Songs from a Dungeon

I'm tired and a bit worn, but I don't want another day to pass without checking in with you friends. Here are a few unpolished thoughts.

In preparation for worship yesterday morning, I thought that in asking our folks to come and sing together in the shadow of the deep trials of recent days, we would be asking for a miracle of grace. Who feels like singing for joy when their hearts are racked with grief?

Then it hit me with prophetic-like force (at least as I understand NT prophecy) that this is what God does in the hearts of His children. "Singing from a dungeon" was the image which came to mind. God reminded me of the Paul/Silas dungeon experience in Acts 16:16-25. Here were two saints--slandered, beaten, hated, falsely accused, left in a dungeon, unsure what the next day would bring. As darkness descended and the open wounds of their beaten backs festered, midnight struck.

What does a God-entranced Christian do when midnight strikes in a dungeon, and wounds are festering in body and spirit? These Christians sang. I don't think this means they "liked" where they were or what was happening to them. I don't think they thought: "Hey isn't this fun?!"

But they knew God and that God was in it, would be with them through it, and would be at the end of it. And they could sing hymns as a result. They were happy and sad at the same time.

So I arrived at our place of worship yesterday asking God to put a song in the hearts of all his saints as they still hung in the shadows of recent griefs. I asked God to help a song to emerge from the midnight dungeon of our griefs. And it did.

Tears, both of sorrow and of joy "flowed mingled down" as we sang and praised and grieved and trusted and hoped and loved all at once.

This is the mystery of grace, the wonder of knowing God and loving His church. People often ask me how I'm doing in life and ministry. And I simply have to be honest to say: "I'm always happy and always sad." There is not one hint of exaggeration in that response. It is the full honest truth.

Not a day of my life passes in which I do not feel a fulness of hopeful joy in the love, grace and sovereign all-wise plan of God. And not a day goes by in which I do not feel a deep tearful sadness in my soul over the sorrows and sins in my life and in the life of the family and flock entrusted to my care. Give me 60 seconds and I could cry either way.

When Paul says: "I'm sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" (see 2 Corinthians 6:1-10), I know exactly what he means, and so does every caring, sensitive, God-trusting and others-loving heart. Friends, I encourage you this day to weep, and to weep with those who weep, but at the same time to feel the joy of knowing and loving God, and knowing that you are loved by Him.

That way you and others can hear songs being sung, even in the midnight dungeon hours of our trials. In this people will know that the Lord is enough for us, even as he leads us through the night.

Grace and peace to you.