A Call for Repentance - Day 37: Forgive me Lord for “hanging up my harp” in times of trouble.

“By the rivers of Babylon, There we [captives] sat down and wept, When we remembered Zion [the city God imprinted on our hearts]. On the willow trees in the midst of Babylon We hung our harps. For there they who took us captive demanded of us a song with words, And our tormentors [who made a mockery of us demanded] amusement, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” How can we sing the LORD’S song In a strange and foreign land?”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭137:1-4‬ ‭AMP‬‬

During the daytime, we are often so busy that some of our worries, some of our pain, is briefly forgotten for lack of the mental/emotional “bandwidth” for it.

However, for many people, when night comes, when quietness falls, all of their worries, all of their concerns, catch up to them. Sleepless nights, or fitful sleep, result because of the loudness of their trouble.

Sadly, sometimes night falls in the middle of the day. Truly, when great trouble strikes, when a crisis stops you where you stand, even though the sun may be shining bright, it’s midnight in your soul.

Such seems to be the case for the psalmist inspired to write the following:

“Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you— even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mount Mizar. I hear the tumult of the raging seas as your waves and surging tides sweep over me. But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭42‬:‭5‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In the midst of some kind of soul-wrenching trouble, the psalmist makes it through the night by singing songs of God’s greatness and goodness.

In our opening scripture, we find some poignant words describing the grief of being under the judgment of God.

Indeed, the children of Israel found themselves in exile because of their disobedience and rebellion to God. Now they find themselves being asked to render a song of Zion, their captor’s way of mocking their pathetic state.

Friend, have you hung up your harp? Has trouble taken your song away?

Let’s consider: Has your trouble changed the fact that God is worthy to be praised? Has your trouble erased the goodness you have experienced from His hand?

Let me encourage you by reminding you that God is the One who gives us a song in the night. We access that song by remembering His goodness, His faithfulness, His love, His care, and His keeping, even when we are experiencing a dark night of trouble.

Indeed, we are taught to praise the Lord in all situations. You see, God is always God. So, no matter what we are going through, He is still worthy of our praise.

“Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We must remember that our joy cannot, must not, be contingent upon our circumstances. Rather, our reason to be joyful must be based on the goodness and greatness of our God and King!

Let’s repent for allowing our circumstances to rob us, to make us forget, our reason to sing.

Let’s no longer wait. Let’s pick up our harps and sing until our dark night flees as the day dawns!

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

#callforrepentance

#resolveforhim