As a Christ follower for over 40 years, I admit to a bit of jealousy when stories are shared about encounters where a person audibly heard God speak to them; however, that jealously doesn’t remain long because to be honest, if I ever heard God aloud, I would be terrified. As a curious person, I do sometimes ponder though what His voice might sound like, would it be booming or gentle?

If you ever visit Union’s campus and walk by Coach McClure’s office, you might discover a question on the board to his door. Sometimes I borrow these questions to use on my attendance sheets for class and last semester there was an interesting inquiry.

“Who would you choose to narrate the story of your life?”

As I selected the marker to provide an answer to the ones already documented, I noticed that my first choice of Morgan Freeman was already taken. Forced to struggle to provide a different answer, the name Hayward Armstrong came to mind. If you are curious enough, you might find a message online from West Jackson where Hayward filled the pulpit, but to inform you of why I mention this detail, if God ever chooses to speak to me audibly, my desire is that He will sound like Hayward with a strong, soothing, Southern voice that is so pleasant to the ear.

Although I still await the day that voice occurs, I rest confidently in all the other methods God uses to speak to me including Scripture, church messages, books, devotionals, and music. It’s this last form which is the focus of this post. In today’s world, we have a wealth of options in which to feed ourselves, especially with music. From streaming services to a playlist on our smartphones, we are rarely without access to music in some form. It is here that I pose the question, “What are you listening to? What is feeding your ears?” 

Although not one to constantly have music playing, I do enjoy music while I am in the car, especially on road trips and this past summer, God provided a soundtrack of worship as my rental car rounded the curves on the mountain roads. In addition to playing the Christian playlist, there might have been a period of 90s country as it seemed to fit the cowboy setting as I drove I-25 to Cheyenne. I think there is a Garth Brooks’ lyric in there somewhere!

That specific era of country music invokes so many delightful and yet some painful memories, but I admit to the need to temper my listening as the lyrics to country music can often lead me to a dark place as artists sing about the love of their life along with their pickup trucks. Because of this area of vulnerability, I must be cautious about what I feed my ears because it also feeds my soul, and Satan knows how to place his fiery arrows in just the right spot. So, please do not be surprised when you accept a ride with me to hear a Christian station playing inside the Jeep. My God knows that the lyrics I need to hear to allow me to flourish spiritually are often grounded in Scripture or share a message of His grace. Continually, I am amazed to hear my own thoughts reflected in someone else’s story.

So, today, I express my gratitude for a genre of music that feeds my ears and my soul. I am thankful for the dedication and investment of artist’s who hear God’s call and share their talents with the world. Hearing others share of moments when God used a specific song to speak clearly into their life makes my heart sing. He may never speak audibly to me, but how He speaks clearly when I tune my heart, my soul, and my attention to Him!

Please feel free to share experiences below on how music has been used in your life.