If you are feeling weighed down today – like your soul has lost courage – take the advice of St. Augustine and sing brave music! Lift up your heart and voice to the Lord. Ask him to infuse your heart with joy and a renewed trust in his promises. The Lord will lift your burden!
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and I am asking God to tune my heart to brave music today, and this is the song that he gave…
You who made the mountains and the sea
You measured out the universe and you make me
Echoes of the voice that called the worlds to be
Reach throughout the ages and now speak to me
You're my Creator King
Who am I that You are mindful of me
Who am I that You sent Your love on me
You're my Creator King
Well, now there’s a song to infuse courage in your heart; one to make you brave. You know, when I think about singing in the midst of suffering – and I can feel pretty weary in this wheelchair; I do – I do turn to the Bible. But I also turn to the writings of some Christian saints of days gone by – people who really experienced suffering but who could still hold onto a song, who could lift brave music to the skies! A believer who could do that was St. Augustine. Get this, he was born in the 3rd century, and after his conversion to Christ in the Year of 387, Augustine dove deeply into the study of God's Word. It was St. Augustine, in fact, who believed that the grace of God was indispensable to human freedom, and he’s the one credited with framing the concept of original sin.
Anyway, this man’s life was not easy – I mean, good grief, living back in the 3rd century in North Africa, it had to be hard! But what St. Augustine wrote about suffering is so poignant because his thoughts – I mean, when you read them – sound so contemporary, like something out of a Max Lucado book. And when I am feeling weary, when I feel overwhelmed or struggling with pain, or looking for courage, I often borrow this prayer St. Augustine wrote back in the 3rd century.
He prayed, “God of our life, there are days when the burdens we carry chafe our shoulders and weigh us down; when the skies gray and threatening; when our lives have no music in them, and our souls have lost courage. On such days, flood the path with light, we beseech Thee; turn our eyes to where the skies are full of promise; tune our hearts to brave music; give us the sense of comradeship with heroes and saints of every age; and so quicken our spirits that we may be able to encourage the souls of all who journey with us on the road of life, to Thy honor and glory, Amen.”
Friend, today, maybe your heart needs to be tuned to brave music. And if you feel weighed down, if your life seems to have no music and your soul has lost courage, take the advice of St. Augustine, and sing brave music. Turn your eyes to the skies that are full of promise, and he will give you the sense of comradeship with heroes and saints of every age. It’ll quicken your heart as well as encourage all those who journey alongside you on the road of life.
And one more thing – we at Joni and Friends would love to pray for you in your hardships, so share with us your prayer need today at joniradio.org.
© Joni and Friends