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Colossians 3:16 - Let The Word Of Christ Dwell In You Richly - Even By Songs.

Colossians 3:16 (NKJV) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

INTRODUCTION

Although the early Christians had access to the Old Testament and freely used it, they did not yet have the New Testament in its present form or other Christian books to study. Their stories and teachings about Christ were memorized and passed on from person to person. Sometimes the teachings were set to music, and so music became an important part of Christian worship and education. [Life Application SB 2019]

COMMENTARY PEARLS

   I came home from a long day at work feeling worn out and short-tempered. My students had been unruly and disrespectful. The traffic on the way home had been slow and awful, and I still had an evening of chores ahead of me. I silently gave myself a pep talk to prepare me for the hard work of keeping my emotions in check as I greeted my family and started a load of laundry while we waited for supper to be ready.
   I didn't notice the exact moment when my mind and body began to relax, but slowly I became aware that I felt calm rather than anxious. I paused to evaluate. Tension had left my shoulders. My head didn't ache. My heartbeat was steady. The realization was comforting but confusing. What had changed that had somehow given me peace?
   That's when I noticed the music coming from upstairs. My daughter Adelle was at the piano, practicing hymns for her weekly lesson. The songs were new to her, and her false starts and missed notes resulted in choppy rhythms and interrupted melodies. But the essence of the hymns was clear. Without realizing it, my heart had begun to echo the familiar messages of grace and peace. I stopped and listened more closely, thanking Jesus for His gift of music and for its lasting effect on my soul. Emily E. Ryan
   Faith Step: Play instrumental hymns or praise music softly in the background of your home. Let your soul fill in the words as prayers to Jesus. [Mornings With Jesus 2025 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan]

   Years ago I sadly set aside a book proposal for an inspirational compilation I'd titled The Power of Song. But this morning I think of pulling it out of the file, after recent encounters with a neighbor adolescent girl with special needs - and fears.
   I've accompanied her, and her mom who struggles with English, to many medical appointments, few as foreboding as last week's root canal. Assurances of sedation - you'll be asleep - weren't tempering her terrors. Her mother held her hands. My grip on her ankles failed to control her frantic kicks. To calm her cries, I sang a soothing prayer we'd learned at vacation Bible school. A repeating petition, "Hear us as we pray," checked my own anxieties. When she finally quit fighting, I wept with relief. Others had taken notice. The song had piqued the interest of the anesthesiologist, whose turban designated a faith tradition different from mine. He asked who I was, why I was helping this family. "From their church?"
   "A neighbor," I replied. "Like an extra grandmother."
   Which seemed the case again last evening, when the phone rang at 8:55. It was the neighbor girl whispering a request I'd never heard from her. "I can't get to sleep. Will you sing me a lullaby?" a word she knew only from storybooks. Yes. Quickly improvising, I turned the same prayer into a nighttime tune: "Give us sleepy hearts ... Then quietly a final "hear us as we pray." The song sufficed. Sleep tight.
   I think I'll tweak the title of the book proposal. In this season of life, The Gift of Song seems more personal.
   Giver of all good gifts, fill our hearts and voices with songs that strengthen me - and others. Evelyn Bence [Walking in Grace 2021 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan]

LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY

Colossians 3:16 - Ingrained and Engraved.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230706-0948.html

Colossians 3:16 - How To Let The Word Of Christ Dwell In You Richly.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200424-0921.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2016/20160127-0849.html

Colossians 3:16: Let The Word Of Christ Dwell In You Richly:
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2010/20101007-1310.html

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

https://abible.com/links/