Calibrated and Tuned

For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:12 (NLT)

A few years ago, I hired a tuner for my Baldwin upright piano. Over time, the strings had stretched, causing the piano to be out of tune. The keys were sticking due to friction and humidity, rubbing against each other.

Unlike piano tuners of the past who used a tuning fork, our tuner used a tuning app. Beginning with the middle A, he calibrated and adjusted the tension until each string was in harmony.

Ignoring the friction and sticking keys gradually brought about dissonance and sour notes. Had I ignored the obvious signs of wear and tear and continued to play the piano, it would have sustained damage from overstretched strings. Thankfully, the piano tuner corrected it, producing a notable improvement in sound. Even my husband, who is tone deaf, could hear a marked contrast after the tuner had finished tweaking the piano strings.

Something similar happens when we ignore the sour notes and sticky keys. We gradually accept them as ‘normal,’ although discordant with God’s Word. Thankfully, God loves us too much to allow us to continue to remain ‘out-of-tune.’ Proverbs 3:12 reminds us that God corrects each part of our lives that requires tuning. His Word is our middle A, our tuning standard, to which every part of our lives must be calibrated. One by one, He adjusts, stretches, and aligns parts of our hearts and minds until our lives are, once more, in harmony with His Word.

Prayer: Lord, I desire to live a life that is constantly in tune with your Word. Grant me discernment to hear when my life is out of tune. Correct me. Adjust my heart until it is entirely in alignment with yours. May my life be a pleasing harmony to you and those around me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Thought: “Do not have your concert first and then tune your instrument afterwards. Begin the day with the Word of God and prayer and get first of all into harmony with Him.” – James Hudson Taylor