A Song In The Night

“But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night”.  Job 35:10

Who uttered these brave and faith-filled words? No! They were not from Job. These were the words of Elihu who had remained silent for a long time.  For 30 chapters Job and his friends were bickering back and forth. Later Job launched a stout defense of himself. After his conclusion his three friends were silent. Elihu was fuming with Job and his friends because at no time did anyone bring God into the conversation or even say: “Hey fellas, let’s pray about this.”  No, they were doing it all on their own.  All along these men groped, discussed, grasped and grabbed at Job and never once gave anything to help him.  Job, in his own self pity, was so busy defending himself that he didn’t even think of praying.

Elihu was also livid because the three friends had found no way to rebut Job, and yet had condemned him.According to 32:1-4, Elihu respectfully listened to his seniors.  He was polite and respectful because of their age.  He finally spoke and what he said was a rebuke for their failures.  In 35:10 he said “But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night” (NIV).  The Coverdale version of the Bible translates the verse "And that shyneth (shineth) upon us that we might prayse (praise) him in the night."  

Research on the word “night” will present meanings such as: “between sunset and sunrise”; “close of life, death”; “moral darkness”; “adversity, affliction, distress”; “obscurity, hidden from eye or mind”.  In other words “night” means a time of darkness, whether mental, physical, psychological or spiritual.  Have you ever been there?  Well, I have.  I have been arrested by anxiety and imprisoned by confusion and uncertainty and I never knew how to pray or even remembered to bring God into the picture; or, as Joseph Medlicott Scriven wrote: “Take it to the Lord in prayer”.  I bet that we have all been there and yet, what a delight when we have a “song in the night!”  It is God who can make us sing in the midst of our “night”. 

God did it for Jonah in the belly of the great fish; God did it for Paul and Silas in the prison stocks at midnight; and God did it for our family on Saturday November 2, 2013.  What an eventful, emotional, sobering, inspiring and humbling day!  Our dearest Janel, whose demise was four years ago, would have celebrated her 20th birthday on that date.  At her passing Elroy had just started university and Heidi was still in high school.  It really rocked our family to the core. On Saturday, in the midst of remembering Janel and thanking God for her, Heidi graduated with a BSc. in Psychology and Elroy with a MSc. in Sociology, both from the University of the West Indies. Among the thousands of names the name Galbraith was called twice. It was a bitter-sweet day.  Yes, God be praised!

It is worth learning that to receive any benefit from our “nights” we must accept the situation and be determined to make the best of it. I am learning that worrying over what we do not have or what we have lost will only prevent us from improving what remains. No situation will only bring evil if we instantly take it to the Lord in prayer. Our God is truly amazing!!  Do you have a song in your night?

Thought:      No “Night” is too Dark for God to Penetrate

Prayer Focus:   For those who are getting lost in the “night” of their experiences.