“When the LORD
restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was
filled with laughter, and our tongues with shouts of joy; then they said among
the nations, ‘The LORD has done great things for them.’ The LORD has done great
things for us; we are glad. “Psalm 126: 1-3
This psalm I
understand. It spoke straight to my heart.
The Israelites were returning to the Promise Land. They had been delivered from their
enemies. Again. Their deliverance happened so quickly that
they barely had time to register that they were free. Surely they thought, “This must be a dream!”
As they slowly began to realize the truth their mouths were filled with
laughter and their tongues with shouts of Joy.
I can hear the celebrating in my mind.
Psalm 137: 1-3 also talks about the time of Babylon captivity “By the
waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres. For there our captors required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!
Nothing would be
more crushing to my soul than if somebody not only took music from me but made
me sing my music out of spite and ridicule. Music of my country, my heritage,
and my family made a complete mockery of. It infuriates me when I see other countries
mocking “The Star-Spangled Banner”. It
also makes me angry when people try to improve or sing their own version of
the National Anthem. No, the National
Anthem cannot be improved. It is perfect the way it is. The Song of our country is beautiful and it
can’t be improved.
What if we woke up
tomorrow and it was gone. What if it became illegal to sing the songs of our
country? “The National Anthem”, “America
the Beautiful”, “God Bless the USA”, and “My Country Tis of Thee” were all
banned from our mouths? This is just a
small illustration of what the Israelites must have been experiencing. I can
picture the Israelites walking underneath those trees and looking up longingly
at those harps. Their fingers would be itching
to play and their voices desperate for a song.
They had to keep walking on by. I just know the day of their freedom a
group of them went running to those willow trees and cut those harps down so
quickly. Their music would be filling up
the land for the first time in 400 years. Oh what a Glorious Day it must have
been! (yes I know this is figurative)
Over the span of my
life I have played many instruments and have sung in many choirs. I picked up the flute in 5th grade
and played my way through college on a flute scholarship. Music is what brought me through a difficult
childhood. I dove myself into it and let
it carry me away. There are so many
people that know exactly what I am talking about. Music is a powerful thing. So many times a song has been able to express
the words/feelings I could not express myself.
So many times I have been moved to tears by music. Music can make me
jump to my feet and dance, or make me calm and reflective. It can cater to my every mood. I believe I have more music stuck in my head
than anything else. Thousands of songs are there and I can recall them in a
second. Most people can hear a few bars
of music and know exactly what television show it belongs to. What would a
movie be without music? What would life
be without music?
Every day you can
hear me whistling or singing. Much to my husband’s dismay something in our home
is always playing music. Richard’s
first indicator that something is bothering me is silence. Only a few times have I experienced sorrow
that was so overpowering, it stifled the music right out of me. Sorrow so deep that silence was my only
desired company. Times when I hung my harp
in the willow tree.
Seven years ago my
life shattered into a million pieces. For
a year and a half I had to rely on the mercy of others just to live. It was a devastating time for me. In addition to this shattering of my life I lost two grandparents, deep family skeletons were brought into the light, and a serious relationship in my life had ended abruptly. I felt the enemy was choking the life out of
me. I spent every day for an entire year
praying for deliverance. I felt surrounded and hopeless.. When my deliverance came, my mouth was filled
with laughter and my tongue with shouts of joy! The LORD had most definitely
done great things for me. My music had been returned to me and it was more beautiful and precious than ever.
I know no matter
what happens in my life I can rest in the promises of God. The LORD will bind the brokenhearted, will
proclaim liberty to the captives, and freedom for the prisoners…and comfort to
those who mourn. (Isaiah 61:1-2) We all will experience sorrow. Some of you are
experiencing it now. Your harps are hung
so high in those trees you can barely see them and they have been there a long
time. Some of you hung your own harps;
while others had theirs ripped from their hands and nailed to that tree. Sorrow most definitely hurts. Couple it with
guilt or betrayal, and that sorrow runs much deeper. I can give a hundred verses about comfort and
sorrow but I am not going to. All I can
assure you is that one day you will stand in the throne room and “He will wipe away every tear from your
eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor
crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation
21:4. All things will be made new. This gives us hope for the future.
“And now, dear brothers and sisters,
one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right,
and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and
worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8
That my dear friends is something
excellent. I am praying for you whose hearts are broken and shattered. Whose
beauty has been turned to ashes. Those who go to bed weeping and wake up sobbing.
Praying you find rest and peace in the presence of Christ. He is the only one who can turn your mourning
into dancing. Who can turn your sorrow into music. He is the only one who can take your harp out of that willow tree.
In Christ,
Amber
