Monday, September 14, 1998
Monday, September 14, 1998
According to the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions of
the priests for their service, and the Levites for their offices of praise and ministry alongside the
priests as the duty of each day required, and the gatekeepers in their divisions for the several
gates; for so David the man of God had commanded.
I remember a story about a man was eager to hear the famous chimes of St. Nicholas
in Amsterdam. He had heard that they were some of the most beautiful chimes in
the world. Arriving at the church he went up into the tower to watch the man who plays the
chimes. To his horror he discovered that as the man struck the immense keys with his hands
encased in wooden gloves the noise was deafening. The air was filled with a discordant
cacophony of sound. The man who had been so eager to hear the beautiful chimes was
disillusioned. Surely he had heard wrong about their beauty.
The next day about the same time he was wandering on a hill-side near that same church.
Suddenly he heard one of the most beautiful sounds he had ever heard. It was the chimes of St.
Nicolas. He wondered if the man who played those chimes ever realized what a beautiful sound he
was making for the people nearby. It sounded like only loud noise inside the tower, but to those
in the countryside, it was the most beautiful music this side of heaven.
Some of us may have equal difficulty seeing the beauty in our work. All of us may experience
burn-out at some time or another, but what we do for God is very important. Keep at it!
Prayer: Dear Jesus, help me to honor your ministry by carrying it on. Amen.
Ronald Newhouse, Texas, USA
(2 Chronicles 8:14
NRSV)