From the Desk of a Geek: The Delta

From the Desk of a  Geek:

The Delta

I don't consider myself a "blues-man" although I've been spending alot of my extra time researching The Blues, and the men and women who became legends because of the blues for an upcoming podcast.

Artist like "Son" House, Muddy Waters,

John Lee Hooker, Mamie Smith,

Blind Lemon Jefferson, and the great 

Robert johnson.

Delta blues is one of the earliest-known styles of blues. It originated in the Mississippi Delta, and is regarded as a regional variant of country blues. Guitar and harmonica are its dominant instruments; slide guitar is a hallmark of the style. 

Vocal styles in Delta blues range from introspective and soulful to passionate and fiery.

There are many legendary folklore that go with the blues, one in particular is the story of Robert Johnson and his deal with the devil down at the old crossroads.

Legend says that, as a young man living on a plantation in rural Mississippi, Johnson had a tremendous desire to become a great blues musician. 

Johnson was instructed to take his guitar to a crossroad near Dockery Plantation at midnight.

 There he met the Devil who took the guitar and tuned it. The Devil played a few songs and then returned the guitar to Johnson, giving him mastery of the instrument. 

This story of a deal with the Devil at the crossroads mirrors the legend of Faust. In exchange for his soul, Johnson was able to create the blues for which he became famous.

We all have bad days, and we all feel like singing the blues but how we categorise our bad days as such depends on our individual outlook. 

For some of us a rainy day and getting splashed by a car on our way to work is all it takes to doom the day ahead. But for others a bad night's sleep, transport delays, a wardrobe malfunction and an unforeseen work emergency would not be enough to dampen their spirits.

Regardless of how much or how little it takes for us to feel fed up with our day, the prospect of a new day brings with it exceptional hope. It means a clean slate, a fresh start and a chance to begin again.

In a similar way but on a much greater scale, as Christians, our relationship with Christ offers the same things. 

Even our best days before we came to know Christ could appear to be not really that good once we come to know Christ. 

But once we open our hearts to Him, even our bad days could become some of our best.

When we let the Lord lead us we have so much to look forward to. And that goes for here and now and in heaven.

But sometimes the scary stuff that's happening all around us can make it hard to see the glory that God brings. During times like these, it's comforting to hear His voice and flood our thoughts with His ability to bring about a new day and a new us.

If you're having a bad day, spending some time meditating over any number of the following pieces of Scripture can help to lift your mood. 

Even if you're not going through a bad time at the moment, these Bible verses could help a friend who is. If you can think of someone who's down today or in the days to come, why not share these uplifting and optimistic biblical extracts with them?

Psalm 30:5 — "For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favour lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning."

Ecclesiastes 7:14 — "When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future."

John 16:33 — "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Lamentations 3:22-23 — "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Lonnie