Hymns and Finals

It's finals week.... Which means three things:

1. Instant ramen
2. All-nighters
3. Songs on repeat

Yeah, I probably shouldn't be updating my blog like this, but it'll only take five minutes out of my time, right? Hopefully...

Anyway, a friend once recommended listening to the "Hymns" station on Pandora two summers ago. I remember playing it somewhat on blast at my previous job after five, when everyone (or most everyone) had already left for the day. It would put my mind at ease and allow me to work efficiently. I completely forgot about that station, mostly because I switched over from Pandora to Spotify, but since I temporarily deactivated my Facebook and cannot use Spotify, I switched back to Pandora; I've been listening to hymns since yesterday.

There's something calming about hymns. Maybe it's the lack of excess noise from other instruments -- like the banging of the drums that's pretty common in tracks nowadays; or maybe it's the simplicity of the guitar and voice combo; or even the simplicity of the lyrics that proclaim what Christ has done. I'm listening to Pandora as we speak and the song that just ended was "Jesus Paid It All". I love the lyrics of this song; here are the lyrics to the chorus:

Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin has left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow.

What glorious truth that Jesus has indeed paid for all the sins of many! How sweet His blood that was shed on the cross to wash a wretched sinner like me white as snow! Oh, to rejoice in Christ fully, regardless of my circumstance!

I really appreciate that hymns focus more on the lyrics, because personally, they help me to evaluate my heart before God and if I am singing such words merely for the sake of doing so, or if I really sing in thanksgiving to God for everything that He is and everything that He's done. Listening to these hymns while studying not only helps me to concentrate better by putting my mind at ease, but they serve as reminders of the sweet eternal Savior who has claimed victory over sin and death! And then, the eternal reward of seeing Him becomes that much more sweeter, and the temporary rewards of doing well on a final become less attractive. It may sound dramatic, but hymns help to remind me to keep an eternal perspective; I study for the sake of honoring God in my heart of worship before Him.

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock
of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the LORD is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.
[Psalm 95:1-7] 

Look at this kitty... NOW GO STUDY! :)