Come On, My Soul

 Oh Come On All Ye Faithful

 

Why so despondent, down cast and downhearted?
O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem,
Come and behold him,
Born the King of Angels,
O come on all ye faithful,
O come on all ye faithful,
O come on and adore him,
Christ the Lord,

God of God, however dark the night,
Look he's not too proud for the virgins womb,
Very God, even in dark places,
O come on all ye faithful,
O come on all ye faithful,
O come on and adore him,
Christ the Lord,

Sing choirs of wasters, Sing in degradation,
Sing all forgotten ones: despised and unloved,
Glory to God, in the High street,
O come on all ye faithful,
O come on all ye faithful,
O come on and adore him,
Christ the Lord,

Reflection: Why So Downcast?

Rend Collective have a song on their first album (Organic Family Hymnal) called 'Come on'. It's a very simple response to Psalm 42's refrain "Why so downcast, Oh my soul?" Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God. I will yet praise him, my saviour and my God." The song gives 2 responses.

Come on my soul
Come on my soul
Let down the walls
And sing my soul

Come on, come on
Come on, come on
It's time to look up

Come On My Soul • Rend Collective (spotify.com)

Firstly: let down your walls Secondly: sing. The 'protective' layers we build up are often a hinderance. Isaiah says he will give us a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. Very often, as we sing, we drop our guard, and praise does it's job. It elevates him and it releases us into hope.

Secondly It's time to look up. Get your gaze on God.

And it's all very well, you say, but easier said than done.  Sure. I appreciate that. But David knew a thing or two about encouraging himself in God. I can only speculate, but I like to think this was maybe written around his experiences at Ziklag (1 Sam 30), where his family and the families of his men were kidnapped by the Amalekites. Having lost his family and his men (who blamed him for their loss) ready to stone him, he weeps until he has no strength left to weep any more (that's a lot of weeping) and then we are told, David encourages himself in The Lord. If I am right, then the manner of this encouragement was in giving himself, his soul, a good talking to. Even if I am wrong about the occurrence this is still clearly the approach David has.

And in this poem, I am yet again adapting existing Carols to make my point. I am singing 'Come on, all ye faithful' instead of 'Oh Come, all ye faithful'. An Encouragement rather than an invitation. An exhortation to exaltation.

Because it is for our own good. It is what we need.

~Scripture~

As the deer pants for streams of water,

    so my soul pants for you, my God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God

When can I go and meet with God?

My tears have been my food

    day and night,

while people say to me all day long,

    “Where is your God?”

These things I remember

    as I pour out my soul:

how I used to go to the house of God

    under the protection of the Mighty One[d]

with shouts of joy and praise

    among the festive throng.

Why, my soul, are you downcast?

    Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

    for I will yet praise him,

    my Savior and my God.

My soul is downcast within me;

    therefore I will remember you

from the land of the Jordan,

    the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

Deep calls to deep

    in the roar of your waterfalls;

all your waves and breakers

    have swept over me.

By day the Lord directs his love,

    at night his song is with me—

    a prayer to the God of my life.

I say to God my Rock,

    “Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I go about mourning,

    oppressed by the enemy?”

My bones suffer mortal agony

    as my foes taunt me,

saying to me all day long,

    “Where is your God?”

Why, my soul, are you downcast?

    Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

    for I will yet praise him,

    my Saviour and my God.

~Psalm 42~