Is your landscape starting to look foreign? With head-spinning changes, escalating evil all around, pervasive hardship, and seemingly impossible suffering? I’ve had that kind of week as I write this. Many of us have. Psalms 137 and 138 have been the Lord’s gift to me this week.
God’s people, exiled into the foreign land of Babylon for their sinful ways, a most-evil of places, fought to remember what it was like before, in the good old days. Psalm 137 gives us their longing for suffering to end. Weeping in captivity, they’d hung up their lyres. Singing was over; they were emotionally and physically “done.”
As I read these Psalms, I wondered if remembering might be a way to sing the Lord’s song when we’re living through this fallen world’s inherent trials. Let’s interrupt our suffering with remembering this week.
Sing to remember His glorious end of the story, His new creation
O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed (Ps. 137:8)…
Our Alpha and Omega has a grand kingdom plan. His perfect creation fell into sin in Genesis 3; suffering and death entered our world. But Jesus has come to redeem sinners, He’s creating His bride, and one day? He will return to judge and destroy this sin-infested world, restoring all things back to perfection. We who are His new creations (2 Cor. 5:17) are fitting into His perfect plan, His perfect timing, His perfect way. On this side of the cross, we can sing by gathering hope for our hearts in this foreign land…remembering His promise for how this will all end.
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Rev. 21:5 ESV).
My life flows on in endless song;
Above Earth’s lamentation,
I catch the sweet, tho’ far-off, hymn
That hails a new creation;
Thro’ all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul–
How can I keep from singing?
(“How Can I Keep From Singing,” Anon., P.D.)
Remember what He’s doing as we suffer…right now
I am with you always, to the end of the age (Mt. 28:20 ESV)
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me (Ps. 23:4 ESV).
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you (Is. 43:1-2 ESV).
What tho’ my joys and comforts die?
The Lord my Savior liveth;
What tho’ the darkness gather round?
Songs in the night he giveth.
Sing to remember our unchanging Lord’s character
I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness(Ps. 138:2 ESV).
Your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever (Ps. 138:8 ESV).
For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly (Ps. 138:6 ESV).
Remember the soul-strength He’s given in past times of suffering
On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased (Ps. 138:3 ESV).
I lift my eyes, the cloud grows thin;
I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway smooths,
Since first I learned to love it.
Sing to remember what He will give to us today, tomorrow, forever
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me (Ps. 138:7 ESV).
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (Jn. 14:27 ESV).
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
A fountain ever springing;
All things are mine since I am his—
How can I keep from singing?
Sing the LORD’s song to remember
I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise (Ps. 138:1 ESV).
Father, into today’s challenges, help me to remember and praise You for what is true. Please give me Your soul-strength because I’m a newly created soul who You have redeemed (Ps. 71:23). The song of my life’s story includes suffering I would not have desired. But it’s a song that melts my soul into Your Word, a song that draws me to You in prayer, a song that reminds me that life is actually an endless and eternal song. Even through my tears and sighs, how can I keep from singing? Because Christ is Lord of heaven and earth…and it’s in His precious name I pray, amen.
Beloved in Christ, with a hurting heart of fresh grief this week, I’ve created a YouTube playlist to remember, to help us to sing as we pray to our glorious Lord. It’s a playlist to interrupt suffering by singing truths of His Word to our souls. It is filled with Scriptural songs and it’s inspired by music therapy principles, assisting each of us in our sufferings of mind, body, and emotion. If it would bless you to receive this gift, sign up here and I’ll send it to your email.
