How Shall We Sing The Lord's Song In A Strange Land?

Funeral of Sis. Millie

Eph 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Rev. 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.

2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:

3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne

One of the greatest things Millie loved to do was to play her guitar or piano and sing.

Singing has always been an instrumental part of worship to God.

Red Sea Crossing and deliverance

Ex 15:20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.

David specifically assigned singers for the Temple worship.

Singers and musicians were extremely important in the dedication of the temple…

2Ch 5:13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers [were] as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up [their] voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, [saying], For [he is] good; for his mercy [endureth] for ever: that [then] the house was filled with a cloud, [even] the house of the LORD;

I believe if Sis. Millie had lived in that era of time…she would have been right in the midst of them!!!

But there’s another scripture I’d like to share this morning and kindly spiritualize it specifically for Sis. Millie

Psalms 137:1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

3 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.

The Israelites had been taken into captivity.

Because they were known for their singing…

The Babylonians wanted them to entertain them.

But the Songs of the Lord were not meant for man’s entertainment, but for worship unto their God…

Therefore they didn’t feel as if they could properly sing them… that’s why they hung up their harps…

4 How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?

On Saturday Dec. 2nd, 2006 Sis. Millie finally came to a great realization:

How can I sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?

You see this earth that Sis. Millie lived on…

This place where she dwelled…

This ground she walked on…

This air she breathed…

It all became strange to her.

Yes, she was bound to a bed… a wheelchair… but in her mind she was thinking of flying…

Some glad morning when this life is o’er

I’ll fly away

To a home on God’s celestial shore

I’ll fly away

And on that morning as she looked around her room, around this old world…

I’m wondering if the song didn’t go through her head…

This world is not my home

I’m just passing through

my treasures are laid up

somewhere beyond the blue

the angels beckon me

from Heaven’s open door

and I can’t feel at home

in this world anymore

So she hung up her guitar, her piano, her singing on Life’s Willow Tree and said…

How can I sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?

I’ve received an invitation to the

Heavenly Highway Hymns Choir…and that’s where I belong!!!!!

And that singing we read about in Rev. 14 that’s yet to happen…

I guarantee you Sis. Millie will be right in the middle of that throng singing with all her might!

Her voice got a might weak towards the last few years here in this strange land…

But there’ll be no weakness there!!!!