Keep Singing

 I have the devotional book Amazing Grace 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories by Kenneth W. Osbeck.  As I was reading the history behind one of our most classic, beloved hymns, I realized that a lot of the hymns we sing today were written by those with either great victories in their lives, or they were written with grief stricken hearts because of a tragedy that had occurred in their lives.   I thought about that for a moment and had to ask myself, "In the most heart wrenching moments of my life, do I reflect music in my soul?  When I'm hurting the most, do I want to sing?  Do I praise God in ALL of life's circumstances?"  It's easy to do when we are happy and things are going well, but what about when things aren't going so well?  It was a sobering thought.

In Psalm 137:2-4 While in captivity the Bible says, "We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.  For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.  How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?  Depression closed the mouths of the Redeemed. 

But yet there is another account in the Bible over in Acts 16:23-25.  It says, "And when they had laid many striped upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:  Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.  And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them."

What a difference singing and Praising God made!  Paul and Silas had been beaten and imprisoned, but in their hearts they were free!  Free from the circumstances that had them in physical shackles!  And then God freed them literally.  And not only did God refresh the souls of Paul and Silas through their singing, He brought Salvation to the hearers!  Isn't it amazing what a song will do in the hearts of those singing, and in the hearts of those who hear the song?

C.H. Spurgeon once said, "In the absence of all other joys, the joy of the Lord can fill the soul to the brim."

No matter what circumstance you may be in right now, Keep Singing!

But that's just me!