In our house, music is a big part of our life. We turn music on when we go to sleep, when we wake up, when we clean up, and when we want to have fun. So we sleep, wake, clean, eat, and dance just for fun's sake to music. We listen to nearly anything that we consider well done, be it classical, classic country, rap or rock, secular or Christian; we like music for music's sake, it doesn't even have to make good sense, we just like to have fun. One recurrent theme in the music in our home, however, is "redemption". For this reason, we hear a lot of Johnny Cash in our musical lives. If you don't know, Mr. Cash led a roller coaster life of sex, drugs, and rock & roll (and country). He eventually found his Lord and Savior, and loved to tell and sing about it in his music in his later years. On one of his last albums that he produced before he died is a specific song that my wife has commented on that reminds her of me, and apparently has done this in front of my Gracie. Tonight she asked me why Momma said that.
Instead of my usual tactic of avoidance of the subject of my "crazy days" (as J. R. Cash puts it), I decided to open up with her some and tell her that years ago I didn't know the Lord and that I was one crazy dude. Her response? "I BET SO!, WITHOUT A WIFE TO CONTROL YOU!!!" I of course informed her that without the Lord controlling my life first, that all of Mamma's efforts would be in vain anyway, even if they weren't already. She was still curious, so we just had a little impromptu bible study and I turned to Psalm 34 and read to her (don't really know why, except it had been on my mind) the first 8 verses, and explained how the Lord responds to people who cry out to Him, and fall before him. And I told them (all of them by this time, as you cant sit on the floor without being mobbed by all in my house) that I had decided to "taste" (see vs 8) and I decided that the Lord was good, and encouraged them to take refuge in the Lord when struggling with things they were sure that were impossible to do on their own. "Taste" I said, "and see that the Lord is good."
For I have tasted; and if you don't already know, the Lord is good. And let us exalt His name together. If you seek the Lord he will answer you; you will never be ashamed.
And interestingly, I noticed only now in verse 11 it states "Come you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord".
Has my prayer not continually been that I could teach my children right from wrong, that I could guide them to fear of our Lord? I do pray that this psalm, perhaps written to "Davey's" own children originally, would have an impact on my own.
