Soul, Rock, Revival

Well you might feel that this week’s title sounds reminiscent of a headline for an 80s revival party night. 

I can just imagine some of you are old enough to be thinking that’s a stonking idea. Nodding your heads as you remember songs from artists such as Maze, Loose Ends, Deniece Williams or Whitney Houston. (Even if you’re too young to remember, I hope you get my drift). 

Yes. Those were the days of my youth. 

Well let’s focus people!  

These are not the songs we’re writing about.

Let’s bring our attention back to the subject at hand. 

Let me ask, are you giving more consideration to the songs that you sing, as my colleague J. Caroline challenged us back in February? 

Have song words taken on new meaning for you, or made you stop and think about their truth?

Well the first verse of Where should I go, but to the Lord? caused me to do exactly that:

Living below in this old sinful world,
Hardly a comfort can afford,
Striving alone to face temptation’s sword,
Where should I go but to the Lord? 

Can you see why?

The essence here is that we are left alone and helpless to struggle against sin and temptation in our lives.  Is that true?

Absolutely not!

For sure we turn to Yahuah in times of trouble, but we are most definitely not alone in this world. Yahusha gave us the promise of the Holy Spirit to be with us all the time. [John 14:16-18]

In this life sin bombards our senses and sometimes our soul gets tarnished. Other times it’s that nothing seems to be going right. You name it, it’s going bad for you. We feel as if our soul is lost somehow and we hit rock bottom. In those times have you ever wanted to scream WHY ME?!

I know I have. What did I do to deserve this?  Am I not a child of God?

We may not even have the emotional strength to make the cry to Yahusha.

But, scripture tells us that the Holy Spirit can be our advocate. Our intercessor. [Romans 8:26-28]

The Holy Spirit becomes our voice. Our rock. Sure, safe, dependable. Filling our soul with hope once again. [Psalm 94:19]

It is that hope that opens the door for the revival of our soul. Reminding us that we are never alone. [Romans 5:3-5] The Holy Spirit is the sustenance that empowers us to live here ‘below in this old sinful world’. 

So, as you sing your favourite hymns continue to be mindful of the words that come from your mouth. 

It may be a soul lifting, rousing tune, but ask yourself, am I singing truth or fallacy? 

Pauline