I Sat Down And Hung Up My Harp!

I SAT DOWN, THEN I HUNG UP MY HARP?

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

Psalm 33:3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.

I. HOW CAN WE SING?

I SAT DOWN AND CRIED. THEN I HUNG UP MY HARP?

Psalm 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.

4 How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?

A. Several years ago I was at a high school football game watching my son play football. A call came from the church that was alarming.

The person thought maybe the church had been broken into and robbed. My heart fell out of me.

I jumped into my car and rushed to church.

It was true, someone had broken into our church and robbed it of several valuable things.

B. I never left my guitar at church, but near the end of the service before the robbery, I was called out in an emergency. The Kentucky State Troopers were at a house and the man was going to kill himself. The man had a 357 pistol in his hand.

The police were ready to shoot him if necessary?

C. He agreed to talk to me --- the Preacher in the community. I jumped in my car and rushed to the farm house. The police told me where to stand when I went in the house, just in case it was needed to

"take him out?"

I went in, with God’s help I was able to defuse the situation. When I came home, I was upset, and I drove right past the church and forgot my expensive guitar there. The guitar had been a gift from my son.

D. The robbers stole my expensive guitar. When I realized my Martin was gone I sat down in the floor and cried.

How could someone steal my guitar? I have played many years. This was the best guitar I ever owned. I play in the rest homes and small churches and my music has always cost me, and never brought to me a profit.

E. When the Kentucky State Trooper and County Sheriff was gone from our church, I went to the altar and cried and cried. I played music for God, and He could not even protect my instrument for me to play to honor Him?

F. I said: GOD, I WILL NEVER PLAY A GUITAR AGAIN FOR YOU. I am finished.

I can preach and not play music. Most preachers don’t play? If You can’t take care of my personal instrument that I play for You, I quit.

I was so hurt. I had a pity party for several days. Many of my good friends told me the police would find and return the guitar. They meant well, but I never

saw the guitar again. I thought my friends would help me get another guitar?

Nothing?

G. By Friday evening I was back at church and I went to the altar. I felt a question in my inner man: FOR WHOM ARE YOU PLAYING?

WHY ARE YOU PLAYING MUSIC AT CHURCH? THE REST HOME?

I was sorry for my bad attitude. Someone could have been killed in the robbery or worse? I cried and apologized to God for my mean words and stupid vow.

H. I said: GOD IF I HAVE TO, I WILL PUT RUBBER BANDS ON A CIGAR BOX, AND STAND IN FRONT OF THE CONGREGATION AND PLAY THE BEST I CAN.

GOD, I WILL BE HONORED TO PLAY A CIGAR BOX FOR YOU!

I. A friend loaned me a guitar for Sunday. Later, I replaced the guitar. But to this day 15 years later I do not own a Martin. That is OK.

I don’t play the guitar for applause, I play it to worship the God that I love and adore. This song is not about me nor my picking ability, this song is about a HOLY, AWESOME, MERCIFUL GOD.

II. WHEN WE SIT DOWN AND CRY, AND HANG UP OUR HARPS?

WE ARE ALLOWING OUR EMOTIONS TO DICTATE THE MOMENT.

A. In Psalms 137 is a wonderful and yet terrible story of God’s people.

B. We must LIFT HIGH THE BANNER OVER US, we must SING IN WORSHIP for we have confidence and comfort in the sweet spirit of our God. We march to our flag, not drafted, but in desire and hope.

C. A SONG SUNG TO GOD IS MORE THAN HARMONIC SOUNDS OVER HUMAN LIPS, MUSIC IS A TOKEN OF OUR LOVE AND HOMAGE WE PAY BECAUSE WE