My Neighbor's Song!

A few days ago I was upstairs helping out my wife with some things when I heard the sounds of singing emanating from outside the window that faces our back patio.  As I stopped to listen a little more intently, I became aware that it was my neighbor having a great time singing funny lyrics with a silly intonation.  I burst out laughing and said to my wife: “See, I’m not the only one in the neighborhood who sings silly songs so everyone can hear!”  With that, my wife and I stopped what we were doing and listened and laughed to the beat of our neighbor’s antics!

I was reminded of that funny experience this morning as I concluded my study time by reading from Isaiah 61:10.  Here in a clear reference to the finished work of Christ, the Prophet declares, “I will find joy in the Lord.  I will delight in my God.  (for) He has dressed me in the clothes of salvation.  He has wrapped me in the robe of righteousness.”  (God’s Word ©)  Then he goes on to picture this as a Bride and Groom dressed in their best, looking like a prince and a princess on their wedding day.

As Christians we should always be able to find something to be joyful for, no matter the time, the place or the situation, because of our salvation and righteousness in Christ!  Now, I may not know what provoked my neighbor to sing joyfully, but it was funny and a pleasure to listen to!  Obviously he was happy about something and was expressing his delight.  That’s how you and I should be all the time.  I found myself singing aloud to my wife as I did the dishes last night and then burst out loud thinking that another neighbor of ours that likes to sit outside in her patio next to our kitchen and smoke, and how she could be listening to my love song!

Habakkuk 3:19 in the Greek translation tells of the Lord being our power and how “He will arrange my feet unto completion, and upon the higher places He shall set me, for me to overcome by His ode.”  (Apostolic Bible Polyglot)  He is talking about our singing a song of His victory for us.  He wants us singing of His power, of His love and of His faithfulness to us.  Why?  Because as Isaiah 61:10 stated, we are “dressed in the clothes of salvation” and wrapped “in the robe of righteousness.”  We are to be happy and rejoice by singing of our position in Christ Jesus.  Like Him, we are dressed and seen by Him as being part of the royal family of God.

Over the years my wife and I took the pictures at dozens of weddings.  In the role of the wedding photographer I always met with the bride and/or the bride and groom on numerous occasions before the wedding to discuss and plan the details of the shoot.  Most of the time they normally wore their everyday clothes consisting of something akin to jeans or shorts, t-shirts and sandals or running shoes.  On the day of the wedding I can say without any hesitation that I was almost always rendered speechless when I would walk in and see the bride for the first time in her wedding gown!  No matter who she was, she was a sight of beauty and wonder… you could say that she almost looked royal!  And the groom’s transformation from grungy jeans to a tux, well… what more can I say!

That’s how our heavenly Father sees us ALL THE TIME!  When He looks at us he sees us as dressed in the righteous robe of Jesus.  He looks at us and sees Jesus!  So then, why shouldn’t we rejoice and celebrate everyday just like they do at weddings?  The people in our neighborhoods should be hearing us singing from our house on a daily basis!   They should come to expect it and come to our doors and ask what’s going on when they don’t!”  Our joyful notes should resound in a peace that fills their houses and lives as well as ours, just like our neighbor’s singing brought laugher into ours earlier this week.  Then when they comment to you about how they enjoy your songs, you have an open to door to share just what (or WHO) it is that makes you sing!

I would encourage you this weekend to do as Psalm 97:12 suggests and “find your joy in the Lord, you righteous people.  Give thanks to him as you remember (or acknowledge in full agreement with) how holy he is.”  (God’s Word ©)  Let your voice be the one that brings peace, hope and joy into your neighborhood!  Have a great weekend.  Stay in tune (no pun intended!) to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What SONG am I expecting TO SING today?”