The long, hot summer has been filled with news of a sinking economy, job losses, increasing world hunger, and overwhelming suffering brought on by excessive heat, rains, flooding and acts of terrorism. News media of all types has bombarded us with dismal announcements of pain and anguish inflicted on our brothers and sisters everywhere, motivating us to wonder, "Where is God in the midst of all the pain?"

If we turn to scripture and open our Bibles to Psalms, we are offered comfort, hope and inspiring words that God is indeed in our midst. The psalmist asks in Psalm 42:9, "Why hast thou forgotten me?" as people all around us ask, "Where is your God?" We are assured that God's steadfast love will sustain us. God never abandons us. Take comfort in the words of hymns like "O God, Our Help in Ages Past" in which we sing, "O God our Help in ages past, our Hope for years to come. Be thou our Guard while life shall last." Hope in God for we shall again praise God who is with us at all times of need and in the times of rejoicing: births, healing from sickness, new meaningful work, and opportunities to establish gateways to peace.

Psalm 90 reminds us to number our days and be open to receiving hearts filled with wisdom to combat affliction. Let God's favor be upon us and use us to work for the Lord. God indeed hears our cries and has delivered us from our sin. We are precious in the sight of the Lord. Isaac Watts wrote a hymn in 1719, echoing Psalm 116 in which he penned, "I love the Lord, who heard my cry and chased my grief away. O let my heart no more despair while I have breath to pray."

Music is the voice of the heart and soul and allows us to express our inner struggles and joys. Equip yourself with a song and accept that God is preparing you to deal with all aspects of life-- and the best is yet to come! We face a future in which God has intricately woven each of us into an everlasting fabric. Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob whose hope is in the Lord his God, who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry, who lifts up those who are bowed down (Paraphrased from Psalm 146).

I am grateful the choir will be returning to lead us in music as we tune our hearts and minds to God's direction for our lives.

Put a song in your heart and find hope in God,