The Lesson of Love: Chapter 21 - In Tune With God
By J.R. Miller
In music, everything depends on tune. It is so also in living. Many people are like instruments out of tune, sometimes badly out of tune. There is no sweetness in their lives. The chords of their being, are jangled. The object of Christian culture--is to bring our lives into perfect tune with God--so that they will give forth sweet music. The standard key to which all lives are to be tuned--is the life of God himself. This 'tuning' is the work of the whole life--it takes all our earthly years, to come into perfect accord with the music of heaven.
Some people do not like theological terms. Such terms suggest to them abstruse doctrines which are not easily understood. One of these disliked words is "atonement." It means 'attunement'--the bringing of two people, hitherto at variance, into cordial and kindly relations. The theological meaning is the reconciling of God and man, the bringing of them together in love and friendship--that is, the bringing of men into harmony and fellowship with God. God always loves his people--but we have to learn to love him. That is what religion is intended to do in us--to lift us into harmony with God. It takes our discordant lives and brings them into tune with the holy life of Christ who was the revealing of God.
Before we can receive the blessings of the heavenly life, our hearts must be made ready, must be in tune with God himself. In wireless telegraphy, the receiver must be perfectly attuned to its transmitter, or it will not get the message. There may be a thousand stations, with their wires and electrical apparatus--but only the receivers which are in tune with the transmitter sending the message, can receive it.
In one of the psalms we read, "The friendship of Jehovah is with those who fear him; and he will show them his covenant." Only those who fear God--that is, who love him, trust him, do his will, and are in accord with him--receive the secret revealings of his friendship.
The standard of spiritual attunement, is the Word of God. Every note is to be keyed to that. We are to learn to say always, "May Your will be done." In the Scriptures, godly men are sometimes said to walk with God. That is, they go in God's way, think God's thoughts, and obey God's commandments. "Shall two walk together, except they have agreed?" All over the world, saintly ones are walking with God all these common days. When he speaks--they listen to his voice and obey. Yes. Their communion with him is never broken. The music in their hearts never ceases and is never jarred and spoiled by discords.
We cannot see God with our natural eyes--but if our hearts are in tune with his Spirit--we are conscious of his presence, and its blessing flows into our lives. Our beholding him does not depend on the darkness or the light. We can see flowers and trees and human faces only in the day, when the sun is shining. We can see the stars only at night, when the sun has gone down. But our seeing God depends on our own hearts.
Some good people have the impression that Christian joy comes only as the result of emotional experiences. No doubt there are those who are lifted up at times on the high tides of spiritual feeling. But really the only true basis for a joyful life--is obedience to the divine commandments. Jesus lived the perfect life. His joy was never broken. There was never any interruption in his communion with his Father. And the secret of his gladness--was his patient, quiet, unbroken doing of the divine will. He said of his Father, "He has not left me alone--for I do always the things that are pleasing to him." Then he gave his disciples the secret of a joyous life in the words, "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love."
Could any teaching be plainer than this? We are in tune with God, when we obey his words without question, and when we acquiesce quietly and trustfully in his will. Disobedience always makes discord. It is so in music. When the singer or the player strikes a wrong note, the harmony is broken. It is so in life. So long as we are obedient, sweetly accepting God's way, however it may go against our way, patiently enduring pain, or sorrow, or loss, when God wills it so--we make pleasing music. But the moment we fail to obey some word of our Master's, or do some evil thing, or resist some pleading of love, or rebel against some hard experience, there is discord; at once we are out of tune with God, and our joy is broken!
