Yesterday I commented on the sermon about digging ditches. Today I want to mention something that happened during the course of that story, which is found in 2 Kings 3:1-20. When the three kings requested help from Elisha, the prophet said, ” But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played that the hand of the Lord came upon him.”(2 Kings 3:15). That seemed a bit strange to me until I considered the context. Elisha was so perturbed by Jehoram that he needed the calming power of music to attain the right attitude. I find that interesting. A great man like Elisha in need of music before he could function in his office as a prophet? Evidently so.
The more I thought about this the more I realized that attitude matters to God. I can’t help but wonder how many times we have prayed, preached, taught, etc. with the wrong attitude, and deprived ourself of the blessing we desired. Probably more than we would like to admit. Many fathers have stormed out of the house, angry with their spouse, going off to work with a bad attitude. Many mothers have left the house in a rage, gone to church and sang in the choir with a chip on her shoulder. And then they wonder why God doesn’t bless their efforts.
Here’s the point—we all need a quiet time where we can compose ourselves, think clearly, and commune with God. Reading God’s word and even listening to good music can help us do that. We would all do well to settle down, rid ourselves of any annoyances, forgive any offenses, and get our focus on God before we embark on the activities of the day. Jesus knew the value of this and He taught His followers to do the same (Mark 6:31). Even so, we need to learn the lesson. As the late Vance Havner said, “If we don’t come apart once in a while we will come apart.” That’s still good advice. THINK ABOUT IT!
