On October 7th I was blessed with an opportunity to spend some time with a kindred spirit, Aaron Keyes, from whom I was able to download some new vision and encouragement. During that short visit, I also got to share with the awesome guys in his Worship School. This is a summary of what I shared that morning...
When I think back on some of the corporate worship songs that have had the greatest, and longest lasting impact on my life a two titles come immediately to mind: “Blessed be Your Name” and “You never let Go”, both by Matt Redman, and both songs that lean hard on God’s sovereign, strong hand during times of great trouble. In fact Sovereign Grace Music recorded an entire c.d. of songs that drink from this well entitled COME WEARY SAINTS, and it is spiritual refreshment of the deepest order.
Let’s be honest with ourselves: where do we turn with trouble comes? How do we respond to hardship? Are you the sort of worshiper who is convinced that God is both sovereign and good? I believe that the Biblical balance of those who characteristics - Sovereignty and Goodness - will make us the sort of worship leader who can continue to lead through times of pain and hardship, in spite of - and in the face of - troubling circumstances.
We are not often even handed about what the Scripture has to say about Sovereignty - probably for a few different reasons:
- Sometimes we consider ourselves experts on “Sovereignty” - I’ve fallen into the trap myself - and try a bit too hard to make so much sense of God that we practically put Him in a box, loving our idea of God rather than the active Spirit of God, who is present, and active in our lives. Even if you’re one who doesn’t give a lick about any 5-points, I believe that it would do us all good to grow in our conviction that God is really really big, active, and in control of things. Don’t let dense Systematic Theologies turn you off to some concepts that are - at heart - Biblical and true.
- Secondly, our country - in spite of what is often said - was founded on OUR sovereignty - freedom and free-will is at the very heart of who we are, for better or worse. We have been told from day one that we can do it alone - independence is the dream - “I did it MY way” is our mantra. We see how well this has served us, and many of us are finally waking up, recognizing our need for one another, but not quite as many of us have opened our eyes QUITE wide enough to see how God’s hand fits into this picture, at least not fully. I’m just saying that GRACE is a WHOLE LOT more amazing that we can ever give it credit for.
Just look at Romans 8:28; “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
I don’t care how you spin predestination, and foreknowledge - either way, look at the clear chain in this passage: God knows you before you know you, God has destiny for You before you even “are”, God calls, He makes you “just” in His son, and He perfects you in the end. He’s there from beginning to the end - actively, and essentially entwined in every step. Grace is huge, and our part in the play is a minor one, in comparison to the author of the play.
Forget Calvinism and Arminianism, and psuedo-intellectual debates about God’s sovereignty and man’s free-will, and just let Scripture blow your predictable, safe view of God wide-open. When Job experienced Satan’s destructive power, he stated “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away”, and almost immediately afterward the author added “In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.” Isaiah 45:7 says “I form light and create darkness, I make comfort and create calamity, I am the Lord who does these things.” Or Lamentations 3:38, which literally reads, “Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and evil come?” Doesn’t likely fit your picture, does it? But wait - there is great mystery in God - and there is great comfort to be found here: since God is ultimately sovereign over all, then even the devil - as Martin Luther used to say - is “God’s devil” - which means that there is no meaningless or purposeless evil, for God has allowed it, and will use it for the good of His children. He’s got veto power. If He allowed it, there’s a purpose behind it, no matter how hard it may be for us to wrap our minds/hearts around.
And, often, God does not choose to answer our questions here and now. Again, looking at Job: after losing it all, God’s response to Job’s heartfelt questioning was simply, “Who are YOU?” - no rudely, but in the sense that He didn’t bother answering questions, because behind the questions was a person, and God let Job have a big revelation of God, and the presence of God, instead of answers. And more often than not, that is what we really need: we don’t need philosophical answers - we need His presence, and a little perspective.
Next, God is not only sovereign, but He is good. We must know this with our head, yes, but more than that - we need to feel it in our bones. If we do not have more than just head-knowledge about God, when troubled times come - and they will - our hearts will doubt either His sovereignty, or His goodness.
I won’t lie: I am teaching on this because I have needed constant reminders of lately. Just read a couple of my wife’s blogs about SALTINES and EMERGENCY ROOMS, and you’ll get the picture. What’s even stranger is that a friend of our warned us that they felt like a time of testing was coming for us. A similar series of events hit this time last year, and I didn’t respond so well, but now I am hopeful - I have faith in the midst of these trials. I will not let these events steal my joy.
Here’s what I’ve committed to do:
- Build up my faith: reading bits of simple apologetics (“Reason for God” by Timothy Keller has been helpful for me this year), and reminding myself of the Gospel (Mahaney’s “Living the Cross-Centered Life”). I can’t effectively lead others to sing of a grace I don’t believe in unflinchingly.
- Make regular time - take time-out - to refocus, and put things into perspective. Give thanks for the simple things I have, and remind myself of both what I deserve, and what God has given me. A few months ago, while crouching near the ground, a number of tiny ants caught my eye. Moving my face closer to the ground, and straining to seem them clearly, I noted how the zipped this directly and that, as though they somehow held the fate of the universe in their ‘hands’. For at least fifteen minutes I watched these ridiculous busy-bodies zip to and fro, accomplishing nothing of note, yet running as fast as they can to do it. At one point I just wanted to shout, “Dude - you’re just an Ant! RELAX!” The stupid bug was so convinced of his own importance, and then I wonder how often God is whispering, “Dude - slow down. You’re just a human. Relax."
- Sometimes I need to step back and note the goodness of God in other’s lives. I live so close to me - I’m in my skin - so I have almost no objectivity when looking at my own life. Especially when things get tough, it’s sometimes hard to see God’s hand in my own life because I’m the one living it. The Bible often refers to God as “the God of Jacob”, “the God of David”, “the God of Abraham” - each time the weight of each of those individual’s lives weighs in on our image of God. And sometimes it’s helpful to look at someone around you who’s life is clearly being touched by God, and lean on that for hope. Sometime I’m just too close to myself to see well, so I may need to take a look around.
- I need to be authentic, and if you can’t do that in your daily circle, find someone you can be honest with outside of that circle. Our emotions exist for a purpose, but they shouldn’t be allowed to “lead the train” - they serve us, and are merely one part of who we are. One way we keep our hearts in check is to process with others.
- Though it sounds Sunday school, and trite, it is absolutely essential: daily quiet time - just you and God, in His Word, in prayer - talking and listening. As simple as it sounds, this has done WORLDS for my wife and I in helping us to lean daily on God and not just freak out in the midst of stressful circumstances.
As I was teaching this, I have been dealing with lost jobs, ill children, and just received a call just minutes ago that one of our cars has broken down. I can focus on those circumstances, and lose hope, or I can lean on a God who is both in-control, and very good, Who has my best interests at heart, and I can not only find hope there, but even worship, and even lead others to worship, from the depths of that place.
If you find yourself in that place right now, here’s a song I wrote during my dark-time last year that God used to begin to change my heart: WANDERING HEART