Purpose Through PainSample

Depression to Joy: Singing in the Night 

During the holidays, I always go to Pittsburgh to see my family. Since my mother and father reside there, the whole family comes down to spend the most wonderful time of the year under the same roof. One night, while soundly sleeping, I was awakened to the sound of birds. I woke up almost immediately from the loud and distracting chirping of robins. Once I was fully up, I realized it was still the dead of night. In fact, it was still dark outside, and the sun would not rise for the next seven hours. To add to the mystery, it was the end of December. Two questions then came to mind: first, why are birds up north in the winter, and second, why are they chirping at night? 

Since I was wide awake, I decided to do some research. There are two reasons robins sing in the middle of the winter at night. Those two reasons have to do with how the robin defends its territory. First, robins sing at night to fight disturbances in their territory. When God gives you a promise, the enemy will always try to come in the form of doubt, fear, or confusion to try to steal that promise away. When this happens, we have to continue to believe God for our promises or the territory that He has given us. In Luke 1:37 it says, “For no word from God will ever fail.” If God has promised you something, you have to remind the devil what God has promised you in the wake of fear and doubt. Don’t let the devil distract you from the destiny God has for you. 

The second reason they sing in the winter is to protect their territory. Due to the land having substance, the robins protect it even in the winter because of the nourishment the land provides. Sometimes, we get tired of praying and seeking God when we don’t see anything growing. Just like in the winter when things seem barren, we can get frustrated with protecting what God has given us. However, in His word in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, God tells us to pray without ceasing. This means that even in the moments when we don’t see anything happening with the promise that God gave us, we should continue to pray and rely on God for that promise. 

You may be in a season where you are doubting what God has promised you. It may seem like everything happening in your life is the opposite of what God has promised you. However, hold on to what God has told you! He has more for you than you can even imagine. Don’t give up and hold fast to your territory. The land is yours. He’s given you the grace to defend it because He has taught you how to praise regardless of the circumstance of your season. 

Prayer: 

Dear Jesus,

I must continue to worship even when it gets dark. This is how I fight in the spirit. I worship and praise You, despite what it may look like. Give me the strength to fight in the spirit. 

In Jesus' name, 

Amen