I wanted to write my personal testimony for some time now, but I was never sure where to begin. I was saved as a young girl, and there really isn’t much to tell by way of my “Spiritual Journey.” However I wanted to share a real part of my heart. Music has always had a special place in my life, this morning I listened to my favorite musical work and I thought I’d share how it was written, and its impact on me.
A man ravaged by depression, addicted to alcohol, and nearly penniless, sits down to compose a piece of music. He was given the words and was told to create a masterpiece. A man ravaged by depression, addicted to alcohol, and nearly penniless, begins to read the words given to him, words taken directly from scripture, words of hope and promise. While he reads the words and begins to compose his masterpiece, others in the home hear him weeping, a hopeless man begins to change as the reality of Christ’s Passion washes over him. Like a man obsessed he begins composing from dawn until dark for weeks and a cold heart begins to warm. A true miracle happened when George Frederic Handel sat down to write his most celebrated work, “The Messiah.” It wasn’t the fact that he composed an entire oratorio in a matter of weeks, it wasn’t the musical genius and weaving of the libretto with the melodic lines, it was the very salvation of Handel’s very soul.
It is my firm belief that Handel’s Messiah would lay forgotten if Handel’s heart would not have turned to Christ. Because Handel was willing to surrender to Christ we became blessed with what I consider the greatest music ever composed this side of heaven. There are a lot of musical compositions, songs, and hymns which I truly love but in my ever so humble opinion nothing compares to Handel’s Messiah.
I began playing the Messiah this morning as I started my daily cleaning and child wrangling routine. The familiar strings began playing and something stirred within me, I did not however expect to be emotionally moved by this music today while it was just playing in the background. Throughout the morning the prophecies of Christ’s coming filled my house, and then the story of his birth. Many recordings and performances of the Messiah stop here, and end with the familiar Hallelujah Chorus, they miss however the most important parts of the narrative. After Christ’s coming, the music begins to speak of his death, and a voice with all the sorrow of Mary herself sings of how Christ was despised and rejected.
As I was feeding my children lunch the words, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.” are being sung, and the reality of why the precious baby, the son of God, would come to earth hits me once again. That perfect child didn’t come to lead a full and happy life, with a wife and family of his own. That little one wasn’t born to hone a craft and live a fulfilled life in a career that he loved.
That little baby was born so he could die. That little lamb, was sent to earth knowing he needed to save the world from its sin. God’s precious son, came so that we might live in his death. And he truly was worthy to take on our sin. To take on my sin. As the choir begins to sing the great “Amen Chorus” my heart begins to swell. It’s as though the instruments and singers on the recording are anticipating the day that they will sing those words in heaven, and my heart begins to anticipate the same.
As the final notes, ring through my home, I begin to weep. I weep right in the middle of my daily routine because God has once again spoken to me through his words and his music. All I can do is weep and thank Jesus for the sacrifice he gave, and thank him for saving my soul. My heart aches from the weight of it all.
Then my youngest begins to fuss because Mommy has taken too long with her next spoonful of food and I’m drawn out of my introspection. As I look at her smiling face I realize Christ came not only for me but for these precious little ones he has entrusted to me.
I’m entrusted to teach these precious little souls of the greatest reality there ever was, God loves them, and the only way to know Him is by knowing Christ. When I came to Christ I wasn’t ravaged by depression, addicted to anything, or in financial need. I was simply a small child who knew Jesus was real and that Jesus wanted me to trust him and accept his forgiveness. I so desperately desire to teach the same thing to my children and everyone I meet, whether online or in person.
If you don’t have the peace that Christ provides, you, if you don’t know of his sweet forgiveness, it’s only a prayer away. That prayer is as simple as this:
Dear Lord,
I know that I am a sinner, but I believe you sent your Son to die for my sins. I also believe that you raised him from the dead, and ask now to be forgiven of my sins. Thank you Lord for saving me.
Amen.
There is no greater thing in this world than accepting his forgiveness. Especially at Christmas time.
ISAIAH 64: 6-8
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.
But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
