“Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;”-1 Chronicles 16:8-12
A doldrum is defined as a period of inactivity, stagnation, or depression. The waters surrounding the equator are commonly referred to by sailors as the doldrums. With little to no wind, sailors can often be trapped for weeks adrift on the stagnant water. Onboard a sailing vessel, without wind to carry you, the open water can feel much like the Sahara Desert. With the added agony of being surrounded by water that can provide little relief. Every day you wake to be reminded that you are going nowhere in a vessel that is to take you somewhere.
While it’s not something that we often sing or preach about, I believe that many Christians would testify that at some point in their walk with the Lord they have been in a spiritual doldrum. A measure of time in which they feel inactive, stagnate, or depressed. Not sinning, not tempted, not lost, just stale. A waiting period that affords no relief, no comfort, and no clear direction. No wind. Nothing to influence you to go one way or the other, merely adrift. To me, this scripture in First Chronicles (and again in Psalms 105) is the chart to get out of the spiritual doldrums. It instructs us to do five things. The first is give. Give what? Thanks, praise, and publication. Thank the Lord. Thank him for who he is, what he has done, and where he has brought you from, and where he is bringing you too. Praise the Lord, for he is worthy, and make his deeds known among the people. Let those around you know (as well as the devil) that you mean to serve Him no matter what. The second is Sing. Sing unto Him and talk of His wondrous works. Singing is a terrific medium of praise. Singing echoes, the innermost devotions. Melody being a distant second to sincerity. The third thing is Glory. Glory ye in His holy name! What a name to glorify! A name that made you, died for you, redeemed you, and keeps you. A name that is everlasting, and eternal. A name that is wonderful, powerful, and full of counsel. Honor, magnify, and rejoice in His holy name. Fourth, Seek. Seek the Lord and His strength continually. Never. Give. Up. Each day, every day, set aside time to seek the Lord. Pray, always pray. Even if you feel like your prayers are falling like dry leaves, pray and pray on. Lay aside anything that might be hindering your prayers and give copious amounts of time to prayer. Seek the Lord and His strength, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. Finally, remember. Remember his marvelous works, wonders, and judgments. Elijah took Elisha down memory lane, before he went up in a whirlwind. He went through Bethel, Jericho, and finally arrived at the Jordan waters. Bethel, the place where the Lord visited Abraham with the blessing and showed Jacob a wonderful vision. Jericho, the place where the Lord caused the mighty walls to fall flat, delivering Joshua the city. Jordan, the place where the waters walled up and the children of Israel crossed and claimed the Promise Land. God said: Remember. Remember his marvelous works, wonders, and judgments. God has done marvelous things for you. Remember them. God has done amazing, astounding, splendid and wonderful things for his people; remember them. Read about them, let them sink deep into your heart and soul. Then stop and say to yourself: “if he did it for them, he can do it for me!”
Give, Sing, Glory, Seek, and Remember. These are the antidotes to the spiritual doldrums. If we do these each day with a true heart a fresh wind from the Lord will rush over our vessel once more. God will provide answers, direction, encouragement; whatever you need!
