A Song in the Night

I have always loved music. My mom tells stories of when I was only 3 or 4, plunking out tunes of my own creation on the family piano or compelling my brother to sing along with me and instructing him to sing the “regular bit” (melody) while I would sing “that other bit” (harmony).

I am grateful that God has given me not only a love for music but has also gifted me at least some small measure of talent. And I feel immensely blessed to use what He has given to worship Him and serve the church over many years. Singing songs of praise to God and encouraging others through God’s truths set to music is something I am always excited about! 

However, there is one time I have trouble with wanting to sing, a time when it feels not only difficult to do so but almost impossible. 

Read Psalm 77:2-6 and maybe you will see what I mean:

“In the day of my trouble, I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted. When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah. You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I consider the days of old, the years long ago. I said, ‘Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart.’”

I’ve long struggled with the thought of a “song in the night” mostly because the night is not your typical time for singing. Night is supposed to be a time of quiet, peace, and rest. But here we see the psalmist is heavy hearted, weary, and unable to rest. He is exhausted and yet sleep eludes him. He is so troubled in his heart and mind that he cannot even begin to articulate his pain. And yet, his solution is to remember his song in the night. If he cannot find words to speak, how will he know what to sing? 

As I studied the phrase “song in the night,” I found it is not the first time it occurs in the Bible. It is first found in Job 35:9-10 when Job’s friend Elihu says to him in his time of great suffering, “Because of the multitude of oppressions people cry out; they call for help because of the arm of the mighty. But none says, ‘Where is God my Maker who gives songs in the night?’’

Looking at these two passages, we can take this to mean that the “night” is not simply the time between sundown and sunrise but rather it refers to seasons of sorrow, suffering, and pain. At first glance, singing during times such as these does not seem fitting, but the Bible tells us that not only should we sing in the night, but our God has actually given us songs to sing in such seasons. Like the Psalmist says, “I cannot speak” but I can “remember my song in the night.” (Psalm 77)

Athanasius, a 4th-century theologian, once wrote, “Most of Scripture speaks to us, but the Psalms speak for us.” Just under half of all the Psalms, are psalms of lament. These are psalms where the author cries out to God in his pain, sometimes even in complaint, pouring out the depth of his suffering to the Lord. Furthermore, each one ends by recounting the faithfulness of God and with a resolution to place all hope and trust in Him. 

These psalms of lament are the songs in the night that God has gifted to us. When we can’t put our pain into words, He has given us a song. When we are exhausted and desperate, He has given us a song. When we are close to forgetting His goodness and abandoning all hope, He has given us a song. 

Furthermore, the Lord doesn’t just give us a song, He is our song! ​

“The LORD is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.” Psalm 118:14

In his book Before We Gather, author Zac Hicks beautifully elaborates on this amazing truth:

“When the psalmist sings ‘the Lord is my song,’ it’s not only that the Lord is the content of his song . . . The Lord himself is his song. When we sing, therefore, we don’t just sing about the Lord or to the Lord. When we sing, the Lord himself sings . . . If that’s not encouraging enough for weary singers, [this verse] makes the connection between singing and strengthening. When we sing, we are buoyed, lifted up . . . If you don’t have the strength to sing, Jesus will sing for you. If you’re able to sing, Jesus is the one singing in you and alongside you. So, get ready, your strength is coming.” 

When we are living through the seasons of night, we become aware of how greatly we need God to strengthen us. In our weariness, exhaustion, and frailty, we are desperate for rest and strength that can only be found in Him. We can access both the songs we sing to God and with God, even in the deepest darkness of the night. 

I believe there is one more precious thing that God grants us through our songs in the night — hope. Hope is more than a desire for something good or wishful thinking. Hope is confidence in the steadfastness of God. Hope fuels our faith and lightens our darkness. Without hope, there is no way we can persevere and endure the seasons of the night we are sure to face in this life. 

There’s a phenomenon in nature known as the dawn chorus. The term refers to the collective calls and songs of birds in the first moments as the day begins to dawn. Soon after moving to the Hawaiian Islands, our family visited the largest of the islands, often simply referred to as the Big Island. It was here that I was first able to experience the dawn chorus. I woke early one morning, well before sunrise, and decided to go outside and watch the day begin. Even before the first glimmers of light began to appear, the birds began their singing. This was more than some chirps and tweets. This was a loud, boisterous, cacophony of a variety of birds heralding the approach of a new day. It was such an amazing experience that I became curious to know more about it, and what I learned astounded me. 

While the birds sing for a few reasons, one of the primary ones is to signal that they have survived the night. This is especially poignant since they begin their songs before the sun has risen. How do they know they have endured the night? Of course, we know God has given them instincts that help them to survive and understand the world around them. But I think this occurrence gives us a beautiful analogy of hope. 

Hope is not something we need when we are basking in the light. Hope is what we cling to in the dark. We live resolved that God is with us and we anticipate with confidence that all will one day be well and that healing will come. Even if there is no relief for us on this side of eternity, the dawn is coming. We will be made whole. Our songs in the night help us to recount the faithfulness of God and to remember that because of Christ’s work on the cross, all pain, sorrow, and heartache have an expiration date. 

Friend, if you are living in seasons of the night, God has given you songs to sing. When words fail you and you don’t even know what to pray, look to the songs in the night that God has given to sustain you, strengthen you, and give you hope on which to cling. Let the Psalms speak for you and never doubt for a moment that the night will end and morning is coming! Sing out your song in the night, and even when your voice grows weak, remember God will sing for you.

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty One who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

How can embracing a "song in the night" God gives us transform our darkest seasons into moments of deep faith and hope?