Managing an Exilic Playlist

Managing an Exilic Playlist

Daniel 3: 1-7, English Standard Version

Nebuchadnezzar's Golden Image

3King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits[a] and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.2Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.3Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.4And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages,5that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.”7Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Psalm 137:1-3, English Standard Version

How Shall We Sing the Lord's Song?

137 By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. 2 On the willows[a] there we hung up our lyres. 3 For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

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How do I manage the music, the sound and the noisy unlikable groove of tough seasons?  

1. Understand as a person of faith, my exilic circumstances, my struggles and my challenges,  cannot prohibit me from being prepared to stand when everyone else is ready to bow – some songs we must not only dislike but we must skip and oppose.

2. Courageously proclaim that the people of GOD can’t be afraid to hold near, unique and special the song they have been given, songs that are not for mere entertainment but songs that carry the sacred power of anointing and the power and presence of GOD - your song means more than you know

3. Live like we know that the people of GOD have to hold fast to their commitment to GOD regardless as to the animus, motivation and expression of the music - a believer in GOD needs to know how to hit a rest note…how to stand when it's time to stand.