Sing the Lord’s Song When Times Get Tough, Keep Your Focus, and Follow Christ

I. Sing the Lord’s song through suffering. It brings power, hope, freedom, and peace.

Psalm 137 is a psalm expressing grief and sorrow about the Israelite's captivity. They were so discouraged and depressed they wept and hung their musical instruments that were used to  praise God up in the trees

Psalm 137:2-4 

“We hanged our harps Upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; And they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” It goes on to say “How shall we sing The LORD's song in a strange land?”

A foreign land can be your suffering, loss, grief or other troubles. Singing can be seen as your activities that lift up Christ and demonstrate faith in God’s power to deliver, heal, and restore you.

David wrote and sang songs to God while hiding in caves in the mountains while  he was hunted down by King Saul and later being pursued by his own son Absalom who wanted to kill him. Another example is Paul and Silas. They sang and praised God while being held in prison. According to scripture, while they sang and praised God,  the chains fell off, the prison doors swung open and they were freed. Acts  16:25-26 NLT

Singing the Lord’s song in hard times means you live like you serve a God who is able and faithful to deliver you. In a literal practical sense, you can sing the Lord’s song in many ways. 

Eight ways to sing the Lord’s song through difficulties, struggle, pain, and suffering:

   1. Stop seeking comfort and start seeking God 

   “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”Matthew 6:33 

   2. Thank and praise God through the suffering and pain

   “I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

Psalm 34:1 KJV

   3. Go on with your life and obey God

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.”

Jeremiah 29:4-7 KJV

   4. Trust God and have faith that he will  deliver and heal you

   “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

Deuteronomy 31:6 KJV

   5. Shift your focus from the pain to the presence of God

   “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Joshua 1:9 KJV

  6.Forgive,  show love, and serve others

    “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

Matthew 22:37-39 KJV

   7. Follow the example of Christ

My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. John 10:27

   8. Use your gifts, talents, skills and abilities to honor God and  to advance

    the kingdom of God

“And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His Lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”

Matthew 25:20-21 KJV

Sing the Lord’s song in trouble and despair, Through it all God will strengthen and deliver you.

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous: But the LORD delivereth him out of them all.” Psalm 34:19 KJV