Put On the Garments of Praise
I biked home as usual, but since I was coming from a different direction (stopped at the bank), I choose to go a different way. I said, "It's not that much difference [in distance and route], but it is different." I purposefully chose to go the different way because I like to do things differently, change things up every once in a while. I give that little detail not because it relates to the rest of the story, but to help you live the tale with me, for it was real, and it happened.
As I was going the different way, I crossed Hall and started riding south. Oddly I felt something dark. Darkness is not foreign to me, for I have dwelt there and have only recently been exposed to the Master and His Light. However, because of His power at work in me, I was hyper-sensitive to this feeling that came. In about 2 or 3 seconds I was instinctively responding in the power of the Spirit, with the Word of Truth on my lips like never before. I felt empowered. Not to my glory at all, but to God be the glory! Awesome! Crazy.
Immediately (as Mark says so often in his Gospel, whether or not he means what I mean, which is "immediately"), a song came to my mind that I can honestly say hasn't been sung by me for years, perhaps more than a decade, plus some. The song was from God Himself. Why? How can I be so confident? Read the song, sing it if you know it. It can be from no other. All this happened in less than a minute, and I was not only delivered from whatever was trying to weigh me down, but I am full of joy!
By the way, this song is seemingly pretty scarce. It took a while to find it on Google. When I found it, to my surprise, I remembered every single word. Even though some songs are fairly archaic and "old-fashioned" there is undeniable power in song. Try memorizing Scripture. It's kinda hard. But how many songs are in your head, word-for-word? I'll bet hundreds! Many of these are directly or almost directly quotes from Scripture. Coming soon... I will do something regarding this... secrets, and more secrets. How can a song like this, with somewhat non-standard lyrics be stored in my heart? Why would it be recalled after 15 years or so in such a moment. Leaves no room for doubt in my mind at all. The Spirit of the Living God is falling on me, and there is nothing I can do about it (the theme for yet another "secret" soon to be revealed, Lord-willing).
Put on the Garments of Praise
Put on the garments of praise
For the spirit of heaviness
Lift up your voice to God
Pray in the Spirit and with understanding
Oh, magnify the Lord
Lift up the hands that hang down
Lift up the voice now still
Give unto God continuous praise
Sing forth from Zion's hill
To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.Isaiah 61:3 NKJV
What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
I Corinthians 14:15 NKJV
Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,
Hebrews 12:12 NKJV