READ: PSALM 16
I said to the Lord, “You are my Master! All the good things I have are from you.” (V. 2)
Music appreciation was not my favorite course during my freshman year of college. I found no valid reason to listen to old music written by old men. But with the passage of time and maturity, my appreciation for classical music increased along with the stress of daily work and life. After difficult days I found the music brought me peace and solace. I am now grateful to my music appreciation professor for opening the cultural pathways of my mind to this wonderful ageless music.
Beside appreciation for the complexity of the written symphonies, it amazes me how much work goes into bringing the notes to life. Philharmonic or symphony orchestras consist of 100-120 musicians playing various stringed, woodwind, brass or percussion instruments. Each member puts in countless years and hours of study and practice to bring their piece of the music alive at just the right time and place in the production. Yet, without the central role of the conductor, whose job it is to pull all of the various parts together in one meaningful and harmonic piece, the music would be a fragmented hodgepodge of meaningless sound. The ultimate success of the production ultimately rests squarely upon the conductor’s shoulders, who in addition to knowing the piece backwards and forwards, must have earned the complete trust and respect of all the symphony members. It’s simply astounding the way God has gifted people to handle this highly responsible complex role.
While you have probably never thought of it in this manner, each of us has our own unique symphony of life. We are the composers, producers and players all wrapped in a highly complex single piece orchestra which produces the music of our lives. Just as in the music world, in order to have lives of meaning and purpose, it is of paramount importance that we entrust the production of our music to a fully knowledgeable and trustworthy conductors–the Lord God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit!
Our symphonies of life are far more complicated than anything ever written by a Mozart or Beethoven. We live in a manner where the strings of our hearts are fine-tuned and tested; where our woodwinds of peace and patience are often difficult to find; where the bold brass of self-confidence often becomes too loud and out of tune; and where the percussion of life’s storms can often leave us overwhelmed. When we try being our own conductors the concert produced is often unenjoyable and devoid of any value. But, when we allow God, who created our unique one-piece orchestra in the first place, to be the conductor, the music becomes beautiful now and through eternity.
PAUSE FOR REFLECTION AND PRAYER
Who orchestrates the symphony of your life? Think carefully to whom you pass the baton.
Dear God, open our hearts fully to your leading that the music of our lives is productive and beautiful to your lasting glory.