When You Lose Your Song

"You have put a new song in my mouth...." is the expressed feeling of one who has given his heart to the Lord. He has a new sense of joy and peace, something to sing about and something new to sing!! An incredible experience. But what happens when we lose our song? Many have "hung up their harps..." as the Israelites did here in Psalm 137.

1. What makes us lose our song? Notice their predicament-- they were slaves, tormented, taunted, longing for home. seperated from family, home, traditions and homeland. Life happens, and we can get torn down, hurt, devastated by circumstances that rob us of joy and even the desire to continue. You can almost feel their lifelessness, and despondency in their response to their taunters. Sometimes it is the result of our own doing, as was the case here. This difficulty came as a harvest to the wild oats they had sown in disobedience to God's will.


2. What is our response when we lose your song? You can tell when you lose your song-- you justify it or disount the need for it and the loss of it with a question--

"how can I sing...." Reworded, ".. don't you know what i'm going through... I have a right to my sorrow, actions, self-pity because such and such has happened to me... "

You feel like you're the only who understands what you're feeling; you tend feel hopelessness and despair, and feel the whole world is crumbling around you and there is not reason to try to make it go away or fight it.

3. How can we get our song back?

RECOGNITION-- of where I am-- "by the rivers of Babylon..." You can't get to where you're going until you first know where you are. If you've lost your song, you've got to realize it, honestly admit it. "Hey, something is missing here, I'm not where I used to be or should be, I've lost my joy..." Many want to deny it, put on a front, or blame someone else for it. You've got to take full responsibility for your situation. And Recognition that I am not alone. I'm here in this desolate place that is not home, but He is here with me. He has not forsaken me.

DETERMINATION-- "If I forget you, may ..." might be translated "there is no way that I will ever...", and reveals a determination to never stop begin faithful to God, or of thinking of Jerusalem. We need to develop that kind of determination-- an antagonism toward sin and temptation. Rather than-- "Oh, I've tried that before, I just can't stop that sin, I've asked forgiveness so many times... " Rather, we need a toughness and strength to say in teh face of temptation-- "Enough is enough. I'm not going to let sin ruin my life, control my home, destroy me any longer. It's not going to ruin my family, drive a wedge between me and God... I am going to deal with this..." A determination to do something about it, not just float on down the stream, caught up with the "flow of life" .

REFLECTION-- "remember..." Then reflect on God's past dealings with you. As David did in Psalm 42 and other places-- It will bring a blessing and encouragement to your heart to think back on the many blessings and touches of God in your life. His past dealing with you will give you the strength to continue, and battle the tendency to forget what God has done in your past.


DECLARATION-- "if I don't exalt..." My soul will yet praise thee..." Ps 42:5-6
There are truths we need to declare because they are true, whether we feel like they are true for us right now or not. Whether we are actually experiencing them in our life right now or not. Our feelings follow our faith.


May this help us find the source of our loss, and get our song back.