Job 35-37 Song in the Night

by Jill Ice

Job 35:10 But none says, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night, 

I have always loved the phrase “songs in the night”.  Back in college, I accompanied for one of the traveling choirs.  We had the privilege of touring the country in the spring semester, giving concerts to churches and schools. 

My junior year, our choir director introduced a song called “My Song in the Night”.  While the words aren’t new, his beautiful arrangement of it was new.  The words are as follows:

O Jesus my Savior, my song in the night,
Come to us with Thy tender love,
my soul’s delight.
Unto Thee, O Lord, in affliction I call,
My comfort by day, and my song in the night.

O why should I wander, an alien from Thee,
Or cry in the desert Thy face to see?
My comfort and joy, my soul’s delight,
O Jesus my Savior, my song in the night.

O Jesus my Savior, my song in the night.
Come to us with Thy tender love,
my soul’s delight.
My comfort and joy, my soul’s delight,
O Jesus my Savior, my song in the night.

We learned the song and took it on the road during tour.  The first night of that tour stands out as a vivid memory to me.  Our choir director introduced the song to the audience by telling why he arranged it.  A family in his church had gone through a very difficult time – the father had recently died from complications from surgery.  Then our choir director shocked us all when he said the son was standing in the top row of our choir.  I never knew his story.

As our choir director told the story, tears began to flow – not only down his face, but down the faces of the choir members, and also throughout the audience that night.  As tour went on, this song became so precious to our group.  Our choir director retold that story in other churches, and the tears continued to flow. 

But the first night of tour was when it struck me in full force that we really don’t know the struggles that those around us are going through.  We don’t know where others have been. 

But we do know that God’s strength and steadfast love is available for all of us.  Psalm 42:8 says “By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.”

In the deepest, darkest hours, God is there.  His song is with me and with you.  It was with Job in his darkest days. 

We are not alone.