This morning as I flipped to a new page in my Snoopy calendar, I was filled with a moment of joy to see that it was based exactly on what I had woken up dwelling on. Joy? In spite of anxiety? I’ll include the Snoopy picture at the bottom but he was reminding me that more than wealth or even power, joy comes from a song in the heart.
I had another song in mind when I woke up but this Snoopy picture, reminded me of a song I sung years ago in a trio. It is telling us that no matter the circumstances we can have a song in our heart. We can pray and ask God to put that song there.
You can have a melody down in your heart,
When it’s aching, almost breaking.
Even tho’ the sorrow makes the teardrop start,
You can have a melody down in your heart.
Matthew 5:4 reminds us that we may be sorrowful but we have a comfort. “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” Jesus spoke these words and He knew that He was on earth to save our eternal souls and be our eternal comfort.
Do not let your worries drive your song away,
Though tomorrow brings its sorrow,
Just remember after night time comes the day.
Do not let your worries drive your song away.
This was a difficult task for me yesterday. We have had a rough week not only in our home (with health, etc.) but also hearing a dear friend far away receiving a difficult cancer diagnosis. Not being in our home church with our church family is hard. As people we are inherently “fixers.” We want to make things better.
Sometimes we can’t which leads to anxiety, fear, despair even and tears. It took a few hours of listening to and singing along with some great men’s quartets, yesterday, to remind my spirit that the Holy Spirit was with us and with our friends. God would show us the plan He was preparing in His time and His name would be praised. “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.” (James 5:13)
Soon the night will pass and morning brings the day;
I am longing for its dawning,
Until then we’ll labor here and watch and pray,
Soon the night will pass and morning bring the day.
In reference to us wanting to fix things, it is so hard to wait on God to see what His will is. We want things done in our own time plan but it may be that we have to wait a very long time and the outcome produced be something very different than we thought. Adoniram Judson was a missionary to Burma (now Myanmar) and he persevered on for 8 years before he saw his first convert.
Eight years he preached and worked with the people. God had a plan. He buried two wives in his time there as a missionary. He suffered much and probably had many questions for God but he didn’t quit and he didn’t lose his faith. Judson did not walk away. He waited on God and the blessings came. They always do. I have often reminded myself of Psalm 30:5, “…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
So when can we sing? When is the song going to be in our heart? Why would we want to stop singing and praising God when just waking up and breathing is a blessing. Having the life He has given us means we get to go out and be a joy and blessing to others. When I want to crash down in despair and stop singing, I am reminded of the blessing I have just being a child of God’s.
You can have a song in your heart in the night
After every trial, after every mile.
Anyone can sing when the sun is shining bright,
But you need a song in your heart at the night.
Go forth and sing today, tonight and always even if it is barely above a whisper. Get the songs of praise to a wonderful God going. He knows your deepest care. God sees and understands the path we are walking. Jesus has lived this life like we are living and completely understands.
