Sing Your Way To Heaven
By Wendell Elms

In this day and time there’s not much joy in the streets. Everything seems to be shaky and unsteady. Banks and companies that were seemingly solid have crumbled down around us. People are drawing inward, scared, trusting noting. The question is, ‘What’s going to happen next?’

I had an uncle that buried large amounts of money in coffee cans in his backyard because he didn’t trust anyone.

Prior to and during the Great Depression the general public of America was quiet, subdued, and noiseless. People questioned the future. Hope was all but gone. America’s song was gone. But think back to right after World War II ended. When America was told the war had ended, a joyous hype hit the nation. People sang in the streets, whistled on the job, and the overwhelming happiness caused everyone to be friendly. Hope was renewed, and America had her song back. The songs of that era reflected that joy.

We don’t hear much talk of hope these days. When economic storm clouds gather, we grow morose in the face of uncertainty. ‘What is it going to be like for our children and grandchildren?’ It’s a worry that doesn’t go away.

To know what to do in the future, we look back to get our direction. Throughout the Word of God are the many stories of times of storm, times of famine, times of depression. Bad times for sure, but we also see how God’s people made it through these times. It will help you face your storms too.

When facing certain death at the hands of the Egyptians, victory came in a strange way.

‘Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him’ (Exodus 15:1-2)

When there was no other way to escape death, King Jehoshaphat came back from prayer with an answer.

‘He appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.

And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten’ (II Chronicles 20:21-22)
David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, said it like this:

‘Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works’ (I Chronicles 16:9)

Isaiah wrote, ‘Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth’ (40:42).

Facing the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus Christ stopped his disciples to let his heart rise to the joy of song.

‘And when they had sung as hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives’ (Mark 14:26).

Jesus was teaching that when facing the storms, we should not forget to take the time to stop and sing.

Paul and Silas were badly beaten, sitting in prison, and immersed in pain.

‘And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them’ (Acts 16:25).

Trials, heartaches, losses, and sorrows have a way of sewing our heart shut. We become scared, quiet, and withdrawn. We let trouble cover us in gloom. Our smile disappears, and there is no joy in us.

This is not God’s will! God has put a song in every heart, a skip in our step, a joy in ever Spirit-filled soul. It is a proven fact that singing lifts the spirit. It can change the gloom to gladness, the negative to joy, and the dull to exciting.

Sing the old chorus—

I’m so glad I belong to Jesus;
I’m so glad I belong to Jesus;
I’m so glad I belong to Jesus,
Hallelujah, Praise the Lord.

Life may take a lot of things away from us, but it cannot take away your song — that is, if you have one.

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

You may need to sing right now because of everything you’re facing. The road you travel on my be rough and rocky, but keep singing. You may be bleeding, or you may have a death sentence hanging over you. Keep singing your song, because before long it will break something loose within you.

In the face of all our personal or national woes, we need to let the world hear the sounds of joyous song as we sing unto the Lord. We’re going to heaven happy!

This article ‘Sing Your Way To Heaven’ by Wendell Elms is excerpted from Apostolic Sentinel.