Any music player, especially the violinist must know a violin made by Antonio Stradivari. A Violin master craftsman from Italia. On the very occasioan when becomes avalaible it will sell for amounts of well over a million dollars. What makes it violin so expensive and very special? What the difference with other violins and what makes the sounds from the “Strads” so great?
The “Strads” violins was made from wood which taken from polluted harbor in Stradivari’s Village. The harbors were the same with our town dumps. They were a smelly,dismal stew of trash,human and animal waste, and garbage. It can be concluded that Antonio Stradivari used wood that has been contaminated. The polluted water (containing microbes) is permeated into the inside of the cells in the wood. But of course Antonio Stradivari has a formula for next processing of the wood.That is one of the reasons why the sound of a “Strads” violin was so great and different with other violins.
The core of this article is not on the Stradivarius violin but the above is a picture of what God has done for us. Jesus came and pulled us from the sludge. As the Bible puts it, He loved us while we were sinner. In other words, even though we had been eaten hollow by sin, He reached down from the Cross and wiped us clean. And then He crafted us into priceless instrument to resonate the strong and distinct sounds of His love,grace and glory.
David wrote,” Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness!” (Psalm 100:1). And Paul reminds us that with the indwelling Spirit in control,our lives should be filled with ” Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19). Our lives should resound with gratitude and not grumpiness,thanksgiving and praise regardless of our life circumstances. When Paul and Silas sang in jail, the jailor had never heard anything like it before.
Like the Stradivarius violin, the sound quality of the song that Jesus puts in our restored souls should be noticeably different than the other “violins” around us. The song we sing with our lives should be joyful and glad. And this difference is not for our benefit,or the benefit of those around us. It is for the listening pleasure of the master Creator.
God, makes me an instrument to echoes the sounds Your love, peacefulness, joyful, grace, and glory. Amen
“I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make knowns Thy faithfulness to all generation. (Psalm 89:1)
“The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments. (Habakkuk 3:19)
Karina
(Cited from RBC Ministries Devotional,Strength for The Journey)
Photo sources : http://www.deceptology.com
Karina's Thought 