Moods
Some people are moody. You never know what you’re going to
get with them. Will they be in an angry or a happy mood today? It can be a bit
like Esther approaching the king, will I get my head cut off or will he be
pleased to see me?
Outward things, such as décor and music, may help to set our various
moods. From dark and dingy to bright and bubbly, colours and wall-designs may
affect our mood. Glenn Miller had a big hit in 1940 with the tune ‘In the Mood.’
Hearing it may put you in the mood for dancing! They had a young David play his
harp for King Saul to try to change his mood (1 Samuel 16:23). It has been said
that music soothes the soul.
We talk of ‘being under the weather.’ I can relate to this! I
lived on the west coast of Scotland for some nineteen years, but have now lived
in Queensland, Australia for twenty-odd years. Let me open the curtains in the
morning to bright and sunny weather any day, over looking out at cold, wet and
windy Scottish weather! Even fickle weather can set your mood for the rest of
the day.
We tend to hum, whistle or sing when we’re happy. ‘Is anyone
cheerful? Let him sing psalms.’ James 4:13b. In the Bible, it’s obvious that words,
tunes and instruments help set the mood. Some Psalms have musical directions in
their headings, e.g., ‘To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments.’ Psalm
4. ‘To the Chief Musician. With flutes.’ Psalm 5. ‘To the tune of “Death of the
Son.”’ Psalm 9. ‘Set to “The Deer of the Dawn.”’ Psalm 22. ‘Set to “The Lilies.”’
Psalm 45.
Then there are the reactions of others to our actions that
can have us either singing praises or singing the blues, such as, receiving
applause or receiving boos for something we have done, (e.g., performing,
baking a cake, winning or losing at sports). We can be thankful that those two
men that Jesus had called Boanerges,
i.e., Sons of Thunder, are not God. They wanted to send thunderbolts to
consume a village full of Samaritans because they would not listen to what had
they had to say about Jesus. Jesus ‘turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do
not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to
destroy men’s lives but to save them’ Luke 9:55-56.
God is not moody. To
be sure, in places the Bible speaks of God as being angry or grieved or pleased
or displeased etc., in apparent reaction to certain human activities. And yes,
God blesses obedience and curses disobedience. However, since He knows the end
from the beginning, there is nothing that can sneak up and surprise Him. He is
the Alpha and the Omega. Therefore, He is the mood-setter. ‘Every good gift and
every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.’ James 1:17. We can be
thankful that God never wakes up in a grumpy mood! For God does not sleep
(Psalm 121:4).
God is the Creator, Ruler and Sustainer of all creation. He puts
the décor in place (Genesis 1; Psalm 104). He controls the weather (Jonah 1:4;
Mark 4:39). And it was He who gave us music. It once said on a wall of an old
German opera house: ‘Bach gave us God’s Word. Mozart gave us God’s laughter.
Beethoven gave us God’s fire. God gave us Music that we might pray without
words.’
May your mood be good.
