Uplifting benefits of listening to Christian instrumental music....

 Let me use this message today to encourage you to listen to good Christian music that will calm and quiet your soul.

Over the years our family has practiced this and found it healing and beneficial. Sometimes we have played just instrumental music, other times it has been hymns or praise music sung in a quiet, worshipful way. 

We used to have a few cassette tapes that we played repeatedly on our old cassette tape players.  Now we have many other options and ways to get the music to us. One of my favorites is to go to YouTube and find one of their options.

We have found this to be helpful when:
we have had members in the hospital or ill,
we are in distress,
we are having trouble trusting God,

we can't go to sleep,

we are wrestling with a decision,

we need peace in our souls,

we are in the office working,

we are driving,

many others!

There are just 'times' when this is really helpful and healing.  Hope it helps you, also.  

Trusting the Lord...I can lay down and sleep in peace

I was getting a little 'worried' and 'fretting' over our grandkids recently.  Whether we have one or many grandkids, we love them and want God's best for them.  Our grandchildren have many stages in life that we are concerned about.  As babies, we are concerned with their health and development.  Then they start school and we worry about who their friends and teachers will be.  Will they be able to learn well?  Will they be safe?  Then they become teenagers!  Will they keep the Godly values they have been taught from their study of the Bible and from their families?  Will they use good judgment?  Will they be able to discern what is true? Oh no, now they are off to college.  What classes will they need?  Where will they live?  Will they be safe? Will they stay on course? Now college is over and there are new decisions to be made.  Where will they work?  Will they be able to get a job?  Where will they go to church? Who will they marry? Will their mates love the Lord and be committed to doing His will?

We now have grandchildren in each of these 'walks of life'.  And I was worrying about them!

Gail has been preaching through the Psalms at Valley Cowboy Church.  Recently he spoke about Psalm 3.  In this Psalm, David was talking to God.  David was fleeing from Jerusalem because Absolom was trying to take over the throne from David.  It was a scary time for David and his kingdom as they left Jerusalem and went into the countryside. The battle was brewing and would soon ensue them.  Yet, David trusted God.

Psalm 3:3-6 But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.

            I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill.

            I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. 

            I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.

This Psalm reminded me that God is with us and hears our cries for help from Him.  We, too, can trust Him with our lives and the lives of our families.  We too can lay down and sleep because we are trusting Him.

Just as our grandkids were trusting the rope as they were swinging in the picture above, we too can hold on to God, give Him our 'worries' and trust that He will carry us through life.  May we leave our cares with Him and sleep in peace.