“By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. … How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land?”
Psalm 137:1, 4
As I write this devotion, unjust wars are being waged and earthquakes are shaking, bringing sorrow and death. It weighs heavily on my heart. The author of Psalm 137 was experiencing even worse. They recently watched the enslavement and destruction of their people, Jerusalem, in 586 B.C. Ironically, he writes a song about not singing or playing music. The psalmist recognizes there is a time to not sing, play, or dance. It’s when his pain is severe, and when the promised land of the Lord seems but a dim and distant hope.
We do not yet live in our Promised Land (Ezekiel 36:24). In this season there are moments to “hang our harps” (v. 2); you may be in one now. But even this lament is composed for music. In fact, the Psalms contain more laments than praises. While we must let silence be a form of healing, let us never forget the Promised Land set before us. “May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember” (v. 6).
In your sorrow and suffering, remember your eternal home which cannot be taken, that your song may continue.
We do not yet live in our Promised Land (Ezekiel 36:24). In this season there are moments to “hang our harps” (v. 2); you may be in one now. But even this lament is composed for music. In fact, the Psalms contain more laments than praises. While we must let silence be a form of healing, let us never forget the Promised Land set before us. “May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember” (v. 6).
In your sorrow and suffering, remember your eternal home which cannot be taken, that your song may continue.
Scripture Focus
Psalm 137
Insight
Listen, play, or sing a song that speaks of our Promised Land, heaven. Read through Revelation 21:1-8. Consider listening to “Far Kingdom” (The Gray Havens, 2015).
Bible In A Year
- Lamentations 4-5
- Psalm 130
- 2 Corinthians 12
