The first time I ever went to a funeral, I was the preacher. I prepared by reading books about preaching funerals. In one of them was a poem, which read, “God has not promised skies always blue, flower-strewn pathways, all our lives through. God has not promised peace without pain, joy without sorrow, sun without rain . . .” I don’t know if the poem helped the Thomas family that day. But it has helped me.
Paul’s story after his first missionary journey is filled with difficulties. First, he and Barnabas faced a council in Jerusalem to justify their ministry to Gentiles. Then they had a disagreement about a coworker and went their separate ways. In Asia, Paul struggled to know which direction God wanted him to go. Thankfully God gave the apostle a vision calling him to Macedonia. Upon arriving in Philippi, a leading city of Macedonia, Paul met Lydia at the place of prayer and started a church in her house. So far so good. But when he healed a slave girl, Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into prison.
Paul might have been tempted to quit the ministry at this point. But instead they worshiped God until the earth shook. They were set free and they saved the life and God saved the soul of the jailer who had beaten and imprisoned them.
What can we learn from this story? Worship is essential to life. In a difficult time, instead of saying, “Look what the world has come to . . .,” Paul and Silas sang praises saying, “Look who has come to the world . . .” The audience was listening. They still are. Even those who oppose us may be transformed by our message through the power of God if we do not give up. So don’t. Don’t give up. Don’t quit.
My life and ministry have been more similar than dissimilar to that of Paul. Some weeks are really difficult. The rest of the poem I quoted at that first funeral says, “But God has promised strength for the day, rest for the labor, light for the way, grace for the trials, help from above, unfailing kindness, undying love.” I have found this part of the poem also to be true.
