Use Somebody-King of Leon

I believe in purpose. Each life, each interaction, challenge & victory has a Divine purpose. I also believe in free will. But, there is only one choice in free will. Will I embrace or reject my spiritual purpose? The Divine is asking me that very question.
God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him. II Chron 16:9 (Message)
I've been roaming around, I was looking down at all I see
Painted faces fill the places I can't reach
You know that I could use somebody
Someone like you and all you know and how you speak
Countless lovers under cover of the street
You know that I could use somebody
What will you say when you hear the call of Divine purpose? Sarah laughed. Gen 18:12 Moses asked, “Who am I, that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" Ex 3 Gideon asked, "How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest, and I am the least in my family." Jug 6 Solomon, the wisest of rulers said, “But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties.”I Kg 3:7 Mary replied "May it be to me as you have said." Lk 1:38 Jesus could relate. He said, “If it is possible take this cup from me. But not as I will, as you will.
Divine purpose doesn’t end with me. Fulfilled individuals are the fabric that make a collective purpose possible. I see this in every organization—politics, education and faith. I can not achieve Supreme purpose without learning how to embrace others.
You know that I could use somebody. Someone like you (pl.)…
"But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need you!' On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable. If one part suffers, every part suffers; if one part is honored, every part rejoices. "I Cor 12:14

Off in the night while you live it up I'm off to sleep
Waging wars to shake the poet and the beat...
God is not sleeping on me, but God does dream for me. Jer 29, Acts 17

I hope it's gonna make you notice... Why? God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. Acts 17:26

Knock You Down - Keri Hilson

Keep rockin', and keep knockin'/Whether you Louis Vuitton it up or Reebokin'
You see the hate, that they're servin' on a platter/So what we gon' have, dessert or disaster?

There are so many reasons to hate Jacob. He was a mama’s boy. He stole his brother’s birthright. He stole a blessing from his brother by deceiving his dying father. And when his brother wanted to snuff him out in retaliation, Jacob ran.

However, Jacob is the originator of the hustle. He was willing to do anything to get what he wanted. Lie. Cheat. Steal. But when it came to love, Jacob got hustled. Solomon & Sampson are both examples of love making you stupid. In the case of Jacob, it wasn’t his woman that hustled him. It was his father-in-law. It’s all in Genesis 29.

Jacob made a deal with his father-in-law: He would work for 7 years to “earn” the hand of the love of life, Rachel. Now Ne-Yo’s verse in this song is all about losing his pimp game: I used to be commander and chief/ of my pimp ship flyin' high,/Til I met this pretty little missile that shot me out the sky...

Now we’ve established that Jacob was a conniving, hustling, American Gangster-type dude. But it all fell apart when he met Rachel. He met her, kissed her and “wept aloud.” Now I haven’t read The Pimp Handbook or anything, but I’m pretty sure crying loudly is against the rules. Unless you are Prince. But that is sooo ‘80s. Then again, the scriptures say she was lovely & beautiful (v.17). Jacob worked for 7 years and, to him, it seemed like only a few days (v. 20). That’s how much he loved her.

I never thought I'd be in love like this/When I look at you my mind goes on a trip/Then you came in, and knocked me on my face/Feels like in I'm a race/But I already won first place...

The wedding day came, the wedding night came and…the next morning, Jacob wakes up next to Rachel’s ugly, older sister. Seems like good ol’ dad pulled the “fake-me-out” on Jacob. TKO. Talk about getting knocked down. What would you do?

Sometimes love comes around/And it knocks you down/Just get back up/When it knocks you down...
Jacob got back up. He didn’t dishonor Leah. And he worked 7 more years to make Rachel his wife. Now, this isn’t an entry about the implications of polygamy. That’s another blog. God blesses Jacob by giving him the love of his life. And God blesses Rachel by giving her a partner who thinks she hung the moon.

Can you imagine being treated like Celie in The Color Purple? When a man came to buy a cow, her father made this offer, “if you take Celie, I’ll give you the cow.” Her father didn’t see her beauty. And he doomed her to living with a spouse that didn’t love her. TKO. Talk about getting knocked down. What would you do?

Leah gets back up. God steps in and blesses Leah by making her the mother of 4 sons. Now, it is noteworthy that originally Leah was having children in hopes of winning over Jacob. (Rachel, though loved more, couldn’t have kids.) But in the end, she realized her children were a gift separate and apart from her marriage and she thanked God for each of them. She loved them and they loved her.

I never thought I'd fall for you as hard as I did/ You got me thinkin' bout our life our house and kids, Every mornin' I look at you and smile/'Cause boy you came around and you knocked me down...

Run This Town-Jay-Z

This entry is a little different. It’s about David & Goliath. Usually I use the passage of scripture to explain a song, but here, I think the song explains the passage. So I placed the lyrics between the scriptures. Jay-Z is narrating in green. Personally, I face "Goliaths" everytime the odds are stacked against me. Racism, sexism, classism and bad service at Starbucks are all issues that I channel David in order to deal effectively.

Feel it coming in the air/Hear the screams from everywhere I’m addicted to the the thrill/ It’s a dangerous love affair Can’t be scared when it goes down/ Got a problem, tell me now Only thing that’s on my mind/Is who gon’ run this town tonight Is who gon’ run this town tonight/We gon’ run this town

David and Goliath - 1 Samuel 17 (abbev.) David reached the army as it was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. Feel it coming in the air Hear the screams from everywhere. Goliath, the Philistine champion, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him in great fear. Can’t be scared when it goes down/ Got a problem, tell me now. David asked the men, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine? Who is [he] that he should defy the armies of the living God?"Only thing that’s on my mind/Is who gon’ run this town tonight. David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him." Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth."

But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this [man]will be like one of them. The God who delivered me from the lion and the bear will deliver me from this Philistine." I’m addicted to the thrill/It’s a dangerous love affair.

Life's a game and but its not fair,/ I break the rules so I don't care, So i keep doing my own thing,/Walking tall against the rain, Victory's within the mile,/ Almost there don't give up now, Only thing thats on my mind is who's gon run this town tonight, Who's gon run this town tonite?

Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. So I keep doing my own thing, Walking tall against the rain. "I cannot go in these," he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them." So he took them off.

Goliath looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. Life's a game and but its not fair, I break the rules so I don't care. David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword, but I come against you in the name of God, whom you have defied. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands."

Victory's within the mile, Almost there don't give up now. As the Philistine moved closer, David ran to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown. So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. We gon’ run this town.

I’m a Star- Jeremih (also, Lupe’s Superstar, Estelle’s Shine)

I thought I told yah... I'm a star/You see the ice... You see the cars
Flashy lights... Everywhere we are/Live the night... Like there's no tomorrow

The Jeremih version of This Lil' Light of Mine, I’m a Star is my new favorite cruising anthem. It has the feel that he’s tried to explain his awesomeness and we just haven’t gotten it yet. So, here is an entire song dedicated to how awesome he is. This is a song for the haters. I mean, shouldn’t you have gotten it by now? I was made in the image of God. I am pretty amazing. This is nothing new. It’s just new to you. There are so many signs around me pointing to how incredible I am. So where have you been?

We’ve all had doubters among us: The fellow student that is amazed by your ability to put a together sentence. The coworker that is “wowed” (and annoyed) by your problem-solving ability. The partner that extends his/her personal insecurities to include you.

The idea that we should be in touch with our own greatness is biblical. In fact, the idea that we are not great is an arrogance that opposes God’s view. If we are made in the likeness of God, there’s got to be something great about us, even if it is only the potential to be great. Each of us can greatly impact the world. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens…Dan 12:3 … you shine like stars in the universe Phil 2:14

And it’s not just that I am amazing, it is offensive that I should try NOT to shine. Marianne Williamson had it right when she asked “Who are we NOT to be great?”

You are the light of the world. Matthew 5:14

Jeremih is a star. We all are. Stars give light. But stars also should en-lighten? The rest of the song is dedicated to flaunting material wealth, fame & sexual prowess. Still, God speaks to me through this song. We use the greatness we can touch to understand the greatness we can't. I can’t understand the richness of peace. So I imagine having money in excess. I imagine not being driven by need. Now, I can start to understand peace. Sometimes, I can not be alone without the ache of loneliness. I imagine the perfect relationship. Now, I can see a glimpse of contentment without that need. I can’t imagine Divine love. So I imagine fame. I begin to see how big God’s love is.

I am only great because I am the reflection of something greater. Whenever I direct the world back to something greater than me, I am participating in something divine. The singer, the producer, the writer, the teacher, the grandmother—they are all breathtakingly beautiful because they show us a little piece of heaven. And each of us is the back light. Shine.

Successful – Drake

I want the money, money and the cars,
cars and the clothes, and the [women] I suppose
I just wanna be, I just wanna be successful

I think this song is supposed to be melancholy, but it’s just plain sad to me. It makes me teary. The vulnerability of Drake’s lyrics combined with a sense of longing are a strong combination. But, the things he wants are the things most of us want at some point. They stand out to me because they are all things Solomon had ( 1 Kg 3, II Chon 1).

The money - King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. I Kings 10:23 The cars- …accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses…I Kings 10:26 The clothes- I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. (ref. lilies) Mt 6:29 The [women]- He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. I Kings 11:1

Drake wants to be successful. There is a principle that says, “If you want to be successful, you must do the things that make you successful.” So what did Solomon do? I Kings 3

Solomon was made King and was given Pharaoh's daughter in marriage. Like many of us, he was given great things before he demonstrated his spirituality. He then sought God through church and offerings (v.3). God appeared to him and asked him. “Ask for whatever you want me to give you (v.5)." God never appeared to me like a genie in a bottle, but James 4:2 says that we don’t have things because we don’t ask. So God is definitely inviting us to ask. If you could ask for anything (and we can), then what would it be?

Solomon asked God for wisdom. v.9 God granted his request. But, since God likes to do things big, He added:

“Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.” So if Solomon was the wisest man that ever lived (v12), what advice does he have for Drake?

Drake complained: It's like I know what I got to say, I just don't know how to say it. Solomon prayed: But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. I Kg 3:7

Drake wants: Just enough [money] to solve your problems, too much will kill ya Solomon says: The wages of the righteous bring them life, but the income of the wicked brings them punishment Pr 10

Drake says: Dis me and you'll never hear a reply for it. Solomon agrees: He who holds his tongue is wise. Pr 10:19

Drake complains: "And even when the Phantom's leased [women] wanna get in" & "the fans of this freshman is about to get iffy. Proverbs says: The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends. Pr 14

Drake says: My girl loves me, but...my heart beats slow. And right now the tour bus is looking like a freak show. Solomon: ...loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. [They] turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted God, as the heart of David his father had been.

So while Drake wrestles with the implications of betraying his relationship with one woman, Soloman wrestled with betraying God.

Drake says: I know that it's comin' I just hope that I'm alive for it Solomon says: The fear (respect) of the LORD prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened. The hope of the righteous is gladness, But the expectation of the wicked perishes. Pr 10:27, 28

Drake says: I just wanna be successful Solomon says: The blessing of God brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it. Pr 10

Solomon wanted wisdom for success in governing. Drake wants success so he doesn’t have to struggle. Either way, God wants us to have success just as much as we want it to happen. “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer 29:11

God is on the Radio

The Absurdity of Divinity
God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 1 Cor 1:27

Part stray thoughts & part devotional, The Absurdity of Divinity is my attempt at sharing how God speaks to me through popular music. Why?

I believe the Creator created all things (Col 1:16). (That’s why we use the name “Creator”). If God created everything, then perhaps there is a piece of divinity in all things. For example, sometimes arrogance is attractive (as described in Beyonce & Kanye’s Ego). That’s because arrogance, in its purest form, is confidence. And confidence is the continual act of accepting God’s perspective of us—that we are made in the image of eternal, wonderful things. Now, arrogance in its impure form is extreme self-importance. But there could be no perversion of confidence if it hadn’t been created by God. In southern churches, the preachers often make this point: There are no counterfeit $3 bills. The implication is that, if you are going to counterfeit something, you are making a “fake-me-out” version of something real. Addiction is counterfeit happiness. I’m sure you have examples…

Music is beautiful & catchy even when it has a misguided message. And music is powerful. God is beautiful and powerful. So why can’t God speak through song? Please note that I’m not saying that everyone who has a song on the radio is spiritual. Or that they are not. I don’t know any of them. But if God can speak to Balaam through his donkey (Num 22:21), then He could speak through Souljaboy.

I’m going to spare you the obvious. (I mean, Indie Arie’s There’s Hope & Kanye’s Walk With Me have overt eternal themes.) If you know music, maybe you’ll see something new in the scriptures. If you know the scriptures, maybe you’ll gain an appreciation of the music of this generation. God chose the foolish things of this world to open our eyes to eternal wisdom. What’s more absurd than popular music? And what is wiser than God? Enjoy!

*As an aside, I am deeply disappointed in the words used for women in pop, R&B and hip-hop. It breaks my heart that there is so little discussion about relationships without name-calling. But if we knew better we’d probably do better.