A Song in My Heart

Years ago, there were some serious challenges at the church where I served as pastor. I was extremely stressed and had trouble sleeping and eating. My physical well-being suffered, and I was often exhausted.

I turned to God for help, but I struggled to find the right words or to have the energy even to pray. However, I found great comfort in praying the Psalms. Many of them spoke to me, but Psalm 57 became a constant companion. Every morning I would read the words, sometimes multiple times. The words resonated with my experience, and I could relate to the psalmist’s feeling of being in the midst of lions. Verse 8 made me feel hopeful: “Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.”

During this difficult time when I could barely drag myself out of bed, I longed for a day when I would “awaken the dawn” and make music. Then one morning something amazing happened to me. As I read Psalm 57 and got to the refrain in verses 5 and 11, God put a song in my heart and on my lips. I found myself singing those words to an unfamiliar tune. I truly felt God’s presence in that moment. Now when I need a reminder of God’s care for me, I read Psalm 57, and I sing the refrain as God taught me to sing it.