Day 22 - Shout To The Lord (Darlene Zschech)
Our eldest son was about 2, when Steve and found out I was pregnant again, we were thrilled! We had no problems during the first pregnancy, so I didn’t even expect I’d have any problems for the second.
I reached 12 weeks and told everyone-friends, family and then at 16 weeks I told the children in my class as we were about to break up for the Summer.
Just a few days later I realised all wasn’t well... After a couple of days of ‘bed rest’ I went to hospital and delivered a tiny baby, at about 16 and a half weeks that looked so perfect...we were both devastated and sad, but then relieved when I fell pregnant just 6 months later.
Unfortunately this pregnancy only lasted 7 or 8 weeks and I almost found it harder to deal with-possibly as it was the second miscarriage...there was no little baby to mourn...the gap between our first child and his sibling was growing and my plans for another child seemed to have failed...
Seeing young children with baby brother or sisters was so difficult and several friends were having successful pregnancies which I found upsetting even though I was thrilled for them.
This song ‘Shout To The Lord, just spoke to me so much in those sad days; although it also made me cry and still does! It was a song to sing over my ‘bump’ when I did then fall pregnant with our second son, now aged 22!
My Jesus, my Saviour
Lord there is none like You
All of my days I want to praise
The wonders of Your mighty love
My comfort, my shelter
Tower of refuge and strength
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship You
Shout to the Lord all the Earth, let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name
I sing for joy at the work of Your hands
Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have
In You
The words are all amazing and about surrendering to God, but the particular line that really spoke to me was ‘I sing for joy at the work of your hands’ and it was declaration over my ‘bump’ that this was the work of God's hands and that this pregnancy would be good.
The words were hard to sing but it is so important to declare and thank God for His promises. It’s also so powerful to declare truths like ‘all of my days, I want to praise the wonders of your mighty love’.
He is wonderful and his love is amazing.
The words ‘My comfort, My shelter, Tower of refuge and strength’ were so important too. God was such a place of refuge, when the world seemed confusing, when my plans had failed and when my body didn’t seem to be doing it’s job properly; God was such a strength, especially when I had no strength of my own at the time.
The majesty and enormity of who God is, is reflected in the words ‘Mountains bow down and the seas will roar, At the sound of Your name’ - I needed the hugeness of my Father in those bewildering, sad and disappointing times
Our second child arrived after a good pregnancy and 2 years later, our daughter. Today I do still sing for joy at the work of God’s hands as I know they are amazing and I love all 3 of our kids dearly!
Think it over / Meditate on:
Sing this song over any situations you are going through. Speak his promises out and Declare his majesty - find it here: https://youtu.be/5_aIauL2xKA
In Jeremiah 29 v11 it states “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Read this, maybe even write it out and put it somewhere that you’ll see every day to remind you of this hope we have in Christ.
Pray: Thank you Lord that you have plans for us - plans to give a hope and a future, thank you that I can sing for joy at the work of your hands and in times of sorrow you ARE my tower and strength. Amen
Written by Fiona Miles