In Psalm 137, the psalmist writes about a time when the Jews were in captivity in Babylon. While there, the Babylonians asked them to, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion” (Psalm 137:3). These were the songs the Jews used to sing in the Promised Land about God. But now they were in captivity in Babylon.
“How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?” the Israelites asked (verse 4). After all, it was God who had allowed them to be led captive, albeit due to their own behavior. How could they exalt His name under those circumstances? What was there to sing about while in bondage?
Sometimes, we can find ourselves in a “strange land” as well. For the Jews, their strange land was a foreign geographical location—Babylon. The people of God were not there by choice but through disobedience. The people of the land served other gods. Their customs were foreign to those of the Israelites. Nothing in that foreign land felt like home to God’s people.
For us, our strange land may refer to a difficult time we find ourselves in. Having never been in that place before, we have no bank of experience to draw from. During those times, God can seem so far away.
The question is, can you sing the Lord’s song during such an occurrence?
God Is God Everywhere
I am sure we all agree that it’s much easier to sing to God when all is well. But we should not allow our circumstances to negatively impact our relationship God. He never promised us things will always go well in life. But He has promised to never leave nor forsake us. And He remains true to that.
The Jews questioned their ability to sing the Lord’s song because they were in a strange land. We might do the same at times. But God is omnipresent. Nothing or no physical place can separate us from Him. Not only is He everywhere at the same time, but also He is God everywhere at the same time. The place we find ourselves in may be strange to us, but not to God.
It Comes Down to Our Relationship with the Lord
One thing that amazes me during weekly worship in a local church is how some people can sing songs of praise and adoration to God. I don’t mean in terms of the beauty of their voice. But in terms of the difficult place you know they stand in life as they sing.
Actually, the question posed in this post boils down to one thing–our relationship with the Lord. We walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). That means we are more moved by what we believe than by what we see or by what we are experiencing.
Singing the Lord’s song seemed hard to the Israelites because they had broken their relationship with God. It was for that reason they had been taken into captivity.
By contrast, consider Paul and Silas who were beaten and imprisoned in Macedonia. Because of their relationship with God, they were not moved by their circumstances:
“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.”
Acts 16:25, KJV
It is the Lord’s will that every believer matures until he or she can sing the Lord’s song in a strange land. So, have you arrived at that place yet?
Copyright © 2023 by Frank King. All rights reserved.