The place of true joy

Always be full of joy. Never stop praying. Whatever happens, always be thankful. This is how God wants you to live in Christ Jesus. (I Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Regretfully, there are just some moments in life when joy is the furthest thing from the emotions we are feeling at that moment. The world seems to equate joy with happiness, though, so when anything disturbs our happiness, we might say that our joy has been stolen by the event or memory. Joy is a much deeper feeling and is not based in circumstance - it is based on the relationship we have with Jesus. Happiness is elation over something that happened - it is fleeting and isn't guaranteed to be 'evoked' all that often.

Joy is the emotion that emerges when we remember we have been placed securely in the arms of Jesus, that nothing and no one can rock our world so badly as to remove us from that safe place. Some will understand it best when we say that joy is internally based, while happiness is externally stimulated. If the external factors are just right, there will be happiness. If they are not as expected, the joy is soon fleeting. Joy is found in knowing we serve a big God - bigger than the circumstances at hand, always overseeing our lives, and never letting us flounder when our faith is a bit challenged.

Whatever happens - always be thankful. That isn't possible when all we rely upon is the emotion of happiness. Nothing guarantees the external factors will always be 'right' or 'good', but God ensures us that he walks with us through anything - good or bad, easy or difficult. Never stop praying - perhaps this is the key to understanding joy's deeper roots. We always have someone to turn to, even when the emotions aren't as 'positive' or 'high' as we might like them to be. We can turn directly into the arms of Jesus, look fully into his face, and share those ups and downs with him. This is the place of true joy. Just sayin!

Seeing the pieces?

I love God because he listened to me, listened as I begged for mercy. He listened so intently as I laid out my case before him. Death stared me in the face, hell was hard on my heels. Up against it, I didn’t know which way to turn; then I called out to God for help: “Please, God!” I cried out. “Save my life!” God is gracious—it is he who makes things right, our most compassionate God. God takes the side of the helpless; when I was at the end of my rope, he saved me. (Psalm 116:1-2)

It is both heart-warming and a little bit of a bummer that we have to come to the end of our ropes to find God waiting on us, isn't it? I wonder if there is a lesson in finding ourselves in the place where we feel totally helpless - not hopeless, but helpless. In other words, we find ourselves in extreme need, but don't know how to meet that need anymore in our own efforts. I think God is right there just waiting for us to get to that very point - because when we finally admit we 'cannot', he is ready to show us he 'can'. 

Anger might be what we feel whenever we cannot possibly see any way out of whatever predicament we have gotten ourselves into, but when we cry out (even if there is a tinge of anger in that cry), God is there listening for our cry. Why did he allow us to get to that place? If we are truthful it is likely that we weren't ready to allow him to do what he needed to do until we found ourselves smack-dab in the middle of our muddle. God takes the side of the helpless - but sometimes we just need to get to the place where we recognize the help we need doesn't come from something on this earth or from our own struggling.

Not knowing which way to turn suggests more than one being out of options - it indicates there are so many there may just be a little confusion as to which one is the right one! I have been there - knowing full well there is one 'right' or 'best' solution, but still looking around at all the other 'options' available to me. You ever been there? Isn't it a wonder that we can see one 'solution' as the right one, but still not take it? Our stubborn pride can give us the greatest challenge at times, can it not?

We serve a compassionate God, my friends. One who isn't afraid to extend grace. One who doesn't take away the 'best' option when we are looking around at all the others. If you have been like me, you might have heard yourself laying out all the solutions, one by one in a kind of 'pros and cons' fashion. You have moved this or that, attempting to find 'just the right solution', but like those tiny puzzles of yesteryear that had all the numbers scrambled, we find we struggle to get the right order to those numbers. The solution is right there, but we don't see it - because we are looking at the pieces instead of the problem!

God sees the problem - he also sees the pieces. He is the one to put the pieces in order so the problem is no longer a problem - it is a solution. Not just 'a' solution, but the 'best' solution. Just sayin!

Is this really as bad as it gets?

Sometimes I think we imagine the worst, hope for the best, but really have no idea what to expect when life gets a little crazy all around us! One thing we should keep in mind is that the 'worst' is never really the 'worst' - the 'worst' has a way of morphing over time! Lamentations is not the most well-read book in the Bible, but it is there for a very specific purpose. Jeremiah is the writer and this is considered to be one of the poetic books of the Bible - not really my idea of poetry, but it is in biblical writings. The primary purpose in writing was to mourn the huge loss of Jerusalem, and more importantly, the Holy Temple. The nation of Judah is taken into exile, probably under the Babylonian rule, and there is great turmoil and sorrow in the land. Nothing has been the same since they lost their Holy City. In fact, the Book of Lamentations is read at the Wailing Wall today on a weekly basis as a memorial of the great sorrow and tragedy of losing their city. The very title of the book in the Hebrew language means "How" or "Alas" and was a word commonly used during the funerals of Old Testament times. The opening words of the book say it all: She dwells among the nations, but she has found no rest. (1:3) Then, almost without warning, we find this little note of hope right in the midst of all the anguish spoken in the words of this tiny book.

God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It’s a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God. It’s a good thing when you’re young to stick it out through the hard times. When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions: Wait for hope to appear. Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face. The “worst” is never the worst. (Lamentations 3:25-30)

The purpose of the writings served to give reproof for the nation's failure to recognize and serve their God whole-heartedly; instruction to get them back on track; and hope for a restoration beyond their capability, but definitely within the abilities of their God! Seems to me there are times in our own lives, even right now in our nation, when we need exactly these three things! We don't always "have skin" in the game, do we? Sometimes we drift a little, getting ourselves off-course as it applies to "whole-hearted" devotion. It is good to know we are never without hope! There are several points which will provide us with some insight into rising above the "worst" in our lives:

- God proves himself in our waiting and our seeking. If you have ever had to really seek something that was just not immediately in your view, then you might just know what Jeremiah was saying here. You get a little focused, don't you? You direct all your attention, regardless of the other stuff demanding your attention, on what it is you are seeking. Until you find it, you are "on a mission". Sometimes, I have to take time to stop to think - in the "thinking" times, I actually discover what it is I was looking for! Amazingly enough, God is found in the seeking and the waiting - and it is exactly in those moments where he proves himself faithful, graceful, and merciful to us!

- Life gets heavy and sometimes there is just a whole lot of stuff that is hard to take. We just find ourselves burdened by what our choices bring into our lives. I cannot tell you the times I have chosen one thing, only to find it has delivered into my life exactly the opposite of what I imagined it would do. Jeremiah's reminder to us is to get alone with God - there we will finally figure out that the heaviness is not what he desires for our lives. In "getting alone" with God, we get "staying power" for the longer hauls in life. Ever want to just "bale"? If so, you probably need a little "staying power" which comes no other way than in the "filling times" of being infused with the hope God gives.

- It is easiest to ask "why" or "how", but the greatest revelation comes in asking the "who" question. When we ask the right question, we get the answer that brings the solution to the problem. I think this is what my algebra teacher may have been trying to teach me when he was always telling me to "solve for X" in a problem. Guess it will come as no surprise to you to hear that I finally found out "X" always equals GOD. Problems of my own making multiplied by issues that are beyond my control always equal God's best opportunity to prove himself greater than my sin, willfulness, or shortcomings! We always want to "solve for" the WHY or the HOW in life. God wants us to "solve for" the WHO.

"The worst if never the worst." Really? Some of our circumstances look pretty awful, don't they? To our way of thinking, nothing could be worse. I honestly think God was using Jeremiah to remind Judah, and us, our worst is NEVER the worst because God's mercy holds back the torrents of "the worst" that we will NEVER experience! Yep, things might be a little gnarly (extremely gnarly) right now, but they are not the "worst" they could be. If we trust God, rest in the assurance that his grace is holding back the "worst"! Now, this should give us hope! Just sayin!

No runt here!

If you have ever felt like you just didn't have what it took for the issue at hand, rest assured you are not alone in that feeling! For seven years, Israel was under the domination of a heathen nation known as Midian. The story of man called Gideon begins with the description of the ugliness that domination brings to a nation - others eating their crops, turning their camels loose to bring their pasture lands to ruin, and sending the people scurrying to the caves to hide from their captors in cowering fear of their destructive forces. As is always the case with God, he hears the cries of their hearts, sends a prophet, and re-explains to them why they are in bondage. It is simple: God spoke to them of his tremendous care for them, demonstrated that care repeatedly in mighty ways, and they still chose to fear the people around them! Fear is always a place of bondage - plain and simple!

One day the angel of God came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, whose son Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress, out of sight of the Midianites. The angel of God appeared to him and said, "God is with you, O mighty warrior!" Gideon replied, "With me, my master? If God is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all the miracle-wonders our parents and grandparents told us about, telling us, 'Didn't God deliver us from Egypt?' The fact is, God has nothing to do with us—he has turned us over to Midian." But God faced him directly: "Go in this strength that is yours. Save Israel from Midian. Haven't I just sent you?" Gideon said to him, "Me, my master? How and with what could I ever save Israel? Look at me. My clan's the weakest in Manasseh and I'm the runt of the litter." (Judges 6:11-15)

Working away on the threshing floor after the grain harvest, Gideon is interrupted in his work by an angel of the Lord. You may not realize it, but it is in the "doing" of the ordinary things of life that God can speak the loudest and clearest to us! We think we need retreats, revival meetings, and the like in order to "hear from God". The truth is that if we are simply willing to be available to God, we will hear from him no matter what we are doing! The angel refers to Gideon as "mighty warrior" - an image Gideon obviously did not have of himself! Gideon immediately begins to debate this perception with the angel. Isn't that the way we are? God says, "I declare you worthy" and we argue about our worthiness. God says, "I love you beyond measure" and we question how he could love us as we are. God says, "I will give you the words to speak" and we complain that we are not eloquent enough to be a messenger of his grace.

It amazes me how many times we try to "talk God out of" what he declares to be true within our lives! It is important to realize that he has the "big picture" and we are quite limited in our perspective. We may see only what is immediately in front of us, but he sees what is to transpire. Our arguments are simply not valid when put in perspective by God! God has to repeat the message that he is with him and will use him to defeat Midian not once, but three separate times! If that doesn't speak to God's infinite patience with us, I don't know what does! In the end, Gideon asks God for a favor - he asks for a sign! Okay, an angel sits down in your place of business, engages in conversation with you, assures you that God will go with you into the battle, and you still need to ask for a sign? I am so glad that we have this recorded for us in scripture because it gives me hope that I am not the only one that struggles with being obedient when God asks something of me! Even I doubt, ask for further evidence, and then await God's assurances that he really did speak to me! Thank God, we serve a patient and loving Lord!

We often doubt our "credentials", citing something as lame as "I am the runt of the litter" when God declares us to be the leader of the battle! I am so glad that we are not limited to our own perceptions of ourselves! Gideon was so focused on what HE could accomplish in his own abilities and God was so focused on what GOD would accomplish in his power! We make lame excuses when all we see is the possibilities of our own abilities! God has greater possibilities if we'd just lean on him like he asks. God never commissions us to take certain step without also being willing to back those steps up with his full power and provision along the way! Just a few thoughts from the "runt of the litter" today! Our inadequacies are God's opportunities! Don't try to argue that one out! God wins every time! Just sayin!

My Best=His Best

It is quite easy for us to get 'drug down into' the culture of our day. The catty comments from opposing candidates catch our attention on the airwaves. The promise of this remedy providing instant this or that lures us into the latest of fads that only rob us of our hard-earned money and deliver none of the desired results. Easily swayed, we become 'prey' to these influencing factors. Wouldn't it be much more rewarding to be influenced with the type of things that actually pick us up instead of dragging us down? God's desire has always been for us to be 'drawn up', not down!

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (Romans 12:2 MSG)

We need to guard against 'separating' God from the various areas of our lives - holding some off-limits to him and giving him freedom to 'have at' others. God knows the influences that we respond to in some of those off-limit areas are the most important for him to begin to turn us away from - so denying him access isn't going to really work for us in the long run. Don't lose sight of how this passage begins - it isn't about us always wanting to turn those areas over to his control - he is going to help us to yield that influence to him if we will just ask for his help!

We take those areas easily influenced by things that serve to pull us down and we ask for his help to no longer be pulled in those directions. We don't always know what pulls at us, or how to avoid that influencing force. We might just have to admit we are 'helpless' to avoid that tempting force in order to be free of it! It is in placing these things before God (an offering of sorts) that we can begin to have the power of those influences revealed. We begin to see clearly because we are beginning to see things from a totally different perspective.

We are oftentimes 'well-adjusted' to our sin. We get into easily and we don't really see any need to be free of it. Let me just say this - we might not see the need, but others will. They look to us as their companions in this journey of faith. To settle for the presence of sin in our lives is to allow others to think God doesn't provide a means of overcoming those sins. We might not realize how much our embracing of sin actually influences another to let go of their own, but it does! This is actually how a set of values and beliefs becomes a culture!

The more we discover there are off-limit areas in our lives, the more we need to lean into Jesus and ask him to help bring the best out of us in those areas. We are well-versed in how to allow those influences to bring the worst from us - it is time we allow Jesus to show us how to bring the best into those places! Just sayin!

You awake?

If you have ever had one of those mornings where yours eyes open and you just feel like celebrating Jesus, you can totally relate to the psalmist when he proclaims he is "ready from head to toe" to get the day started with Jesus. For the most part, if we were totally honest here, our days don't begin this way very often!  In fact, we awake to the thoughts of how much laundry has to be done, the groceries we need to get later in the day, what might happen at work with a particular issue which has been brewing, and whether the blemish we noted on our chin just prior to going to bed last night has erupted into a total "Mount Vesuvius"!  Ordinary life breaks in on our thoughts pretty doggone quickly and we find ourselves carried away in the planning, fixing, and doing of the day.  We might want to challenge these "ordinary" life moments a little, though - because a day started with Jesus is going to make it an "extraordinary" day instead!

I’m ready, God, so ready, ready from head to toe.  Ready to sing, ready to raise a God-song:  “Wake, soul! Wake, lute! Wake up, you sleepyhead sun!” Give us help for the hard task; human help is worthless.  In God we’ll do our very best; he’ll flatten the opposition for good.  (Psalm 108:1-2;12-13 MSG)

One thing I realize in my own life is the tendency to see the hard tasks ahead, but the sometimes stubborn over-reliance upon my own abilities to sort things out and get them handled in a timely manner.  I doubt I am in this alone - for most of us struggle with this, even if it is to a smaller degree than someone else.  What our psalmist is directing us to do is to "focus" - rein in those immediate thoughts about how much needs to be done, what effort you will have to exert to get it all done, etc. and focus our total attention on Jesus - even if it is just for a few moments.  First, he calls for his soul to awaken (mind, will and emotions).  Mind engaged, not in figuring it all out, but in paying attention.  Will submitted to the will of Jesus - not our plans first, then whatever we have left over goes to Jesus, but Jesus' plans first, and we won't have stuff left over!  Emotions carried into his presence rather than carried away by all the rising stress caused by trying to get all our ducks in order ourselves.

Then he calls for the "lute".  Most of us aren't musicians, but we can listen to music which will lift our spirits and encourage our focus.  My radio is set for the Christian station each morning - so as the alarm clicks on, I begin to hear the soft tones of worship.  It centers me for just a few moments while I come into the state of being fully awake and just prior to mind becoming fully concentrated on the thoughts of the day.  I also awaken long before the sun rises, so I don't usually "call for the sun" to rise, but I get the idea - our psalmist is eager to have the day begin.  We often have this same eagerness, but we skip out on the other two "awakenings" which we really need in order to keep balance in our lives!

Most importantly, we see the petition to receive God's help for the hard tasks ahead - noting quickly the insufficiency of human help.  Don't get the psalmist wrong - God may send his help in the form of another human being to come alongside and assist with the work at hand, but the psalmist isn't relying upon human effort alone!  He is turning his focus to God, asking God to direct the steps he takes, and to sort out the tasks in the order they are to be completed.  It is likely that this psalm was written prior to going into battle, calling upon God to give them wisdom as they move in to take the city they have in their sights.  If you have ever been in battle, you know the planning which goes into the maneuvers.  Nothing is haphazard - it is thought through with great care because life depends on it!  Our psalmist might just be reminding us of the need to have God help us "think through" things before we launch head first into them - because our life does indeed depend on it!

Our "very best" is a result of this focus - this centering of our attention on Jesus and our willingness to wait upon him for the plans he wants to set in motion.  I don't know about you, but I don't start out each day thinking if I can just make it through with "mediocre" outcomes, then I will feel pretty good when I lay my head upon the pillow again that night.  In fact, I pretty much count on doing my "very best" - anything less is just not what I desire. Somewhere along the way, our psalmist has learned the secret of being able to accomplish our "very best" - it is in Jesus.  We don't get to "very best" alone - we need his oversight and direction.  So, what do you see different about how you might start your day tomorrow?  Oh, wait - what about today? Sure, it may have already begun and you may be well underway by the time you read these words, but it isn't too late to just stop, awaken your soul to Jesus, and center on him just a moment.  Just sayin!

Dead center - you hitting it?

Our desires go a long way in determining our end results in life.  We have been studying about how much God loves and blesses people of integrity - lives lived out according to his plan and purpose, with honesty and humility. Anytime we have "twisted desires", it leads to "twisted hearts" and the outcome will be less than good.  In fact, I think twisted ambition is what gets us so frustrated most of the time.  We get out undies in a wad - either at another, over something we cannot control, or totally because we are mad at ourselves - all because of some "twisted" desire or ambition.  When we learn to "untangle" our lives a little bit, it is amazing how much different things actually appear!

The desires of good people lead straight to the best, but wicked ambition ends in angry frustration.  (Proverbs 11:23 MSG)

Life is filled with all kinds of choices we might make.  There are "good" and then there are "best" choices, aren't there?  Sometimes the difference between the two is a very fine line.  I have been guilty of making a whole lot of "good" choices in life, but I really have to wonder if I have always made the "best" choices.  If I were to perfectly honest, as you would probably imagine, not every "good" choice has been the "best" - but the outcomes were pretty amazing anyway.  I can honestly even say some of my "worst" choices yielded some pretty awesome things in my life - not because bad choices produce good results, but because God is able to redeem even the worst to create something good out of it.  

Ambition is kind of a fickle thing - it is okay to have desires, but when they drive us without thinking into actions we might not really want to take, they become detrimental to our well-being.  Think of ambition as a "driving" force. Then imagine desire as the feeling behind ambition - it creates the sense of "need", while ambition sets our feet into motion to see the need fulfilled. This is probably why our studies have focused so much on controlling our feelings! The way we "feel" about a certain thing makes all the difference in determining if we will pursue it or not.  Sometimes I don't "feel good" about some particular option available to me - if I ignore those "intuitions" I might just come to an end result which I would have liked to have avoided.  You may have realized this in your own experience, as well.  God's plan is for us to learn to align our desires with his purposes - this is what truly brings safety into our lives.  

The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.  (Proverbs 11:25 MSG)

As our writer lays out various principles in this chapter, he reminds us repeatedly of the contrast between what is "good" and what definitely is "best".  Work hard - get a paycheck.  Have a paycheck - pay your bills.  Help others - you are helped yourself.  You see, hard work is a good thing - having money in your account is awesome!  Getting a paycheck is tremendously satisfying - living debt-free is overwhelmingly liberating.  Reaching out to others in need is rewarding - seeing a return on your investment in the blessing another receives is priceless.  Basically, what he lays out for us is a twofold concept:

     - Search for good - find favor
     - Search for evil - you will find it

Desire for what is right and good leads to finding favor with God and our fellowman.  Ambition misdirected toward evil just ends in evil.  Let me put it another way - the one who yields their desires to the leading of God in their lives will enjoy a tremendous reward.  The reward is something we experience here and now on this earth - contentment.  Favor is experienced in both the mind and in our actions - we get our minds set straight and our steps ordered. When these two things occur, contentment is certain to not be far behind.  All forms of discontent are really linked to either not having our minds at peace, or in engaging in some missteps along the way.  

Sometimes we fail to recognize the value of what we have been given.  We have been given all kinds of "good" in life - but what awaits us is really something pretty "great" - the "best" is our target.  If you look at a target, there are concentric rings which come to focus on some really small circle in the middle.  All the outer rings have "hallow space" in between them, don't they.  Getting anything inside one of those spaces is good, is it not?  Yet, the "solid" circle in the middle of the target - the small circle - is the best, isn't it? The "best" is not the biggest, nor the easiest to hit - the smallest is. But...did you ever stop to ask why it is a solid circle in the middle?  I think it might just be to help us focus on it!  All the other "hallow space" just leads us to looking directly at "dead center" on the target!  

Best is always "dead center" in our lives.  Whatever, or whoever, controls "dead center" determines the "score" in our lives.  Just sayin!

Sing with angels' voices

Every year, there are various awards given to music artists - Grammy awards, Billboard Hall of Fame, GMA Dove awards, etc.  Within each award "group" there are various divisions of honor - best album, best single, top artist, etc.  I will never win such an "honor".  I might sound okay in the shower, but to be able to stand before an audience and belt out a tune, totally on key, and with gusto - that's just not gonna happen.  Most of us fall into this category of "singers" - we sing "okay", but our ability to "make music" is not much to write home about!  Maybe what makes the song we sing so significant is not the perfect tone, but the audience to whom we sing.

Sing songs to God, sing out!  Sing to our King, sing praise!  He’s Lord over earth, so sing your best songs to God.  (Psalm 47:6-7 MSG)

Our psalmist reminds us "who" it is we sing for - God himself.  He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords - as such, we sing for his enjoyment and honor - not ours.  This psalm tells us to sing to God not once, but seven times!  We are told to "shout God-songs", not quietly, but at the top of our lungs!  Now, this means we are not to be timid in our worship - but giving it our all.  Then we are reminded to give loud cheers as we see God taking his place - enthroned in our lives.  If this is not enough, we are instructed to "sing songs", "sing out", "sing to", "sing praise", and to "sing our best songs" to God.  

Now, if something is repeated this much in scripture, it must have some importance.  Let's examine a little bit about each of these instructions:

- Shout "God-songs":  What are "God-songs"?  I like to think of these as the songs which emanate from the recesses of our hearts.  The songs which come from both a place of deepest sorrow and mountain top exuberance.  Each has such significance to God - none is less important.  We are to "shout" these songs to him - not to sing them quietly, as though they were not worth his hearing, but with both gusto and exuberance.  Why?  Maybe it is because his ears are turned toward those who "cry out"!  These words capture his attention - moving his heart in response to our expressions of both hurt and hope.

- Give "loud cheers":  If you have ever been at a sports game of some type and your team comes from behind to score the winning goal, touchdown, or the like, you probably have knowledge of what "loud cheers" are.  They express something of both victory and "applause-words".  It is like we are using our words to give applause to the victor.  I think God is honored when our "applause words" declare his victories in our lives, don't you?

- "Sing songs to God":  If you were a country/western musician, would you want to sing some country ballad at the opera house?  Not likely.  Why?  The "audience" would be all wrong for your particular "brand" of music.  The good news is God is the one receiving our songs - as our "audience of one" he receives ALL manners of song, no exceptions.  It is not "what" is sung as much as it is TO WHOM the song is lifted.  Some of us try to sing our songs to the men and women of this world - wondering why they don't respond to them as we think they should.  It is probably because they are not the "audience" who needs to hear them!

- "Sing your best songs":  I appreciated something my pastor said this weekend.  He took us to the book of Malachi, chapter one, and reminded us of the importance of giving God our best.  Why?  Simply because God does not want left-overs!  The passage is quite plain - we think we honor God by bringing him our left-overs, but really we are capable of much better, and God knows it!  We don't fool God by just singing!  God looks for us to bring our "first" of everything to him.  Now, think about it - how much of your "firsts" has God been a part of?  If God is "first" in our lives, then we also deserves to experience the "first" of everything which emanates from our lives.  This includes the good stuff, but I also believe it includes the things like our grief, fears, and even our wavering faith.  God does much with the simple gift of our "songs" only when they are finally "sung".  If we bring him our "song of grief", he is capable of turning it into a "song of hope".  When we bring him our "song of fear", he is able to take away the fear and replace it with boldness.  Even our "songs of doubt" speak volumes to God - for it is in the honesty and integrity of our heart where he can begin the greatest work of rearranging the pieces to bring the best out of what we see as the worst.

Sing to your audience of one!  Sing boldly!  Sing loudly!  Raise the shouts of praise!  But....don't be afraid to sing with honesty!  In the honesty of our words God can begin the work of turning ashes into something which reflects his beauty.  I think when we are singing with this type of integrity of heart, we are singing with "angels' voices".  Just sayin!