Singing the Lord’s Song

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
2 There on the poplars
we hung our harps,
3 for there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

4 How can we sing the songs of the Lord
while in a foreign land?

Psalm 137:1-4 (NIV)

Do you ever feel like you’re singing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?

This psalm was penned during the time of the Exile. The people of Israel were taken away into captivity, and the song records how they must have felt in a strange land.

We Christians feel much like this in the world these days. Christian values have never been less valued, and we so often feel at complete odds with the world around us. Some say this is a sign of the end times, and while it could be, it could also just highlight that the world’s ways are not God’s ways.

We recently sold our house, and having accepted an offer and metaphorically shaking on it, another higher offer came in. We stuck to our word and rejected the higher offer. But clearly the situation was quite normal, and there was little expectation that our “word” meant anything.

The same is true for other forms of business too. For instance, we were in need of a plumber to do some jobs at our house. I phoned three or four different ones, none of whom returned my calls or answered my messages. I appreciate all are busy, but a simple reply to say so would have been good.

Christians must not live like this. Our “song” is very much foreign in the world we live in. That is no bad thing though. When the people of the world hear our tune, let them sit up and listen. Let them wonder why we speak and act differently, and when they ask, let us point them to Jesus.

Have a great Sunday!