged him to get out. He led him to a local music school and left him alone in a room with a piano. As he sat at the piano perusing the keys, soul peace came unto him and the Lord began to download a musical masterpiece from on high into his spirit and as he tickled the piano keys these words flowed up and out:
Precious Lord, take my hand, Lead me on, let me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.
Through the storm, through the night, Lead me on to the light. Take my hand, precious Lord, Lead me home.
That man was Thomas Dorsey, considered a father of modern gospel music. This song has touched the souls of millions around the world. It came from within one believing man’s grief-stricken soul, who felt God had done him wrong but he found out that the Lord is close to those who are brokenhearted and able to lead them through the deepest grief of their darkest night in their lowest valley of their life. Mr. Dorsey also wrote the “Lord Will Make A Way Somehow.” These songs are sanctified soul music.
If you have ever been down in the valley weighed down with a truckload of troubles and trials, but the Lord was there with you and He brought you through and He brought you out then you got a recipe to make some sweet sanctified soul music that can satisfy some spiritually hungry ears of those with hurting hearts, and burdened spirits. The redeemed of the Lord have something to say and they can say it in song.
When our ancestors endured their soul’s long and dark night, shedding countless tears from the tragedy of their captivities’ hundreds of years, they were perked up within their plight when they tuned lyrics from the rich treasury built up by the blows that were meant to beat them down.
They knew they were poor pilgrims of sorrow and felt tossed in this world alone. But, they heard of a city called Heaven and they started to make it home. Sometimes they would feel discouraged and feel their work was in vain, but then the Holy Spirit would revive their soul once again. Then, they would sing sanctified soul music in hope even in the midst of hopeless circumstances.
We 'll soon be free,
We 'll soon be free,
We 'll soon be free,
When de Lord will call us home.
My brudder, how long,
My brudder, how long,
My brudder, how long,
'Fore we done sufferin' here?
It won't be long (Thrice.)
'Fore de Lord will call us home.
We 'll walk de miry road (Thrice.)
Where pleasure never dies.
We 'll walk de golden street (Thrice.)
Where pleasure never dies.
My brudder, how long (Thrice.)
'Fore we done sufferin' here?
We 'll soon be free (Thrice.)
When Jesus sets me free.
We 'll fight for liberty (Thrice.)
When de Lord will call us home.
Sanctified soul music comes not just from our trouble, but also from our triumphs; not just from our pain but also bursts forth from pure praise from the joy of experiencing God’s saving grace.
Moses, the man of God exploded with sanctified soul music manifested in joyful praise in seeing the salvation of the Lord for “the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.” But, their enemies perished in the sea.
Exodus chapter 15 records a song that Moses and the children of Israel sang from the joy that bubbled up from within them. Hearken to a portion of their praise, “saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare Him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt Him.”
We live in an era of gospel music that prides itself on manufacturing praise and worship songs. King David ought to get some credit for being a praise and worship pioneer.
There may not ever be any sanctified soul singer such as the man whom God, Himself, declared to be a man after His own heart. Since he came before us and we are able to witness to the evidence for the book of Psalms is a book composed of prophetic praise and worship songs, and many were birthed directly out of David’s personal tragedies, triumphs, and tenacious tendency to transmit glory to God.
David wrote from his lows of being on the run from Saul and falling into personal sin to the highs of being crowned king and just totally adoring the good God of creation and the source of all joy and blessings. Solomon, David’s son, had his own lyrics published too.
Dr Isaac Watts, who wrote “Joy to the World”, “Am I a Soldier of the Cross”, “Come We That Love the Lord”, “We’re Marching to Zion” and “When I Can Read My Title Clear” is attributed with the statement, “Ministers are to cultivate gifts of preaching and prayer through study and diligence; they ought also to cultivate the capacity of composing spiritual songs and exercise it along with the other parts of the worship, preaching and prayer”
There are still modern day melody makers who are skillful in the art of making sanctified soul music. Churches are writing and composing not only lyrics for their choirs and their drama departments but the musical arrangements to go with them. Isn’t the Lord all right.
Let us not hold so closely to the old standards that we overlook and too quickly condemn a modern standard for a new generation that is certified and sanctified from the Lord on high. What God has cleansed, that call thou not common or unclean.
All that is necessary for sanctified soul music is that the words of our mouth, and the meditation of our heart, be acceptable in God’s sight. With these in order, you and your church choir can make some sanctified soul music.
The Psalmist of Psalms 104:33-34 proclaims, “I will sing unto 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.”
Allow me to be a little lyrically inclined:
I’ve been up
And I’ve been down
But I never turned around
The Lord’s been good to me
I’ve been in
And I’ve been out
And I still got a reason to shout
The Lord’s been good to me
They’ve scandalized my name
But I’m going on in Jesus Name
Because He’s been good to me
Amen – So Be It
Larry D. Reed, Sr.
I Owe Jesus
Submitted this day Wednesday, May 28, 2008
