The Stolen Song

I was thinking tonight about the things that I let my mind dwell on. Much of the time it’s a lot of nothing…or too much of what definitely isn't true, right, pure or lovely (Philippines 4:8).  Why is it that I can think of nothing quite easily, but it seems to be an effort to focus my mind on Christ, my Saviour, the One who has given me everything?  I'd like to be more intentional about what I think on throughout the day.  Sometimes I’ll literally force myself to sing even if I’m not in the mood.  Singing does something...somehow just saying words out loud does something to my heart.  It reminds me of the things I’m grateful for and what an incredible God I serve.  It reminds me of His truths and encourages me through what others have experienced and are singing about.  It makes me focus on the words and mean them.  And yet I often let my song get stolen by apathy, laziness, pointless conversations in my head and paying waaaaay too much attention to my feelings. 

I remember several months ago at a time of deep hurt in my life I would try and sing and couldn’t even make it through the first line without breaking down.  Then slowly over the months I would keep trying and eventually I’d make it through an entire verse before the tears came.  Then when God brought resolution to this very difficult situation I felt like I could sing and never stop!  Life is like that, and we won’t always have a song that we feel like singing.  Psalm 40:1-3 says,

“I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry.  He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.  He has put a new song in my mouth – praise to our God.” 

Whatever way you can praise God today, do it.  It may be “without the sound of tuneful strings,” as someone once wrote, but take some time to sing!