PSALMS 137:1-4
I. GOD GIVES US A NEW SONG
TEXT: Ps. 40:1-3
1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings,
3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
When I came to Jesus, when I responded to His call, He reached down into the depths of sin and lifted me up and put my feet on the rock Christ Jesus and He put a new song in my heart. He gave me a new perspective, He gave me a new outlook, old things have passed away and all things became new. He took away a bitter attitude and replaced it with joy. He took away fear and gave me peace. He put a new song in my heart; “I'll tell it where 'er I go for I want the whole world to know, I'm glad that He loved me so and He lifted me out!”
I used to sing, Gloom despair and agony on me. But now I sing, He set me free, He set me free. I used to sing, I'm back in black. But now I sing He's coming back. I used to sing Don't let the sun go down on me. But now I sing, He who the Son sets free is free indeed.
He put a new song in my heart. It's a song of joy unspeakable and full of glory. It's of song of “peace, peace, wonderful peace, coming down from the Father above.” God gave me this song. The world didn't give it and the world can't take it away.
The devil can't stand this song. To him it's like running your fingernails across a blackboard. When we sing of the glories of the Lord it sets the devils teeth on edge. And he will do everything he can to shut you up. But you need to set your feet on the rock look the devil in the eye, and say: “Devil...You can't have my song!!!!”
II. BUT WHAT ABOUT WHEN I DON'T FEEL LIKE SINGING?
David said many will see in me the change, they'll hear the song and the victory in my life and because of the song God gave me, many will trust God. That's why the devil wants to steal your song. He knows if he can steal your song, he can steal your joy. And if he can steal your joy, he has stolen your strength. And if he can steal your strength, he can steal your victory. That's why he brings situations against you that will tempt you to stop singing.
But what about those times when you don't feel like singing? Psalm 137 verses 1 through 4 ask that question.
1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
3 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.
4 How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?
Here's a situation where it seems the enemy taunted the Jews. They were slaves in a foreign land. And the enemy says, “Now sing one of those songs.”
Maybe you've been there. Your husband comes in and says, “I'm leaving you and the kids.” And the devil says, “Now sing your song.” The doctor says it's cancer. And the devil stands taunting you saying, “Sing you song now!” Your baby dies, your boss hands you a pink slip, your teenager runs away from home....and the devil dares you to sing. What do you do when you don't feel like singing?
Do what Job did. He lost his wealth, he lost his children, he lost health and his so-called friends sat accusing him of sin. What did Job do? He sang a song, “Though after the skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another...”
Job's attitude was, “I don't understand why. And I don't know for how long. But this one thing I do know. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord. And devil...you can't have my song?”
III SING ANYWAY
Psalm 137 asks the question, “How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?”
Psalm 138 answers the question:
1 I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
What's he saying? He's saying that even if I am in a strange land where people worship false gods, I'm not going to stop singing. I'll stand before the idols and I'll sing unto Jehovah. I may not be able to get to Jerusalem and to the temple, but I'll turn myself and look in the direction of the temple and I'll sing anyhow.
We need to hear this today.. This world is not our home. We are strangers and pilgrims just a passin' through. We live in a land that worships man and his creations. We live in a time where sin abounds and iniquity increases. But that does not mean we have to stop singing. We need to stand on the Rock and lift our heads toward the heavenly Jerusalem and sing before the gods of this world. With the scoffers looking on, we need to keep on singing. With the laws being passed to silence us, we need to keep on singing. With the forces of hell unleashed against us, we need to keep on singing.
Paul and Silas were in prison. Their backs were a mass of open sores and coagulating blood. Their hands and feet were in stocks. We could understand that they began to pray. But after they had prayed, they began to sing. What did they sing? I don't know. Maybe they sang, “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want...yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil...thou preparest a table before me in the midst of mine enemies, thou anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over.”
We need to have the attitude of Paul and Silas. They were in severe pain and no doubt some inner termoil. But they refuse to let the devil have their song. There attitude was: “You may take my freedom, you may take my health,....you may take my wealth, BUT DEVIL...YOU CAN'T HAVE MY SONG.”
You may have to sing through tear stained eyes. You may have to sing through pain and suffering. You may have to sing through some dark clouds. You may have to sing through some times of question. But keep on singing, keep on praising, keep on worshipping. Even when you don't feel like singing, sing anyway. Like Paul and Silas, you'll find the earth shaking and prison doors of fear and doubt swinging open to liberate you in the Spirit of God.
Paul knew that if you won't stop singing, victory waits around the corner. That's why he admonishes the church at Ephesus, “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. (Eph. 5:18,19).
IV JESUS THE SUPREME EXAMPLE
MT.26:30 AND WHEN THEY HAD SUNG A HYMN, THEY WENT OUT INTO THE MOUNT OF OLIVES.
Of all the examples we could point to for encouragement not to stop singing our song, the supreme example has to be Christ.
He never stopped singing. In the garden, in the shadow of the cross He sings, “Not my will but thine be done.” They pluck He beard, they reject Him and beat Him and nail Him to a cross, and the devil though he had silenced the song, but from the cross He sings, “Forgive them Father, they know not what they do.” He dies on the cross, He is buried and the tomb is sealed and the devil thinks he has silenced His song. But on the third day the tomb burst open with Jesus robed in splendor and He's singing, “Ain't no grave gonna hold my body down.” He said, “Devil...you can't have my song, and I'm gonna give this song to my children, and you can't have their song either.
And because Jesus never stopped singing, He gave us a song that we never have to stop singing. And one day we will join the heavenly host and sing a song the angels cannot sing, “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I'm found, was blind but now I see.”
I. GOD GIVES US A NEW SONG
TEXT: Ps. 40:1-3
1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings,
3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
When I came to Jesus, when I responded to His call, He reached down into the depths of sin and lifted me up and put my feet on the rock Christ Jesus and He put a new song in my heart. He gave me a new perspective, He gave me a new outlook, old things have passed away and all things became new. He took away a bitter attitude and replaced it with joy. He took away fear and gave me peace. He put a new song in my heart; “I'll tell it where 'er I go for I want the whole world to know, I'm glad that He loved me so and He lifted me out!”
I used to sing, Gloom despair and agony on me. But now I sing, He set me free, He set me free. I used to sing, I'm back in black. But now I sing He's coming back. I used to sing Don't let the sun go down on me. But now I sing, He who the Son sets free is free indeed.
He put a new song in my heart. It's a song of joy unspeakable and full of glory. It's of song of “peace, peace, wonderful peace, coming down from the Father above.” God gave me this song. The world didn't give it and the world can't take it away.
The devil can't stand this song. To him it's like running your fingernails across a blackboard. When we sing of the glories of the Lord it sets the devils teeth on edge. And he will do everything he can to shut you up. But you need to set your feet on the rock look the devil in the eye, and say: “Devil...You can't have my song!!!!”
II. BUT WHAT ABOUT WHEN I DON'T FEEL LIKE SINGING?
David said many will see in me the change, they'll hear the song and the victory in my life and because of the song God gave me, many will trust God. That's why the devil wants to steal your song. He knows if he can steal your song, he can steal your joy. And if he can steal your joy, he has stolen your strength. And if he can steal your strength, he can steal your victory. That's why he brings situations against you that will tempt you to stop singing.
But what about those times when you don't feel like singing? Psalm 137 verses 1 through 4 ask that question.
1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
3 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.
4 How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?
Here's a situation where it seems the enemy taunted the Jews. They were slaves in a foreign land. And the enemy says, “Now sing one of those songs.”
Maybe you've been there. Your husband comes in and says, “I'm leaving you and the kids.” And the devil says, “Now sing your song.” The doctor says it's cancer. And the devil stands taunting you saying, “Sing you song now!” Your baby dies, your boss hands you a pink slip, your teenager runs away from home....and the devil dares you to sing. What do you do when you don't feel like singing?
Do what Job did. He lost his wealth, he lost his children, he lost health and his so-called friends sat accusing him of sin. What did Job do? He sang a song, “Though after the skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another...”
Job's attitude was, “I don't understand why. And I don't know for how long. But this one thing I do know. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord. And devil...you can't have my song?”
III SING ANYWAY
Psalm 137 asks the question, “How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?”
Psalm 138 answers the question:
1 I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
What's he saying? He's saying that even if I am in a strange land where people worship false gods, I'm not going to stop singing. I'll stand before the idols and I'll sing unto Jehovah. I may not be able to get to Jerusalem and to the temple, but I'll turn myself and look in the direction of the temple and I'll sing anyhow.
We need to hear this today.. This world is not our home. We are strangers and pilgrims just a passin' through. We live in a land that worships man and his creations. We live in a time where sin abounds and iniquity increases. But that does not mean we have to stop singing. We need to stand on the Rock and lift our heads toward the heavenly Jerusalem and sing before the gods of this world. With the scoffers looking on, we need to keep on singing. With the laws being passed to silence us, we need to keep on singing. With the forces of hell unleashed against us, we need to keep on singing.
Paul and Silas were in prison. Their backs were a mass of open sores and coagulating blood. Their hands and feet were in stocks. We could understand that they began to pray. But after they had prayed, they began to sing. What did they sing? I don't know. Maybe they sang, “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want...yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil...thou preparest a table before me in the midst of mine enemies, thou anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over.”
We need to have the attitude of Paul and Silas. They were in severe pain and no doubt some inner termoil. But they refuse to let the devil have their song. There attitude was: “You may take my freedom, you may take my health,....you may take my wealth, BUT DEVIL...YOU CAN'T HAVE MY SONG.”
You may have to sing through tear stained eyes. You may have to sing through pain and suffering. You may have to sing through some dark clouds. You may have to sing through some times of question. But keep on singing, keep on praising, keep on worshipping. Even when you don't feel like singing, sing anyway. Like Paul and Silas, you'll find the earth shaking and prison doors of fear and doubt swinging open to liberate you in the Spirit of God.
Paul knew that if you won't stop singing, victory waits around the corner. That's why he admonishes the church at Ephesus, “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. (Eph. 5:18,19).
IV JESUS THE SUPREME EXAMPLE
MT.26:30 AND WHEN THEY HAD SUNG A HYMN, THEY WENT OUT INTO THE MOUNT OF OLIVES.
Of all the examples we could point to for encouragement not to stop singing our song, the supreme example has to be Christ.
He never stopped singing. In the garden, in the shadow of the cross He sings, “Not my will but thine be done.” They pluck He beard, they reject Him and beat Him and nail Him to a cross, and the devil though he had silenced the song, but from the cross He sings, “Forgive them Father, they know not what they do.” He dies on the cross, He is buried and the tomb is sealed and the devil thinks he has silenced His song. But on the third day the tomb burst open with Jesus robed in splendor and He's singing, “Ain't no grave gonna hold my body down.” He said, “Devil...you can't have my song, and I'm gonna give this song to my children, and you can't have their song either.
And because Jesus never stopped singing, He gave us a song that we never have to stop singing. And one day we will join the heavenly host and sing a song the angels cannot sing, “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I'm found, was blind but now I see.”
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