Beloved in Christ, I write to you before brain surgery, as my loved ones, subscribers to my weekly emails, a family of His beloveds who are also suffering ongoing trials of this earthly life. No matter what the outcomes may be, this writing says, “See you later!”
Through the wonders of technology, these words come to you as automated “praise interruptions” that will come to emails through Christmas Day. If God enables me to send my regular Tuesday evening playlist gift emails after Christmas, I will be so excited to do so!
On this special week in which Americans give thanks to our Lord for His abundant blessings, will you join me in thanking Him for His great and precious promises to us, shared in our recent book? For they derive from His unchanging character, hence our first book. They do not change as we suffer, hence our second book. I personally think they are heightened as we cling to them in the fires of suffering in this fallen world!
If I have any burning desire for both of us, it is that we will all lift our eyes to Jesus Christ as we humbly glorify Him in our suffering. It is that we will all truly enjoy Him, even as we suffer. For this is His purpose for both of us: to glorify and enjoy God forever.1
How in the world is this possible?
Only by God’s help. By His grace. By His power. By His strength. By His Spirit within. By His love. Thank You, Lord! We can enjoy You, even as we suffer.
Glorify God with me!
Lord, as we suffer on earth, help us. Help us. Help us to glorify You by clinging to who You are and Your promises for those who are in Christ! It’s our purpose, our chief end, as those who belong to You. In Jesus’ glorious name, amen.
All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name (Ps. 86:9 ESV).
You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body (1 Cor. 6:19-20 ESV).
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31 ESV).
Ye servants of God, your Master proclaim,
and publish abroad his wonderful name;
the name, all victorious, of Jesus extol;
his kingdom is glorious and rules over all.
(“Ye Servants of God, Your Master Proclaim,” Wesley, C., 1744)
Enjoy God with me!
No matter what happens on a difficult day, week, month, year…or earthly lifetime of ongoing suffering, we can enjoy Him. For me, as with so many suffering believers from across the ages, Singing Christ’s Hope has been His grace-filled, strengthening, spiritual warfaring gift to foster this continual worship. It’s enjoying God Himself, while suffering something that feels horribly unenjoyable.
Interrupting my suffering by turning to Jesus and praising God for what is true in His Word, within pain-filled tears of honest lament, has been His saving and rescuing “glorify and enjoy God” gift in the midst.
Because then?
Suffering becomes a place of intimate love, with our Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Now and forever. What a triumph of His resurrecting power and presence with us!
God ruleth on high, almighty to save;
and still he is nigh–his presence we have.
The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken (Ps. 16:5-8 ESV).
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep (Ps. 121:3-4 ESV).
The great congregation his triumph shall sing,
ascribing salvation to Jesus, our King.
Glorify God by enjoying God, in today’s suffering
Salvation to God, who sits on the throne!
Let all cry aloud and honor the Son.
The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night (Ps. 121:5-6 ESV).
The praises of Jesus the angels proclaim,
fall down on their faces and worship the Lamb.
Glorify and enjoy God forever, knowing suffering will end…in forever’s tomorrow
The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore (Ps. 121:7-8 ESV).
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:1-4 ESV).
Then let us adore, and give him his right,
all glory and power, and wisdom and might!
Looking ahead to the birth of our Savior, for it is all His gift in Jesus Christ!
And the angel said to them,
“Fear not, for behold,
I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Lk. 2:10 ESV).
All honor and blessing, with angels above!
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit (1 Pet. 3:18 ESV).
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him (1 Jn. 4:9 ESV).
Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5 ESV).
Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified (Is. 60:21 ESV).
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen (Rom. 11:36 ESV).
and thanks never ceasing for infinite love!
Resources of Singing Christ’s Hope, all living online for us as we suffer
What great and precious and true promises to us, as His beloved ones! Wanting to glorify and enjoy God for the time after surgery, I was praying about what to do when I am physically unable to write or send weekly emailed prayers and playlist gifts to subscribers of Singing Christ’s Hope.
I created playlists for this year’s Advent and Christmas seasons before my surgery. They are now living in the resource library. Along with many others! See every past Tuesday evening email for the password! Or, new beloveds can subscribe below for these gifts.
I professionally craft these Christ-exalting, gospel-centered worship music YouTube playlists with a music therapy twist, knowing that many of you are also dealing with chronic conditions that include pain. Pain produces depression and anxiety in many people. And music helps! So, some of the playlists are to help us sleep. Some are for us to breathe through severe pain as we simultaneously rejoice in our Savior’s first coming! Some are for those who are mourning losses this Christmas season, so tender and painful when grief hits afresh. Some are a lovely mixture. Every song is chosen with attention to lyrics that accurately reflect God’s Word, because many “Christian songs”…just don’t.
I am praying that our resource library’s playlists will help you to glorify and enjoy God, into your particularly hard days of suffering, in your deepest need. Here are all of the resources available so far, specifically for my suffering sisters in Christ.
For weekly “praise interruptions,” with access to resource library of playlists of Scriptural songs to sing in this holiday season, sign up here:
To hear Scripture devotional with calming hymn playing, click here for YouTube podcast.
Devotional Bible study prayer journals, available on Amazon. Click for details.
- Westminster Confession of Faith, 1 ↩︎
