The violin sang its mournful song as the raindrops splashed against the windowpanes, mocking the tears escaping my eyes. It had been a hard day, emotions gone awry, thoughts restless. Just as I found myself slipping into deeper sorrow, the sounds of a piano and guitar dominated the violin. The shift caught my attention as I listened closer.
In the music video, men and women began singing praise to the Lord. The mournful violin was still part of the melody, but the dominant sound was now proclaiming the love of God and the joy of knowing Him.
As God’s Child, His Presence is With Us Always
I couldn’t help but notice the parallel to life. Life can be hard. We live in a fallen world where bad things happen to good people. And yet, God is in our midst. As His child, His presence is with us always.
But … do we notice Him? Do we look for Him in our difficult places when the mournful song of our soul rises to the surface and dominates our hearts? He promises when we seek Him, we will find Him. When we call upon His Name, He will hear us from heaven and draw near.
He promises, but we must choose to step into that promise of comfort and solace.
We must open our eyes to see.
Consider the ebony clouds of a thunderstorm. Ominous. Threatening. We watch intently as it eclipses the mountain ridge. Wind and rain follow. Darkness covers the earth. Where is the sun? Where is its steady, faithful light?
The sun is there behind the clouds! Its light creates the darkness — the shadow in the clouds casts what we perceive to be a veil of gloom. But … is it gloom or is it evidence of light?
Just as the mournful cry of the violin contributed to the melody of praise, so the veil of darkness from the storm confirms the presence of the sun. Like the faithful presence of the sun, so is the steadfast love of our God, evidence of His abiding presence.
Acts 17:28 tells us that “It is in Him that we live and move and have our being.” In Him. Light in the darkness. Praise in the sorrow. God’s presence in our lives is a sure place when things go wrong and teardrops fall. He sees each tear — they are precious to Him.
The Mournful Cry of the Heart Rises in Praise
I grabbed a tissue to dry my tears as the singers led me deeper into worship. Lifting my hands, I offered my pain to the Lord, my discouragement, … my sorrow. His sweet Holy Spirit enveloped me as His light shone in my darkness. I could hear the mournful song of the violin, but this time I realized that its presence is what made the praise so beautiful.
My tears … your tears … make our worship a sweet aroma to the Lord. His abiding presence makes everything beautiful in its time.
Selah
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Thank you so much for stopping by. I would love for you to share what’s on your heart in the comments below. Scroll a little farther down and you’ll see where you can leave your comments. Together, we can find the nearness of God in our darkest moments.
Sweet blessings to you,
