How Shall We Sing?

“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!’

How shall we sing the Lord’s song
    in a foreign land?
If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
    let my right hand forget its skill!
Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
    if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
    above my highest joy!

Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites
    the day of Jerusalem,
how they said, ‘Lay it bare, lay it bare,
    down to its foundations!’
O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed,
    blessed shall he be who repays you
    with what you have done to us!
Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones
    and dashes them against the rock!” Psalm 137:1-9

Through tears, the psalmist chose to sing, or at least compose a dirge weeping, in exile from his beloved Jerusalem. Driven from his homeland, pockmarked with images of fury and death of loved ones, longing for the beauties and comfort and security of what was, his captivity forced rich, poignant music of the soul. Even unfamiliar lands of grief and suffering can awaken close communion with the Lord.

By the waters of any personal Babylon- in far fears or relationship exiles, under torment with health or urgent pressures- we might be tempted to choke in agony. We might hang up our harps of aspiration or lyres of anointed gifting because of these hard circumstances. Would we put honest voice to our hearts and bring even the saddest melody to Him for safekeeping?

If tempted to despair, have we forgotten the good and everlasting land of faith and God’s sure promises? Will we remember that the Lord is nigh, and the highest joy not only of all that was but all that now is? Would we choose to hope in His goodness and ultimate redemption of all things for good? (Revelation 21:4-6)

“How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in God’s excellent Word!
What more can be said than to you God hath said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

“Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
for I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

“When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
for I will be near thee, thy troubles to bless,
and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

“When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

“The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no, never, no, never forsake.” ~George Keith (1878)

Lord, keep me singing, no matter my circumstances, to You who are worthy of trust and praise. (Psalm 138:1-3)