Hang Our Harps

“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof….How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?”(Psalm 137:1-4)

Ah...the good old days! I’m getting to that point in my life when I like to reminisce – like an old person. I love to remember simpler days when we could go out and play and not worry about being abducted, when we could leave our homes and cars unlocked, when people treated each other with a modicum of respect, etc. etc. Yep, the good old days were better. So we think we remember.

This is also the song sung by those who have been defeated in life. They remember the good old days of childhood – no responsibilities, no bills, no spouse or kids, the list goes on. They love to tell of what they used to be, what they used to do, how things used to be for them. (This is, of course, assuming you weren’t abused or neglected by your parents.) They seem, as the Israelites in our text today, to have hung their harps in the willows and have given up hope. They echo the last sentence in our text: “How can we sing and be happy the way the world is now?”

I hate to break it to you, my friend, but we can never go back to the way it was. And, was it really all that better than today (especially for us in the Western World)? Sure, we had no responsibilities, no bills, etc, but look at the conveniences we have today. As much as I detest my cell phone sometimes, it has become my lifeline. If I lose it, I lose my banking information, my contact list, my connection to the outside world. For some, the cell phone is their only association with others. If they are bed-ridden or wheelchair bound, the cell phone gives them the ability to get help or shop online. Speaking of that, how about our ability to order food, groceries, and medicine online and have it delivered? That didn’t exist in the “good old days.” Sure, we have lost a lot over the years, but what we have gained in exchange is so awesome that we sometimes just take it for granted.

So also it has become with our spiritual lives. Perhaps you, like I, grew up in the church. Our services were pretty predictable – often scripted by a bulletin or schedule of events handed us when we entered the sanctuary. The messages were straight from the Bible lecture style. We had no PowerPoint presentations, no movies, no video clips, no sound systems, no laser lights or smoke. Think about this: our pews (that’s right, pews) weren’t padded, we were expected to sit up straight and listen, and we didn’t have iPads OR Goldfish crackers! Primitive.

And yet, God was there. His Word was proclaimed in power. His glory was sung by the choir. His majesty was extolled during testimony time. And when it was all said and done, we had the opportunity to accept Jesus into our hearts! It definitely was much simpler back then. So what happened? What happened to the church? More importantly, what happened to you and me?

Jesus sent out His disciples two-by-two to share the good news of the gospel. He taught them of the heart of the Father, gave them clear demonstrations of the power of God in His life, and empowered them to do the same. When they returned they exclaimed, “Master, even the (evil) spirits are subject to us! Just look at what we have been able to do!” (my interpretation at the end, but that’s what they were saying.) As they stayed close to Jesus they learned of and from Him. As they obeyed and did what He commanded, they saw the hand of God working in the world through which they walked. He would command, they would obey, and God would move. Simple.

I may sound like my dad now, but here goes: we have outgrown God. Science has devised methods of explaining Him away, medical advances have made Him obsolete, and – everybody knows – He is just a myth, a man-made construct to soothe our guilty minds and hearts. God is ok for children and women, but any good man worth his salt has left Him behind in the dust of providing for his own family, working to improve his community, and being a good citizen. Man doesn’t need God anymore. Or do we?

It is during times of trial – of physical health crises, of financial distress, of family or personal issues – that man, once again, cries out to God. We can get along quite nicely, thank you, when times are good, but when all hell comes against us it’s a different story. That’s when that nasty person at work comes up to you and me and says something like, “I know you are a praying person. Next time you talk to the Man Upstairs, put in a good word for me, will you?” The rest of the year this guy would rather die than to be seen talking to you, but now you are the first person he comes to. Interesting.

Sadly, we as Christians often follow the same path. We have been around the church so long we have grown cold (or at least lukewarm) to its mission and purpose. We, too, seem to have outgrown Him or left Him behind. So had the Israelites. So had David. David – the man who wrote a good portion of the Book of Psalms (music and songs) – had stopped doing the one thing that touches the heart of God: singing and worshiping. I remember hearing a pastor say one time that God isn’t in heaven listening to his sermons and taking notes. God wrote the Bible – He knows what is in it and the lessons we are to learn from it. We can never preach something about God that will rock Him back on His throne. But we can worship. As a child will make up songs and sing about their mommy and daddy to love on them, so are we to our heavenly Father. It is our love and adoration for Him that wins His heart. We sing, not necessarily because our circumstances are good, but because we remember that HE IS good. The first thing the Israelites did after they crossed the Red Sea was to compose and sing a song of praise for deliverance from the Egyptians. I can only imagine the three Hebrew children who found themselves thrown into the fiery furnace were singing as they walked around in the fire. Paul and Silas sung songs of praise at midnight while still bound and shackled in their prison cell. These three examples (and many others) are hardly the fodder for a breakout praise gathering, yet that is exactly what the children of God did. And look what it accomplished for them: salvation and deliverance.

My friend, I would agree with you that our world has gotten crazy. People turn against each other at the drop of a hat. Nations declare war upon each other in an instant. Sickness and disease is running rampant throughout our world. Hunger, earthquakes, wars, drought – even natural disasters are out of control. Yet, we have a God that never changes. That same God we learned about in Sunday School is still the God of miracles. He is still active in the world today through those who have learned to sing the songs of Zion in this strange land. As long as you and I have breath, let us sing of His goodness. It may be a little weird to break out in a worship chorus at the factory, but you can certainly have a song in your heart. You can love on God in your spirit as you go about grocery shopping. Then when someone approaches you and asks about your smile or kind spirit, you can share with them the love of God. That’s how all men will know we are Christians – by our love.

Today I challenge you to change your tune. Don’t get caught up in the mumbling and grumbling about grocery prices, your current health status, the volatility of the political scene. Instead, concentrate your eyes upon Jesus. Look full on His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim – in the light of His glory and grace.

Be blessed.