Verle Bell M.D.
[Originally published as Sing, Hum Listen—Joyful Music]
There is a whole discipline of helping people with mood, memory, and reasoning issues by the use of music.
We all know that the first “therapist” was David as he tried to help King Saul by playing calming music to him. We are commanded to sing in our hearts and make a joyful noise unto the Lord.
My favorite biblical use of music was when three enemy armies were coming to destroy Jerusalem and there was no way the Jews could defend themselves. They cast themselves on the mercy of the Lord and he told them to just send the “church choir” out to praise the Lord and he would take care of the rest. God arraigned for the three armies to start quarreling amongst themselves and kill each other off. All God’s people had to do was to pick up the spoil (2 Chronicles 20).
It is important to use healing music.
Don’t forget that the devil was once Lucifer and he was himself a musical instrument (Ezekiel 28:13) and can use music to depress or agitate.
If you want peace and logic, then start with listening to music written by Mozart when he was a young boy. Listen to Gregorian chants and hum or sing hymns. A half-hour a day is enough to begin to restore a troubled mind. Music is mathematical and logical if written properly and will heal the logic and calming elements in your brain.
- Write your own songs and sing to the Lord a joyful noise: “O sing unto the Lord a new song:” (Psalm 96:1)
- Write about how God has provided, guided, empowered, Psalm 21:13 supported you etc: “Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.” (Psalm 21:13) “I, even I, will sing unto the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.” (Judges 5:3)
- Sing about his wonderful names and character, his holiness and mercy: “Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name. (Psalm 18:49)
- Sing and play instruments if you are able: “Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.” (Psalm 33:2)
- Meditate on the words in the hymns you sing: “For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.” (Psalm 47:7) “I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.” (I Corinthians 14:15b)
- Sing where others can hear you: “I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.” (Psalm 57:9)
- Sing to find the strength to keep my daily promises to him. “ So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.” (Psalm 61:8)
- Join with others in singing but sing out loudly along with them Psalm 66:4
- Sing of God’s love and his ways to our children. “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 89:1)
- Sing when I get old, sing every day of my life. “I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.” (Psalm104:33)
- Enjoy the moment and the pleasantness of singing. “Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.” (Psalm 135:3)
- Sing while falling asleep on my bed. “Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.” (Psalm 149:5)
- Listen for the singing of the universe of the skies and woods and join in with their praise of God. “Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.” (Isaiah 49:13)
