There will be seasons in your life that try you and wear you down. Music is a wonderful gift from God that can meet you in those circumstances. We have looked at how music is woven throughout our lives, but I want to focus specifically on how it helps us through the hard seasons.

Songs for the Season

Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become restless and disturbed within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence. Psalm 42:5

I first want to warn against certain songs in hard seasons of life. Some songs are great for the journey of life—not the highs, but as one artist puts it, the walking in between. There are also other songs that focus more on the highs still to come. If you are waiting for the promises of God and still hanging on, it can be damaging to hear songs that speak as if those promises have already come to pass. Whether they intend to or not, the artists can come across as though they are bragging. I think it is much more beneficial to listen to songs that honestly speak to where you are and the battles you face. You can still look to the future. The best songs for the hard seasons meet you where you are but lift your eyes to what is to come. We see this a lot in the book of Psalms. The Psalms often begin by addressing the restless and disturbed soul, but turns toward hope and the promise of praise to come. Do not use music to keep yourself down in the dumps. Let it meet you where you are and remind you of the promises of God.

The Language of Music

So it came about that whenever the [evil] spirit from God was on Saul, David took a harp and played it with his hand; so Saul would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would leave him. 1 Samuel 16:23

Let the [spoken] word of Christ have its home within you [dwelling in your heart and mind—permeating every aspect of your being] as you teach [spiritual things] and admonish and train one another with all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16

Music has an incredible power to convey emotion, even before you add lyrics. You can listen to a soundtrack and feel the emotions of the movie. Music can give language to how we feel. On top of that, God has given some people an incredible ability for songwriting. I can think of many times when I was going through a hard season and had a song speak right into my circumstances. Music can be a helpful tool in our lives. We see this in songs that help us remember the states and months, as well as in jingles for commercials. Music is a tool, and as Christians, we should use it to help us in our walk with God. When life hits hard and you can’t utter a prayer, let profound gospel truths sing over you. When you cannot see the way out, let the promises of God declare through music. We may not experience distress in the same way Saul did in 1 Samuel, but music can still bring us comfort and encouragement. Colossians 3:16 commands us to sing songs to one another so that the Word of God would dwell in our hearts. Let music give great language to your deepest emotions—loneliness, longing, doubt, and grief—but also remind you of the hope, joy, and deliverance found in God’s promises.

A Song of Ascent

The Lord is near to the heartbroken and He saves those who are crushed in spirit (contrite in heart, truly sorry for their sin). Psalm 34:18

I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. Psalm 40:1

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear [with great reverence] and will trust confidently in the Lord. Psalm 40:3

I have talked about listening to songs that meet you where you are, but I want to give an example through ‘Highlands’ by Benjamin William Hastings. Its lyrics sound like they were taken straight from the Psalms. Its message is simple: whether highlands or in heartache, God is the same and is worthy of praise. The singer goes on to proclaim he will continue to sing his song ascent, even through the shadows. This song met me in a season of shadow. It helped remind me of where I was and the heartache I was going through. More than that, it reminded me of the promise of God to be with me and taught me to sing through the shadow. When you are singing the song of ascent through the shadows, it begins to change how you see what surrounds you. Your song of ascent may be different, but I encourage you to find a song that helps you to sing God’s promises through your own season of shadow. It might change from season to season, so find the song of ascent for your current season. Sing of God’s promises and provision in the seasons of shadow and lift your eyes to Him.