Jimmy Buffet ministered to me last week. I’m not kidding, it’s true. While I was already familiar with and enjoyed some of his songs, I’ve never even owned a Jimmy Buffet album. On a trip with some friends who had brought along one of his albums, they played a song and – bang! – it hit me right between the eyes as a message from Jesus.
The lyrics are from his song “Barometer Soup” and say:
Follow in my wake, You’ve not that much at stake,
For I have plowed the seas, And smoothed the troubled waters.
Come along, let’s have some fun, The hard work has been done,
We’ll barrel roll into the sun – just for starters.
I know some will reject the idea that God could speak to me through a Jimmy Buffet song. After all, “it’s secular music” they may protest. But I don’t’ care. I know what I know and I know that I heard the voice of Jesus in the message of that song. The Bible says that the earth is the Lord’s and all that’s in it. (Psalm 24:1) I guess that includes C.D.s recorded by Jimmy Buffet.
I like the verse in John 11:51 where the Bible tells us something Caiphas said about one man dying for the whole nation of Israel. The verse says: “He didn’t say this of his own accord, but as Chief Priest that year, he unwittingly prophesied that Jesus was about to die sacrificially for the nation.” He unwittingly said something motivated by God. Imagine that.
Can God move through the talents, abilities, words and actions of people today and cause them to unwittingly say or do something that might have deeper meaning to Christians than they even know or intend? I believe that He can and does.
Dead religion tries to put God in a box and allow us to only meet Him there. But God won’t fit in the box. His life and love come bursting out all over the universe to those who have eyes to see. I love seeing and hearing Him in unexpected places. It’s a thrill when He hides His voice from the world and allows His chosen ones to hear Him in unsuspecting places where the world doesn’t even recognize it’s Him.
I like “Christian music” as much as the next guy, but I’d encourage you to expand your borders and look and listen – really look and listen. You might be surprised at where you hear your Savior’s voice.
I need to run now. I hear Jimmy calling.
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