In the Hands of the Master Musician

The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7 NIV)

Experienced guitar players know that it’s actually impossible to tune even the best-quality guitars to produce perfect pitch in every note and chord everywhere along the fret board. One luthier (guitar maker) got so annoyed by constantly struggling with this inherent weakness in guitars that he decided to create a guitar that eliminated the problem altogether. The “true temperament guitar” with the crooked frets is what he came up with.

Of what significance is this to us? At first glance, it could seem that only ignorance or incompetence would produce a guitar with such obviously misshapen frets. And yet the guitar produces a strikingly more harmonious sound than the so-called proper-looking guitar.

Isn’t this so with us? The Bible tells us that what looks right and proper to the natural man might not be fit for God’s use; in fact, the opposite might be true.

With all our weaknesses and faults, we might feel imperfect and twisted like the frets of the true temperament guitar; but in the hands of the Master Musician, we can make beautiful melodies for Him. When we believe ourselves to be good and “straight” in our own righteousness our sound can actually become slightly out of harmony and dissonant, resulting in a less attractive melody.

God allows us to be as imperfect as we are for a purpose, so that we are more useful to help those around us, and He gets the glory for our harmony with His tune. —George Sosich [1]

What exists and happens is created, conducted, and filled with meaning by God. —Romano Guardini

[1] Activated The Guitar Lesson