Songs in the Night

This week's Thought is written by Peter Hodson.
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He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. (Psalm 40:3)

I recently came across a short book for young children called 'Archie and the Song Snatcher’.  It is a story of a young boy called Archie who loved to sing.  He lived in a town that had no colours; it was grey and the people were, well, rather dull. His grandma explained that the town was once full of colour, but then the Song Snatcher came, leaving grey mists wherever it went. However, she also explained that when Archie would sing it would drive the gloom away. So as Archie went through the town he started to sing and the grey mists began to give way to beautiful colour again, and as he persevered, the townspeople began to cheer up and to whistle and laugh. Ultimately the whole town became full of colour and happy people.
 
In these days when daylight is short and the weather cold and often damp, when health issues loom larger and Covid restrictions more limiting, it can be all too easy to allow our spirit to be dulled, or even just take the ‘sharp edge’ off our joy in our walk with God. He is the One who never changes and who’s love never fails. He is the One who has planted His song within our hearts, who gives songs in the night. 
 
One who learned to sing in the night was Betsie Ten Boom who ultimately died in a Nazi concentration camp.  She said: “There is no pit so deep, that God's love is not deeper still.'
 
King David also proved this and said:

I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. 
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;
He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth;  a hymn of praise to our God.
(Psalm 40:1-3)

When we go through dark times it is comforting to know that they will pass.  But while we wait patiently for the Lord, let’s prove our trust in Him as we “speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody in our hearts to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:19).

“Wake up, lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn with my song.”
Psalm 108:2 NLT

Peter Hodson