25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.
The Lord brought to my mind the many times we've been called to one's deathbed and I've been asked to sing for them. I will never forget when it happened soon after we moved to Willard. We were called to a home of a dear elderly lady who had lived a long life. Her daughters were with her distraught because they knew her time was drawing near. They just didn't want to let go of her. She was their rock. Her family had stayed together through some tough times because of her faith. I think they were afraid of what would happen when she would pass. They asked me to "sing some ole hymns like Momma likes" and so I did. I learned that night to take a hymnal with me because after hours of singing I ran out of ones I could remember.
Another time I remember so well was with a dear lady in our church. We were called to the hospital by her daughters. Her time was near and they knew it. They had already lost their Daddy and they were definitely not ready to let their Momma go. This is the one that came to my mind last night as the scripture was read. It hit me that as I was singing for dear Juanita her chains were loosed and she was set free to go to be with the Lord. The prison doors of being here on this earth were no longer. Praise His Holy Name!
As the teens and I go to the nursing home and sing there are many times where someone will hear us and ask us to sing for them too. There is comfort in music. Certain songs will evoke emotions that maybe haven't been felt for awhile. Familiarity with songs will bring back memories. It was interesting when Jenn said that it has been proven that music is the last thing to leave our memory. That makes sense. I've been in situations where people didn't comprehend anything any longer yet when they heard the hymns of yesterday they would sing along.
I'm grateful myself for music. When I lost my sight for those couple of weeks, I was blessed with music. Music brings me up when I am feeling down. It enables me to release emotions that need released.
I loved what Doc said in group about worship in the area of music. "Going back to places in our mind when you hear a song is a memory not worship." It doesn't matter what the style of music is we can always worship the Lord when we are in the worship mindset. That's where I want to be. I don't always know or even like the music but I do always want to worship. I'm thankful I'm in a church that allows freedom to worship. I'm also thankful for a pastor who is open to the Spirit.
As I read these verses again I am overwhelmed with the sense of what the Lord wants in our worship. The desire of His heart is for our chains to be loosed just as Paul and Silas' were. We have chains of many kinds in our lives. There are chains of the past. Chains of words spoken over us to tear us down. There are chains of resentment and hatred that need broken. One way the Spirit works is through our worship to the Lord. He wants to break the negative chains and build positive ones.
Chris Tomlin's "Revelation Song" is powerful. I love, love, love the words to it. "My chains are gone....I've been set free..." Woo hoo! Yes! I have found freedom in my worship to the Lord because the chains of the junk of my life have been freed. I no longer have to deal with them. Woo hoo! What an exciting place to be!
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the reminder of how You have used me in days gone by to minister to the dying. Thank You for loving me enough to use me in this way. Father, I don't ever want to quit worshipping You. When other things get in the way of my worship to You, would You please open my eyes up so that I will see them? Father, I pray for those who struggle in the area of corporate worship. I pray they will realize what You want of them. Open their eyes, Lord to all of You. Lord, thank You for being the One I Want To Worship! Amen.
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