A Song in the Darkness

Yesterday I read in Ministry of Healing pg. 472: "In the full light of day, and in hearing of the music of other voices, the caged bird will not sing the song that his master seeks to teach him. He learns a snatch of this, a trill of that, but never a separate and entire melody. But the master covers the cage, and places it where the bird will listen to the one song he is to sing. In the dark, he tries and tries again to sing that song until it is learned, and he breaks forth in perfect melody. Then the bird is brought forth, and ever after he can sing that song in the light. Thus God deals with His children. He has a song to teach us, and when we have learned it amid the shadows of affliction we can sing it ever afterward." What a beautiful picture! God teaching us a special song to sing.
One of our girls was at home for summer vacation last month, when a village boy carried her off and forced her to marry him. When the staff finally found out, it was too late to do anything. So one of our 14-yr.-old girls is now married, whether she likes it or not. She has a hard road ahead, for the life of an Indian village wife is never easy. Her mother-in-law will treat her as a slave, making her do all the hard work, etc., and her husband will expect implicit obedience, both to his mother and to himself. Sometimes it's hard to see how things can possibly work out for good, but the Master still sings to us in the darkness. I'm so glad that He never forsakes even one of His little children!

Sometimes trials surround me.

I feel like a bird in a cage.

The darkness presses around me.

I can sense the devil's rage.

But then I hear through the darkness

A song that is new to me.

A song of trust and deliverance,

Of faith that the sunshine I'll see.

I sing, for the song tells my story.

And now the plan I can see.

My Master knows just how to teach me,

For in the darkness He drew close to me.

Lord, teach me to sing in the darkness

The song that You want me to sing.

So when the daylight comes again,

The song will glorify my King.