Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night. – Psalm 1:1-2

As I write this, I am listening to some of the Psalms set to music, exquisitely arranged and sung by flawless voices. These songs give me instant peace, and the fact that the words are right out of Scripture makes them a perfect way to start the day. Part of me wants this to be the soundtrack of my life. I love it.

And another part of me hates that I love it. This whole album was created with AI.

Much has been written about the dangers of AI and its potential for evil. As I sit listening to these gorgeous songs with Bible verses for lyrics, I was both blessed and conflicted. What does God think of what I’m doing?

I can’t answer that question definitively, but I can tell you my train of thought as I debated whether I should keep listening and meditating or delete the thing.

I found myself wondering what it would have been like to live in other times, when other innovations changed the way Christians did things, and wondering whether or not they questioned God’s approval as I was doing. I was reminded that centuries ago Bibles were extremely rare, because they were handwritten by monks who devoted their entire days – their entire lives – to copying manuscripts all day, every day. With the advent of the printing press the Bible was the first work to be “mass produced.” Did believers feel conflicted about reading Scripture that wasn’t written by hand? Was that somehow considered illegitimate?

There was a time when it wasn’t even considered proper for “common” people to be reading the Bible at all. Scripture was read aloud in Latin, and a tiny minority of men told the congregation what it said and what it meant. A few brave men believed that ordinary people should be able to understand the Word of God, not just the elites. These men translated Scripture into the language of the masses, and they suffered consequences from a Church that considered translating the Bible an offense punishable by death.

Fast forward to the 21st Century: The first time I saw a bunch of young people staring at their cell phones during the Sunday sermon, my thoughts were … less than gracious. Then I realized that these kids had a Bible app on their phones and were following along with the Scripture reading. Is God okay with that? I don’t think that would work with me, because the moment I turn on my phone, there would be notifications of all my text messages, emails, Facebook posts, YouTube shorts, etc., and my ADD brain would be off and running in all directions. But for people who aren’t like me, who can actually focus – hey, why not? They can have their Bibles with them all the time, unlike me, with my 10-pound study Bible and all the papers that come spilling out the moment I open it.

Every new innovation, it seems, is like money. Money is neutral. Can it be an idol? Yes. Can it be used for evil? Definitely! But can it be used for the kingdom of God? Absolutely! The internet has brought about an explosion of information, misinformation, inspiration, bad influences, good, evil, truth, lies, and whatever a person chooses to use it for on any given day.

It would seem, then, that since AI isn’t going anywhere, we Christians may as well take hold of it and use it to minister to believers and unbelievers alike. (For instance, I was told, after spending a ridiculous amount of money to have one of my books translated, that I could have done it through AI for little or nothing.)

And so, I am still listening to these incredibly beautiful songs about God, His steadfastness, His grace, His power …

I would be very interested in the response of my fellow believers, so please do let me know in the comments what your thoughts are on this newest innovation.

Prayer: Dear Lord, as Man is continuously coming up with new ways to make our lives easier, better, more diverse, more entertaining, and more complicated, help us to keep our focus on You and what You have called each of us to do. May we not be frightened by the newest innovations, but rather see them through the lens of heaven, either to be used to glorify You or discarded as needless distractions. Give us the mind of Christ in a world that clamors for our attention every minute of every day; make us vigilant, for Your sake and in Your name. Amen.