A New Song

When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."  The LORD has done great things for us, And we are glad. Psalm 126:1-3 NKJV

“God isn’t pleased by our being miserable.” A.W. Tozer

We all go through times of sadness, sorrow, and tears. God draws close to us in tenderness during those times. But God does not want us to live a tear-filled life. Tears are for the night, but joy comes in the morning. The Bible tells us to “Rejoice evermore.” God wants His song to be in our hearts and His praise to be on our lips. We are to bless the Lord at all times. It brings life to our spirits to walk in the joy of the Lord. It is the Lord who gives us a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; it is the Lord who is the lifter of our heads; it is the Lord who brings us fullness of joy.

The following story is a testimony of how God brought back His song into someone’s life.

For many years I was known as one with a song on my heart and praise on my lips.  I'd find myself singing as I did my work at my parents’ business and the customers loved it.  One day that song disappeared.  Yes, it was there on rare occasions but as a rule my heart turned silent.  Silent.  Customers would come in and tell me I wasn't singing, some would leave disappointed that not even one snatch had been caught on my lips.  Others would linger just a little longer in hopes that melody would ring from my lips. Yet, so often it remained silent. There were times they would ask me to sing by special request but my heart was not in it.
 
For approximately 5 years that once swelling voice was often silent with no desire to sing.  I don't fully understand the dynamics of that time.  Those years were a very difficult season with numerous deaths of dreams, increased responsibilities, very difficult changes and situations.  During that time I started attending a church known for vocal quality and training.  I didn't have the training many of them had received, so instead of entering in, I withdrew out of fear and intimidation. I was also no longer a part of a group which regularly met to sing since I had started attending another church.  Somehow in it all my song was squelched. 
 
This Spring God opened a gateway of praise for me to walk into a meadow of rejoicing, along with a year of Jubilee.  On Sunday, April 26, I was out of town and attended church with friends of mine. That Sunday the pastor was preaching on "The Joy of the Lord."  As he taught on Psalm 98:4, I knew my heart needed to be released to again be able to burst forth with jubilant song.   God told me in essence, be silent no more, break forth into jubilant song, release your heart in praise to ME, the one who has redeemed you. Following the service a number of friends joined me up front praying that I would be released to have my song return.  It did.  The joy of Jesus, the love of Jesus and praise to God have been returning to my heart more and more.  God has released the troubled heart that held the song captive.  He has given a new song in my heart, one which swells up with sweet praise, as I allow His Spirit to flow though me bringing glory back to Him.  I testify with the psalmist in Psalm 40:2-4,  "He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.  He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the LORD."  NKJV
 
Singing His praise while anticipating more,
Linda L. Miller

 

“Whatever He says to you, do it.”

I dream almost every night and usually I have more than one dream. Most of them vanish from my thoughts a few brief moments after I awake. Once in a while I will have a dream that stays in my thoughts and leaves with me with a sense that God has been saying something to me. I had such a dream a few weeks ago. Let me tell you about it.

In the dream, a man was in his office when his boss walked in. The boss went up to the man and gave him a simple task to do. It was a task that would only take a few minutes to fulfill and there was nothing about it that was complicated or confusing. When the boss left, the man got up from his chair and immediately starting scurrying around his office wanting to prove to his boss what a good worker he was. As he scurried, the man frantically started gathering things up in his arms. Little by little the load in his arms got so big that he could not possibly hold another thing. At that moment the boss returned to the man’s office and could not believe the load of things that was in the man’s hands. When the boss looked at the man’s face he saw an expression that said, “See all that I am willing to do for you. I hope you are pleased with me.” At that moment the boss drew close to the man and looked straight into his eyes. With a compassionate but firm voice the boss said, “Stop and look at me. I want you to listen to what I am about to say. It’s not about what you do; it’s about what you have been asked to do.” It was at that point that my dream ended and I awoke.

That statement has not left me since that time. It has helped to bring greater understanding to the Scripture passages that speak about obedience. One of those passages is 1 Samuel 15. In this passage we discover that Saul was given a very clear command from the Lord. Saul did what the Lord commanded him, but not fully. Saul added something that God did not tell him to do. When Samuel confronted Saul with his disobedience, Saul tried to explain. Samuel was not impressed with Saul’s explanation and told Saul, “Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice…”1 Samuel 15:22

What is the best thing we can do as we follow the Lord? The answer is simple. The best thing we can do is what we have been asked to do. God does not want us to complicate things or put our own spin on it. Not doing what God asks us to do is disobedience, but adding something to what God has asked us to do is also disobedience. Let us walk with Him daily in simple trust and full obedience of faith.

When the Apostle Paul first met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he asked a very simple question; “What do you want me to do?” Paul spent the rest of his life doing what Jesus asked him to do. What is Jesus asking you to do? How does He want you to spend this day? As you do what He asks, you will find His grace to be sufficient, His strength to be abundant, His provision to be complete, His peace to be abiding, and His presence to be enough.

“Whatever He says to you, do it.” John 2:5

Lord, take control of this day, whatever you
want is what I want to do—I may not understand it
but I want you to tell me what you want of me.
This day I am turning over to you my thoughts, my
plans, my family, my work—everything.

His timing is always perfect, precise, and exact.
He is always on time. He may change our schedules
because our schedules don’t match up to His—His
thoughts and ways are higher than ours. When
He makes changes, sometimes we feel like the rug’s
been pulled out from underneath us, but that’s okay
because we are to live in the Spirit. It’s an exciting
life…when you are living in the Spirit, God can do
anything He wants at any moment of our day.

-Beverly Lessin

There is some plan for each day's work, which He will unfold to us if only we will look up to Him to do so; some mission to fulfill, some ministry to perform, some lesson patiently to learn, that we may be able to reach others. As to our plans we need not be anxious, because He who sends us forth is reponsible to make the plan according to His infinite wisdom, and to reveal it to us.

-F.B. Meyer

Continue your service under all changes. Continue in your calling as the Lord's servant until He suddenly appears in His glory.

-C.H. Spurgeon