by Carrie Whaley, Retired Union University Professor

I used to have a poster in my office with an African proverb on it that said, “The Spirit never descends without a song.” That is typically the case in my life. When God speaks to me, He will usually punctuate the message, either at the beginning or the end, or both, with a song that drills deeply into my heart. I’ve been known to have to pull over if I’m driving when I hear such songs on the radio—particularly for the first time—because it may move me to tears that I cannot see through. I suspect most of us, if we’ve listened carefully, have had God’s Spirit speak to ours through a song. It may be one we hear on the radio or sing at church, or it may be one we are singing ourselves, with the radio or at church, etc.

The apostle Paul experienced a profound “visitation of the Spirit” when he and Silas had traveled to Philippi. The story is told in Acts 16…they were on their way to pray with others when they freed a demon-possessed slave girl from the demon, which made her master, who had trafficked her as a fortune-teller, very angry. He retaliated by having Paul and Silas stripped, beaten, and imprisoned in stocks in an inner cell of the nasty first-century prison.

But that’s when the story gets interesting. It’s midnight and the other prisoners and guards hear singing coming from Paul and Silas’ cell. Not just any singing, but according to vs. 25, “good old down-home hymn singing!” The verse is very specific that they were singing hymns, not psalms. Paul and Silas would have grown up singing the Psalter and probably had most of them memorized. It was, after all, the “hymn book of Israel.” But hymns (remember, Paul admonished the church in his letters to both Ephesus and Philippi to sing “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs”) were more recent compositions, with words and music. The Church was still a fledging at this point—less than 50 years since Jesus’ ascension. So, who had been writing these hymns and spiritual songs that Paul and Silas clearly had committed to memory as well? They must have sung their way along the roads over the course of their weeks- and months-long travels from city to city. Enough so that they could conjure up one at midnight, lying naked in chains in a filthy cell…Wow! I might’ve welcomed a song under those circumstances, but I’m not sure I could have sung one! But the punch line is what happens next. There’s an earthquake and all the prisoners’ chains fall off—not just Paul’s and Silas’—AND the prison doors all fly open! Well! God must have enjoyed their song—wouldn’t you love to know what they’d been singing? The story ends with the prison guard believing in God and taking Paul and Silas home with him for a good meal before they were released the next morning. (Don’t you love a nice, happy ending?)

Of course, I don’t believe God did all that just because Paul and Silas sang a song He liked. He did it in response to their faith and how they were responding to adversity. And I do believe that music is one of God’s choicest gifts to enable men and women to respond to their circumstances and to “remember whose we are.”

You see, music works as both a thermometer (reflecting the temperature) and as a thermostat (setting the temperature). It’s serving as a thermometer when, on Sundays, we go to church ready and eager to sing and make a joyful noise unto the Lord. The music we make is a reflection of our heart’s desire to worship our Creator. And it matters not to God whether you sing psalms, hymns, or more contemporary songs. Although there is disagreement among some church-goers as to what kind of music is “more pleasing to God,” I’m quite sure that He is the author of it all; and therefore, enjoys hearing it all. But there are days when I don’t feel at all like singing or worshipping and may find myself doing anything but. In such circumstances, listening to those hymns and spiritual songs Paul referred to can then act as a thermostat, regulating the “temperature” of my mood and emotions. After a few songs—or hours—I find myself in a different place, including being moved to tears. That’s why I’m so grateful for the many Christian recording artists and radio stations today, in addition to the personal playlists we can make and enjoy from our favorite music providers. Then, whether our music is an outpouring of our spirit or an invitation to transform our heart, God’s Spirit can descend and bring us the refreshment we need. Who knows—we may even see (our own or others’) chains falling off and transformation taking place. To God Be the Glory!

For more musings on the importance of music in our lives, please read Feed Your Ears and share any comments or thoughts below.