By Brother Matt Henson

 

Music has always been a major part of my adventure with Jesus. From Sunday morning worship to Sunday night sing-spirations to concerts of all different kinds, I have experienced everything from traditional hymns to metal band Christian music. The words of many of these songs are ingrained inside me and I am amazed at how often these songs will come to mind at just the right time.

 

Several years ago, I had traveled to India with a group of people from the United States and Canada. As part of this trip, we would attend the Winter Christian Ashram at Sat Tal in Northern India. I had the opportunity to present a couple messages during the week. My first teaching time was on the first full day of the Christian Ashram. I spoke on the Kingdom of God, which is a topic and presentation I had done during other events. On this occasion, I did not feel like the message connected and I can remember the struggle during the presentation, as I felt discombobulated. I wrote in my journal:

 

I am a broken man as I spend time at Sat Tal. I did my presentation on the Kingdom of God. It is a presentation I have done previously. I did not put any further study or effort into it. I see that I had more to offer if only I had been obedient, vigilant, and disciplined to study and listen for the Holy Spirit’s leadership in preparation.

 

A few days later, as we were preparing to study 1 John 4 during the Dhyan (morning meditation), we sang “Breathe on Me Breath of God.” A chorus I have sung hundreds of times, yet during this early morning, the Holy Spirit spoke amid the words. I wrote in my journal:

 

I was singing “Breathe on Me Breath of God,” and the tears began to stream down my face. I want the Breath of God to work inside of me. I believe I can take these subpar sermons I have done and see God will use them to bring me back to him. Lord, use my feeling of failure to draw me closer to you and to an abiding relationship. I surrender!

 

The words, “Breathe on me breath of God,” repeated at the beginning of each of the four verses became a prayer, a crying out for me. I wanted the breath of God to breathe on my life to bring confidence, new life, and to cast out fear. In 1 John 4:18 we read, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.”

 

God used this experience to be a time of transformation in my life as I allowed the Holy Spirit to do a deeper work in my life. I wrote more in my journal as I surrendered each part of my life and my struggles. I was being renewed as I sat in this group of people. God was doing something new in me.

 

God speaks in so many ways in our lives. I give God thanks for authors and composers who listen to the voice of the Lord as they pen beautiful lyrics that God uses time and again to reach into a deeper part of our heart. This specific song: Breathe On Me, Breath of God, was written in the late 19th Century and nearly 130 years later, God used this song to speak into my heart.

 

How does God use music in your daily walk with Jesus? How often do we stop and listen to the lyrics we are singing to understand how these words can be part of our discipleship adventure? God created music for enjoyment and for His voice to speak more deeply into our hearts and souls. What is your favorite hymn or Christian song? I would love to hear about your favorite song and how God is using it in your life (matt@christianashram.org).

 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for music and the way you use it to speak to places in my heart and life where spoken words do not reach. Thank you for faithful composers and authors who are obedient to your voice to pen great songs and hymns for corporate worship and devotional listening. Slow me down to listen to the words of these songs, as you use them to speak into my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen