SINGING THE SONGS OF ZION IN A STRANGE LAND-TOUR DEVOTIONS 1.

On our way from Kuwait to Iraq, early on in our USO tour, we studied these verses from Psalm 137:
By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.
There on the poplars we hung our harps,
for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land?
I reminded the guys that the ancient empire of Babylonia was actually located in modern day Iraq, and that the Israelites had been exiled there against their will. They were struggling to retain the integrity and intensity of worshiping the one true Lord. I challenged all of us to realise that we would be singing the songs of the Lord in a foreign land, to military personnel who hadn't chosen to go to Iraq, and who in most cases felt that they were exactly like exiles in a strange land. To think that we were going to be walking in the land where the likes of Daniel and Nehemiah had trodden thousands of years ago was awe inspiring. We were later to be amazed at the reception we received and the powerful move of the Holy Spirit as Third Day led many soldiers into worship.
Some things we discovered:
*The 'For God and Country' tour was the first ever USO undertaken by a Christian band into a combat zone.
*The US military chaplains conduct 2,500 worship services in the Baghdad area EVERY WEEK.
*There are about 300 US military chaplains deployed in Iraq right now, for about 135,000 troops.
*There are many senior ranking officers who are passionate followers of Jesus- 'WOODY' our army liaison guys was one such man, he's at the far left of the soldiers in the audience above.
*Our concert in Liberty Camp, Baghdad, may have been the largest act of Christian worship in Baghdad in living memory if not of all time!

Comments

[Joan Young/Godgrl Gomer]

Thats deep. My heart is with all of y'all.

[Rhonda]

Thanks for sharing with us, Nigel. I am so grateful that the guys of Third Day have you to help keep things in perspective when they are on the road. And what a blessing for our troops to get some worship as well as entertainment. My prayers are with you all for safe travels back to the US, and with our soldiers for their continued safety.

[Nell May Morgan from Red Bluff,CA 96080]

Hello Nigel and THIRD DAY! This is Band Beanie MaMa aka Nell May Morgan! I am so excited to hear that you ALL were over in IRAQ! I have a nephew James B. Garcia that is over there in IRAQ and I do hope that he was able to be among the Soliders who were there to Worship with you THIRD DAY! What a wonderful opportunity for you all to Minister to OUR TROOPS! Thank You and I am Praying for ALL of you and the TROOPS! Please be Praying for me as I got hurt at work on dec. 28,2007 when I was thrown off of my P.E, Forklift coming out of a Trailer and I didn't know there was a Piece of steel coming through the Trailer Floor and as I was leaving the Trailer I was thrown off and I Fractured the right side of my Pelvic Bone! Please tell Brad I hope that he also like the Baby Blanket I made for Canaan! God Bless you all!