Hi! So this is a commentary on the first song that I’ve recorded and posted on SoundCloud (and YouTube) which is called, Jesus Put the Song in My Heart. To hear the extended audio version of what's written below, click here.
This song is a cover of the song from Psalty. Psalty was a TV show that was on TBN, the Trinity Broadcasting Network. I don’t remember the exact name of the main show that Psalty was on but I know saw him on a show also on TBN, called Colby’s Clubhouse. The Psalty character is a singing songbook based on the book of Psalms from the Bible. Jesus Put the Song in My Heart is sung by a character named Charity Churchmouse.
The song talks about Charity Churchmouse’s testimony. She grew up in the church and according to the Psalty’s Kids Bible (NIV) she used to nibble holes in hymnals and scare old ladies and when she got tired of that she would tie her brothers’ and sisters’ tails together and yell and watch them fall over when they tried to run away. Then a friend told her that her life was heading towards sin, it wasn’t pleasing to God, and she invited her to church, and that’s where she met Jesus and has been living for Him ever since. So now she sings for the Lord instead of living and going the way opposite to where He wants her to go and where she’s supposed to be.
Jesus Put the Song in My Heart is such a special song to me! It’s one I grew up listening to as a child from the show. My mom and I used to sing it and I recently rediscovered it in the past 2 years. So it really brings that nostalgia from my childhood memories. I posted it now, for this, because it really speaks to what I want to accomplish with the songs, blogs, and commentaries, all of it is to point to Jesus. It speaks my heart.
I grew up in the church but I wasn’t completely all in and surrendered. My heart, my life, my plans, my ideas, my personality wasn’t surrendered to God and His purpose for me. It took my aunt passing from cancer, and lots of quiet reflection time on my life as I turned 20, for me to really start to make a change. It was the first time someone close to me had passed and I started to think deeply on what I was doing with my life, and why I was here? I thought I knew what I was supposed to do with my gifts and talents, and I thought I knew when and how they would come out and be used. But when I tried to go after a certain route to success, my plans didn't work.
So in the song Charity talks about how she was singing her song on her own and found out she was singing alone. She was living her life the way she wanted, but something was missing. Then she says, ‘Then Jesus sang with me, we sang in harmony, now I’m singing His song’. That really speaks to me because when I made the decision, when I make the decision every day to make choices that honor and please God, and to walk in obedience and do what He tells me to do, there is so much peace that comes with that. I feel like this song just reminds me of that. The whole purpose of this blog and the songs is to use the gift and love of song that God has given me to point people to Jesus. He’s the One who truly transforms me each and every day as I read His Word, as I talk to Him, pray to Him, sing to Him. I see how life with Him is so much better than life without Him and I hope that that is something that you guys can see if you don’t already know that. If you do already know and believe that, then you’ll be reminded of it and encouraged to continue walking with Him, talking to Him, listening to Him, and being obedient.
So this song is me talking about how I’m going to sing about the Lord’s Love. That’s what Love, Salt, & Light is all about, speaking and singing about His Love and reminding us about why we’re here. I know I’m here-it’s apart of my purpose and my calling, I believe that God has given me specific gifts to, encourage people, especially and specifically with music. I believe that He put not only the love of song in my heart but also the specific songs that will be posted here. He’s given me those songs and placed them in my heart, it’s like He highlights them to me. So this is just the intro song. It's a cover, it’s not one that I’ve changed the lyrics of, which is what this blog is about. The other songs will be of secular or mainstream songs whose lyrics have been changed so that instead of pointing to ourselves, or people, or pointing to the world and its’ way, it will be pointing to Jesus and God and His Love, and the Bible, His Words. That’s what this is about, it’s the intro to just say, this is what I’m doing, this is why it’s here. He’s put songs and music in my heart, the desire to sing in my heart, and I’m just here to point you guys to Him. I hope that as you are on this journey with me, on here, SoundCloud, YouTube, wherever you are, or you’re coming and listening from, I hope that you are encouraged to allow God’s Love to fill your heart.
And whatever words and message He’s given you to say, I hope that you will be obedient and say them with joy, with excitement about what He’s given you and actually put Him first in your life.
It’s so interesting one of the verses that connect with this song is Philippians 2:4: “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others too” (NLT). By itself it’s such a simple (but important) verse, and of course it’s helpful to read the ones that follow it. As people that believe in Jesus and have Him as their Lord and Savior, we live for Him and when Jesus was here on earth He said that He didn’t come to be served, He came to serve and offer His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:43-45). So with that same attitude, as it says in the next verse, "We must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had" (Philippians 2:5, NLT), should we serve Him and give our lives for others. He was so humble. He was here to serve others, give, and love and so many other things He did, but the heart of it was Service and Love. So in singing, speaking, and writing here, I will be serving and honoring Him and also serving you, to help nudge you back if you’re off track and have forgotten, or lost focus, or maybe, don’t even know about God’s Love for you. (It’s amazing and I’m excited to tell you guys about it.)
Back to what I said earlier, any words or messages that God may be speaking to you to say or share with someone, I pray that you will be able to share them and know that it’s not just about singing or music. Those aren't the only ways God can use people to share His Love. Jesus puts the songs in my heart, Jesus puts the songs in our hearts and that song, so to speak, will come forth through whatever gifts and talents you have. God is such a creative God we don’t want to limit Him. He created us on purpose, for a purpose and that’s to share who He is with the people around us (and beyond us Matthew 28:19) as we get to know Him and learn to receive His Love. Your gifts and talents can come in and through so many different mediums, but you may already know what you’re good at. If you don’t know what you’re good at, I pray you’re able to take the time to look at what you like to do, what excites you, fascinates you, and what you would do for free without hesitation, or doubt in any way. If it’s a creative way of expressing God’s Love, you can do that through taking pictures, photography, or baking. There’s really so many ways you can do it, it’s unlimited in options (Exodus 31:3-5). You might be a mechanic and be able to show people God’s Love that way. You could be a teacher and show God’s Love to your students, whether that’s children or adult students, college or of grade age, it could be to anyone, in any way.
God can use you in any way He sees fit so know that the things that you like to do, the hobbies that you have (the healthy ones, of course) and the dreams that you may have even had as a child were not by accident (James 1:17). Those desires, dreams, and ideas were placed in you and given to you for a reason and I hope that you’re able to think back on those and be reminded of them. What are the things that used to excite you as a child? What’s something that you always wanted to do? No matter what people may have said about it in your life, to even discourage you. I know that sometimes once we become adults, we forget to look at life with a childlike sense of wonder, a child’s heart, and a childlike sense of faith. Sometimes people may speak death to your dreams, vision, and ideas, but know that, your ideas, the excitement, and passion that you have about whatever it is God wants you to do and whatever you’re placed on this earth to do, it’s for a reason, again, it’s not by accident (James 1:17). God wants to use you in an amazing way, so don’t discount, minimize, or discredit the things that you’re good at, or the things that you like to do. I’m excited to see or hear in whatever way, how each of you that are reading this will be able to grow and share God’s Love with the world through your gifts, your hobbies, and your talents.
I saw a quote somewhere that said, the gifts and talents God’s given us are essentially His gifts to us, and what we do with them is our gift back to Him. So with whatever talent, hobby, skill, creativity that you may have – and you might think there’s none in you, but I promise you there is, there’s something that excites your soul, that makes you feel alive (and again I’m speaking of healthy things, healthy habits, healthy passions, ideas, talents, skills, and abilities) there’s something that you can do that only you can do, in a way that only you can do it. There’s no one else on this entire earth that is created like you to do what you were put here to do. That might sound cliché but I’m sure that there’s someone out there who needs to hear it (and, it's true). God has such a plan and purpose for all of our lives and I’m praying that you who are reading this and listening will be able, with those hobbies, dreams, skills, and ideas, are able to give your life back to the Lord, back to God who created you and deposited those gifts in you. He wants to see them come forth, He wants to see them grow. He wants to see you grow while you use them. There’s so much that’s waiting for you.
If you were ever once like me, it took me a long time to be able to share and even publish this blog, the songs, commentary, all of it, it took me awhile to get here. But I believe that God’s timing is perfect and He’s not surprised by when it’s come. So if at any point you’ve been like me, afraid or just lost your sense of focus, direction, joy, excitement and passion about your life, or what you’ve been put here to do, I want to encourage you to pull away from whatever, and maybe whoever, has been distracting you, and sit still. Talk to God. He wants to hear from you. He already knows you (Psalm 139). Not only that, He wants you to know Him and until you know Him it's going to be hard, practically impossible, to find out why you're here. He knows exactly what He’s put in you and when it needs to come forth, and how He wants to use it, so I encourage you to ask Him. You can say, what do you want me to do with this? How can I serve you with this gift, this talent, this skill, whatever resource that you have. It can be your money, your time, or an ability to clean, to type well or fast, nothing is too small or too big in the kingdom of God, the redemptive place of His rule and reign. Every gift and skill we have is because of Him, the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and even the sound and sharp mind to learn, it’s all because He gave it to us, it all points back to Him (Proverbs 2:6).
So again, and finally, give your gifts and talents back to the One who created you because that is why you’re here. Everything we have, everything we do, should point back-for those believe, to our Creator, and for those who don’t yet believe: you were created by God, for His purpose (Ephesians 2:10).
He has such great plans for you, for us, and one of the ways it starts, is with you allowing Him to use your gifts. :)
God bless you and thank you for reading!
“God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God Himself were speaking through you. Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen” (1 Peter 4:10-11, NLT).
For more on spiritual gifts, see the book of Romans, chapter 12, and the book of 1 Corinthians, chapters 12-14.
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