"Musical Hits"

 

“Musical Hits”

(Please read the previous article “Fads” before this one)

 

One of the areas most impacted by fads is music. It comes in many genres, including gospel, most of which have lists of what’s “in” at the moment and conduct annual award ceremonies. But what’s popular this week may be all but forgotten in the next. I did a bit of unscientific research (read consulted Google) and found that the record for consecutive weeks on the “Billboard Hot 100” list is 431, held by the Canadian artist Drake with 157 songs from 2009-2017. This fad lasted longer than others but as with almost all performers and their work it wore off and was replaced.

There was no “Billboard Hot 100” during biblical times but there are songs included in God’s Word which have been “hits” for centuries—we know them as The Psalms. At least 73 are credited to King David but it’s likely that many of the anonymous ones came from his quill and harp because they describe events from his life recorded in other parts of Scripture. One of the reasons they’ve stood the test of time is that they were usually written out of life’s experiences, both good and bad, and so we can identify with them. One of my favorites is Psalm 86, a prayer of David in a very difficult time in his life, most likely when he was being pursued by Saul (see Verse 14). In Verse 7 he says, “In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me.” I shared this Psalm, usually Verses 1-7, with countless patients during my hospice and hospital ministries and sensed the relief and comfort it brought to many in their uncertain circumstances. This is an illustration of the timelessness of the Bible’s truth (“Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.”—Psalm 119:89).

New “…psalms, hymns and spiritual songs….” (Colossians 3:16) are constantly heard on Christian radio and in churches’ times of musical worship. Some will be around for many years; others will fade away after a short time. But many of our most loved hymns have been with us for multiple centuries (e.g. “A Mighty Fortress”—1527; “Amazing Grace”—1779; “Holy, Holy, Holy”—1826) and still appear on lists of present-day favorites. So we as God’s people can be thankful for the “Musical Hits” that overcome the fads and continually bless our lives.

 

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan