What's your Hallelujah like?
Written by: John Flanner -- January 2009
[Viewings: 146]
Please allow me to ask you a most personal question. What’s your Hallelujah like?
I was prompted to ask that question after being bombarded in the weeks leading up to Christmas 2008 by a multitude of versions of that now famous Leonard Cohen song which carries that reverential title. Of course it was the X Factor winner Alexandra Burke, who brought the song to a much wider audience and to the top of the Christmas charts, closely followed in that chart of course by what many people consider the best version by the late Geoff Buckley. I have also heard a plethora of classical versions as well as the one by Leonard Cohen himself.
What really struck me about this song, however, (and this particularly comes across in the stark Geoff Buckley version), is the phrase “a cold and a broken Hallelujah”.
The song itself, whether serious or sarcastic, we don’t really know, is about trying to find God in a situation of despair and desolation following the break up of a deep relationship. In a vain attempt to find the presence of God, the singer laments “It’s a cold and a broken Hallelujah”.
So let me ask you again, what’s your Hallelujah like?
You may have been, or maybe still are going through an extended season of pain, discouragement or confusion, when God feels far away and a cold and a broken Hallelujah is about all you can manage. Even worse it may be that the Hallelujah has gone out of your soul altogether.
Some years ago I was going through a particularly scary time with my health. I really was frightened to the point where one night I even dreamed about my own funeral. I woke up in a cold sweat, feeling relieved to be alive, but also slightly ashamed that as a Christian I was so afraid of death. I scrambled out of bed, went downstairs and threw myself on to my knees and buried my head in an armchair. There I cried to God, asking for forgiveness and asking him to restore my faith. Immediately I heard the Holy spirit say to me “You can lie down and die or stand up and live, the choice is yours”. My equally prompt response was to jump to my feet and stand to attention like a soldier and proclaim the words of David from Psalm 118 “I shall not die, but I shall live to declare your works oh Lord”.
From that moment on faith returned and the Hallelujah came back into my soul.
My dear Christian friend it is time for you to spring to your feet in response to the call of God and let your Hallelujah out. Okay right now it may be only a poor and a broken Hallelujah, but that is better than no Hallelujah at all. As you proclaim Hallelujah (which of course is a universal word for Praise the Lord!) the heart of God will be moved towards you and faith will begin to return to you. Then as your Hallelujah grows in strength, volume and conviction so you will open your spirit up to receive so much more of the life of God.
As we move into a year that is so full of uncertainty from a human perspective the world needs to feel the benefits of the Body of Christ moving as a mighty army making its prophetic declaration, proclamation and shout of Hallelujah. In Romans we read that all creation is straining on tiptoe waiting for the sons of God to come into their own. A small part of that is you and me speaking out our bold Hallelujah’s, Praise the Lords so as to strike fear into the enemy camp. We must praise our way into this new year, declaring that Jesus is Lord and proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom. With the world in such a mess don’t we owe it to them to be the very best we can be for Jesus? To truly be the body of Christ here on Earth, being good news and subduing the powers of darkness beneath our feet. One of the ways we can do that is to daily offer up a victory “Hallelujah” shout, which carries with it supernatural power. Just recall the shout of the people as they marched around Jericho and also how the impact of Jehoshaphat’s praising army sent their apparently powerful enemy into total confusion and defeat.
For personal and corporate victory/breakthrough, therefore, let each one of us who know and love the Lord Jesus Christ, begin right now to offer up shouts of praise and songs of victory. IN so doing we will release from our lips powerful words of faith and spiritual power, which will result in freedom for the captives in all kinds of situations. Oh yes, of course the first captive to be set free will be you and your poor and broken Hallelujah will very soon turn into a victory shout.
Comments
If you have any comments on the above article or would like to communicate with John Flanner about any matters or need encouragement in any way, please email him at:
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.