I wonder what they were singing.
They’d been attacked by the crowds, stripped naked, beaten, thrown into prison, and fastened into stocks.
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them (Acts 16:25).
Which hymns? What were the lyrics?
Did you read reports that our recently martyred brothers and sisters in Christ sang hymns to God until they entered their true home with Him forever?
I wonder what they were singing.
As suffering intensifies, I’ve been asking God what we each need to sing to Him. What hymns and songs would help us glorify Him and enjoy Him forever (WSC 1), especially in today’s suffering?
Jesus has overcome the world
As death stared each of these singing saints in the face, perhaps they were singing Easter hymns. Because it’s in Jesus Christ’s perfect life, death, and resurrection that He has already conquered and overcome this world. Past tense. We are believers…we believe…with gospel hope.
Let’s interrupt suffering with praising God for Who He is and what is true.
Thine be the glory, risen conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry thou o’er death hast won.
Jesus has overcome the world, evil, sin, anything antichrist-like or hostile to Jesus (Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14). No matter what happens, no matter what outcomes occur as we pray for what we desire…
We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life (1 Jn. 5:20 ESV).
Thine be the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry Thou o’er death hast won;
angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
kept the folded grave clothes where Thy body lay.
Overcoming the world by believing in who Jesus is
Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 Jn. 5:5 ESV)
Sister in Christ, dear believer in Christ, through every day of our suffering, let’s trust who Jesus is. By His gracious gift of faith, we can trust the One who is the only way, truth, and life (Jn. 14:6), no matter what’s happening or what we see around us.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Heb. 11:1 ESV).
For we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7 ESV).
Like the believers in Hebrews 11, we may never see outcomes we pray for. Believers throughout the ages have prayed for rescue on earth, but martyred saints are with Him now. Our bodies decay in illness and groan in sorrow. We long for loved ones to know Him. Pressure rises and stress squeezes. Pandemics persist. Failures abound. Our loved ones walk into His arms in death. We suffer, beloved…and it’s emotional and physical agony.
But victory is sure for a believer!
Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;
lovingly He greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
let the church with gladness, hymns of triumph sing;
for her Lord now liveth, death hath lost its sting.
O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? (1 Cor. 15:55 ESV)
Pray and sing to overcome the world
No more we doubt Thee, glorious Prince of life;
life is naught without Thee; aid us in our strife;
make us more than conqu’rors, thro’ Thy deathless love;
bring us safe thro’ Jordan to Thy home above.
(“Thine Be the Glory,” Budry, E., 1884)
So, what can we do in our agony, fear, sadness, pain, longing? Let’s take up the shield of faith in today’s suffering (Eph. 6:16) and ask the Lord to guard our hearts and emotions that can quickly escalate into fear and despair as we suffer (Phil. 4:7). Let’s ask Him to strengthen the faith He’s given to us, by grace, as we pray and sing His praise through all of it.
Because, when all suffering is completed, we have complete hope in His eternal promises to His believing children. And this? This is victory…from, through, to, and for Him as we suffer!
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:57 ESV).
Hallelujah!
Victory in Jesus playlist!
I wonder what they were singing.
I’m guessing they were singing of their gospel hope in Christ as they exalted and praised Him in worship, preparing to see their Lord and Savior for eternity, faith made into sight.
Well, I know what I need to sing into my suffering this week.
I need to sing of our eternal victory in Jesus, of His glorious conquering reign, of God’s redeeming love, of our assured hope in what is to come when our sufferings on earth are completed. This week, I’ve made a Christ-exalting, joy-filled playlist to glorify God in praise, with gospel hope, enjoying Him today and forever! If you’d like to join me and receive this gift, sign up here, and let’s sing together as we overcome the world by singing to Jesus Christ, our Lord, Savior, Redeemer, and King. Amen and amen!
4 Comments
Sandra Arbeni · September 1, 2021 at 3:56 am
What a wonderful post and a reminder to sing praises to the Lord.
I find myself singing or humming hymns throughout the day. If I’m with my husband, who is a non-believer, I very often just sing them in my mind.
Singing praises lift my spirit in an extremely negative world.
I’d rather focus on the good in the world than the opposite.
Thank you again for reminding us how important it is to sing in the face of adversity.
Lauri Hogle · September 3, 2021 at 9:59 am
Dear sister, this is the Lord’s incredible gift to me to help me endure years of long-suffering that comes with serious chronic illness. He tells us to sing praise to Him as we lament suffering, and has provided many models for this in Scripture (including Jesus Christ Himself), so I think this is also obedience to His Word and His will for us. And, of course, this is a great thing for us too! Of course! I wonder what would happen if each of us sing and non-believers listen in, with curiosity?! Kind of like Paul and Silas in jail? Praying for you and for all of us, in our walks of suffering in this fallen world. God bless you, dear sister!
yolanda latham · September 2, 2021 at 9:22 pm
As I constantly find myself pushing back the fear and the doubts that come with being in this world, this post is a powerful reminder to help me stay on track to worship my way through it. Singing the scriptures is like breathing God in and allowing myself to be refreshed. Singing the scriptures allows your faith to be activated and that pleases God.
Lauri Hogle · September 3, 2021 at 10:02 am
Oh yes, dear sister! You say it so beautifully. Singing the Scriptures also helps us memorize His Word, internalize it, hide it in our hearts. You and I both know the power of singing music (any lyrics) and how it becomes part of our thought-life, heart, and long-term memory. I’m going to keep trying to find easily singable songs that help us memorize His Word. In this time of immense suffering, it seems critical that we do so as we seek to honor and trust the Lord in the raging battles. Praying and singing, with you!
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