Awake My Soul

“Awake my soul! Awake harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.”  ~ Psalm 57:8

Do you ever feel like you are using all your talent, energy, and “know how” to minister to others? Yet inwardly, have your passions, dreams for the future, and feelings of vibrancy fallen asleep? Perhaps, when you were younger it seemed easier to put hope in the future, looking forward to the things God would do through your life. As years of raw realities in your life and ministry are checked off your calendar, can you hardly remember what it was like to feel refreshed, excited, and motivated by God-given dreams?

I recall being seven years old and running on the beach, squealing, as the water rushed quickly up the shore to tag my feet. I would fall down at the thrill of letting the water splash over my little frame, feeling the sand change its shape beneath me as I closed my eyes. My fingers loved the sensation of every toss and trickle of the water receding once again. The warmth of the sun, the smell of the salt-water breeze, and the sound of swelling and crashing waves added to that great moment of feeling alive, full of joy, security, peace, and hope. 

I imagine those same senses came alive in King David when he was a young boy. Resting under a tree, he plucked the strings of his harp, soaked up the smell of the green grass and the sight of lambs bounding in awkward play. This simple boy was filled with hope and dreams of someday becoming the King of Israel. I’m sure he never imagined the road that lie ahead. He probably pictured himself at some royal gala feasting on fatted calf and wisely ruling over the people. He never imagined that he would be hunted by his predecessor, hungry, hiding in caves, or calling out to God in distress. In the same way, I never imagined the perseverance that I would need in order to press forward and trust God. 

But David and I, we grew up. At times, those carefree days of feeling alive and full of dreams can feel like a distant memory. As a wife, mother of three, and speaker, it’s easy to feel as if I am simply coping with the task at hand and getting by with “good enough.” There are moments when I forget about dreaming and feel too exhausted to really notice the moments that God sends my way.

Maybe David felt the same way years after his scenic moments in the pasture. He was running, exhausted from the enemies around him. Just coping in a cave; feeling his dream of becoming King slipping further and further out of reach. Perhaps he thought, “What if I have to remain in these caves forever? Surely all that I had hoped I would become cannot be accomplished here.” 

Have you thought that lately? What reality has become your cave? Is it that unmet goal you had for your life that now seems unattainable? Is it having to stay at home as you raise your kids? Is it having to cope with a shrinking congregation or a loss of income? Or is it a place of feeling hidden when your dream is to speak and minister to thousands?

God gave David a season of being hidden. As David lived in the hills, he was simply trying to survive. Are you in survival mode, like David? Yet, in his place of frustration, exhaustion, and bewilderment, David cried out to the Lord for mercy. I believe in that moment, the spirit of the Lord rose up within him and caused David to speak to his very soul a living word—a living word that would say, “Don’t give up on your dreams. Don’t give up on the promises of God over your life and future. Don’t make your dwelling in these caves.” In this moment David says, “Awake my soul! Awake harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn” (Ps. 57:8). 

I find it interesting that the very instrument that David played as a young boy in a field of dreams was now the imagery he used to motivate his spirit. 

Are there talents and gifts you need to return to? Is there a sleeping passion that needs to be re-awakened?  It’s not too late to call out to your soul, “Awake!” It is not too late to live out the dreams you previously had for your life and ministry. Maybe you have been asking the Lord to revive you and yet somehow it feels like you are still stuck in a rut—or a cave, like David. Maybe instead of being lifted, the Lord is calling you to stand and cry out to your soul to hope, dream, and live again. As Louis Palau said, “When you face the perils of weariness, carelessness, and confusion, don’t pray for an easier life. Pray instead to be a stronger man or woman of God.”

My prayer for both myself and for you is that the Lord would motivate us to speak life, hope, and ability over our circumstances. Even in the midst of caves and dull places we can shout with confidence, “I am usable to God! Awake, my soul! Awake! For the Lord has not forgotten you!” 

Today, open the attic where dusty dreams reside. Put on old dancing shoes. Tune forgotten instruments. Shine up old visions and pursue them with a renewed spirit. Open the school book of God’s Word and train your soul for adventure once again. You are not too old to learn something new. You are not too young to be influential. You are not too beaten to rise up. You are not failing so hard that the visions that God has given you cannot succeed. Wake up mother, daughter, ministry wife, musician, teacher, friend. Shout it out, “Awake my soul! Awake harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn” (Ps. 57:8).     

~ By Rebekah Metteer