We Hung Up! Hang Up And Count To Three?

WE HUNG UP! Hang up and count to three?

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

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THE MYTH OF THE THORN BIRD? There is a legend about a bird that only sings once in its life. The legend of the THORN BIRD’S SONG is the sweetest song ever sang on this earth. The suggestion is the THORN BIRD is silently searching from the moment it leaves the nest for a thorn tree. When the THORN BIRD finds the branch with a long sharp thorn the bird IMPALES ITSELF and while dying the bird rises to SING A MOST BEAUTIFUL SONG IN EXISTENCE… BUT THINK OF THE PRICE… The legend says: God in heaven smiles for the best song known to the world is brought on by the cost of great pain… the agony brings on a wonderful song. Seems we all have something inside that we refuse to release. We all desire to sing our own song until we get to the point that we understand GOD’S PLAN AND GOD’S PURPOSE. When the thorn impales the song becomes real. The best song is released by the ECHO OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. WHAT DOES THE BEST COST?

IT IS VERY SAD BUT LIFE HAS A TENDENCY TO GET US TO HANG UP ON THE OPPORTUNITY TO RELEASE GOD’S PLAN.

HANG UP: TO DELIBERATELY DISCONNECT… a hindrance or obstacle that keeps from progress or growth, a problem or difficulty that a person seems unable to deal with, to hang from a hook, hanger, etc. TO END THE CONVERSATION, cut the connection.

TEXT: Psalm 137:2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

Job 35:10 But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;

Job 35:10 (MSG) But never give God a thought when things go well, when God puts spontaneous songs in their hearts,

HAVE WE HUNG UP ON GOD? WE LIVE IN A HARD, DIFFICULT DAY… WHAT CAN VENGANCE, ANGER AND SADNESS RELEASE IN YOUR LIFE? YOUR FOCUS AND THOUGHT PATTERN COULD AFFECT THE ATTITUDES OF THE SONGS YOU SING? IT MIGHT BE HARD TO SING WHERE THERE IS NO PEACE, NO JOY AND NO HOPE…

There has been a song long sang in the church… you might know the words very well? Remember the old Hew Haw song: GLOOM, DESPAIR AND AGONY ON END… DEEP DARK DEPRESSION, EXCESSIVE MISERY, IF IT WEREN’T FOR BAD LUCK, I’D HAVE NO LUCK AT ALL…GLOOM, DESPAIR AND AGONY ON ME… Has this song become our THEME SONG?

The Jewish people were in EXILE under the BABYLONIAN RULE. The Jewish people were homesick and remembering the LOVE and longing for the “GOOD OLD DAYS.”

The Jewish people also knew how mean, violent and cruel Babylonians were to them. Jews were hated to the point that infants were dashed against the rocks.

ISRAEL WAS BACKSLIDDEN… THE PEOPLE HAD BEEN WARNED TIME AND AGAIN… THE PEOPLE REFUSED TO REPENT AND CHANGE… GOD HAD SENT THE ASSYRIANS AND BABYLONIANS TO PUNISH ISRAEL FOR THEIR CHOICES OF SIN AND CORRUPTION AGAINST THE PREACHERS, THE CHURCH AND THE WORD OF GOD…

BIBLE HISTORIANS SUGGEST THAT AT LEAST 20,000 MEN WERE EXILED. THIS DOES NOT COUNT THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN. Syria and Babylon were cruel nations. Being in a strange land, captives, slaves…

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?

LET US GET REAL, HOW DID WE GET HERE? SIN! DIVORCE! The joy is gone… SEEMS WE ARE CRYING A LOT? We cried and cried, remembering the good old days in Zion. How can we play our musical instruments --- WE HAVE HUNG UP… WE have hung up our instruments and tools of our praise and worship…

GUESS HOW CRUEL OUR ENEMIES ARE? Our captors are demanding us to sing. They are sarcastic and mocking demanding us: "Sing us a happy Zion song!" For our captors demanded a song from us. Our tormentors insisted on a joyful hymn.

HOW CAN WE PLAY MUSIC, PRAISE AND WORSHIP GOD… we are in a strange land… HOW CAN WE SING, we sing by emotions not by faith.

This could be a great opportunity to witness and repent. Sing us one of those songs of Jerusalem. WE HUNG UP… WE ACCEPT --- WE HAVE NO JOY. How can anyone sing the songs of the LORD while in a pagan land? WE REMEMBER ZION. We are an apostate church and nation.