Singing in trials...

The thought of going to a new church really scared me. Not having any friends, standing out in the crowd, or having to raise hands when the pastor asks "who's new in church?". Those were my worries last week. However, I realised that they don't exist because we go to church for God. We went to CFC for the second time today and I wanted to share what the pastor preached as it really sounded like something I need.

Psalms 137:4 "How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?" 

In Exodus 14, the Israelites were free, they left Egypt, left the life of slavery and abuse. They went into the desert, only to realise the Egyptians were hot on their heels- they could hear the armies closing in. Desperate and frightened, they turned to Moses and asked “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” However, Moses simply replied “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” And what follows is the epic miracle - God parts the Red Sea, lets Israel pass through, and drowns their enemies.

Many of us have been shaped into the thinking of this world. When trials come, we jump to finding solutions, panic, go crazy... We do everything, but be still. Being still and letting God fight is a foreign concept. We cannot sing to God or praise Him when we are in the thick of mess. Our songs stop.

I don't know about others, but I am ashamed to admit I think like the Israelites. Something comes, I have to step out of my comfy boat and make a change. Seems like a good idea at first, but then the change brings about problems/difficulties (yes, like finding a house, relocating, buying home insurance- what is this?? I have never even heard of it, house security etc). In the midst of this madness, finding out there's more to relocating than just getting my butt to Geneva, I have thoughts of turning back, of rewinding to the time we could have rejected this change, of that we would be better of at home. But, that's not the way He wants it.

The pastor shares that God is changing the way we think. Trials are used by God to break up the patterns of thinking that are not in line with His thoughts. Romans 12: 2 "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." The pastor said this and I quote "The devil has deadlines, but God has lifelines!" If we do everything God's way, then the battle is the Lord's. God told Moses to stand still and wait in the Lord. He is telling me the very same thing today, I believe. And to all His children. We can sing songs in this foreign land. Yes, Lord, I will try my best to do that.