My Song in the Night

It was the first time. A time I will long remember.

There I stood, singing and strumming a guitar for a small choir.

I was the lead singer directing a small group who responded with the fullness of a large choir. This moment produced such a fine blend of voices that it appeared other instruments accompanied us, and those few seconds were so ecstatic as we sang the plain, simple, short song together about the heavenly gates.

Then I awoke. The dream ended as the morning light filtered through the windows into my room. Now, I am a person who dreams every night.

Seldom do I recall much of anything... unless it is relevant.

On this morning, I did not want to stir; I just wanted to mince through my thoughts until I could recollect every part of this dream! I didn’t want to forget it! It had been only as long as the song but sufficient to convey the spiritual message I would draw from it. My special song occurred several years ago.

The details of the unfamiliar faces, the place where we rehearsed, and the accuracy of the melody have since grown dim to my memory.

But the song’s words were so permanently etched in my mind that even after many days, I could recall and write the words down.

In Revelation 21:12, 21, 25 (NKJV), I get a much clearer picture of those gates I only sang about in my dream. John describes the twelve gates surrounding the Holy City, and each one is made from a single enormous pearl.

He tells us that the Holy City, with its great high wall and twelve gates, has twelve angels guarding the gates. And on the gates are written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. “Lord,” I pray, “that I might so live that I will be numbered with that number that no man can number!” (See Revelation 7:9.) As life on this planet has become increasingly challenging, uninviting, and complex, hope must prevail. Christ’s return is imminent! We must daily claim His promises to carry us through... until then, I’m forever grateful that He gave me my song in the night.

Jayne Byrd-Moody