“Lift up the voice”

Isaiah 52:8-9

“Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem..…”

Our children are blessed to have many cousins. A few of these loved ones live near, which is a blessing, but the ones on their mom’s side of the family live a great distance away and are seen only once or twice a year. Despite that distance, there is a kinship that defies time and space. I truly believe it is a union the Holy Spirit provides, that unites their hearts more than just in a familial manner. I believe it to be that they see eye to eye in matters of importance. We wish many times that the distance between them was not so great, but we trust that God knows where each of us should be.

Some of our nieces and nephews made a CD of themselves singing the Hymns and Songs of Zion for my father-in-law. We managed to obtain a copy and have enjoyed listening to those young familiar voice together sing praises to their Heavenly Father. Many nights while one of our children is doing dishes, this CD is playing and they are singing along with their cousins. I marvel that even though they live almost two thousand miles apart, their voices can unite in that praise and thankfulness that the Lord has comforted them and redeemed them.

I pray that this might always be so. That the young in our midst are encouraged to keep their eyes on the Redeemer, the Holy one of Israel. And to know that while they are singing his praise, he is also rejoicing over them with singing as recorded in the third chapter of Zephaniah. “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”

Praise God for his unspeakable mercies to us in Christ!

Hans Lampinen

Submitted by Pastor Stan