He brought me into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.
2 Samuel 22:20
Many of us are often in hiding. And many of us may not even realize it. As human beings we want to protect ourselves, and in our desperate attempts for safety and protection we end up believing it might be better to just keep our worries or concerns inside our own maze of thoughts. In the modern world of never-ending schedules and overwhelming obligations, we may have even fooled ourselves that we are fine, and not in need of actual truth, light and space in our lives. But the real truth is, hiding is exhausting, and the community of the Church should be the one place where we don't have to hide anymore. A place and time and people with which we can exhale, and inhale again with new truth and moments of peace. An experience that can bring healing.
This is the very thing I think of as I step into any gathering of people to lead worship: there are people in this room who have been in hiding for so long, people who feel uncomfortable, people who feel unworthy, people who have dedicated their lives to making sure no one sees how they really struggle. This is not to say that as leaders we can't begin a time of worshiping through music in a grateful and excited fashion—in fact, we should begin our times of praise with joy, gratefulness and thanksgiving because there is true joy and thanksgiving to be found in any and every circumstance. But there is always the reality that this could be the day someone finally steps into light and experiences freedom. This could be their time when they finally feel God's delight rather than his shame, God's compassion rather than his apathy. Because God does not shame, nor does he look on his own creation with apathy.
As I have been journeying straight through the Bible starting in Genesis, I just recently finished reading through the life of King David in 2 Samuel. God delighted in David and had appointed him for many wonderful things in his lifetime. But David's life was also extremely stressful; I was even stressed for him as I was reading, imagining the dire reality of his life as he was constantly running, constantly hiding. Many of the people in his life, even his own family whom he loved and trusted turned on him and betrayed him to the degree of wanting him dead. Many times, David even had the chance to retaliate, but chose to show grace. He processed his emotions through songs and expressed his fear and anxiety to music. In David's final words as he reflected on his life, he brings a song of praise to the Lord, finally singing, "He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me" (2 Samuel 22:20, emphasis added).
My prayer is that our times of worship will be a spacious place for those who are in hiding, and that they would feel and understand God's delight on each of their lives—that we as worship leaders would be the first step that allows them to finally exhale and breathe in those new words of truth. Even those who have been walking with the Lord for years still find themselves in hiding in depression, anxiety or in sin—potentially even more deeply, for fear that the darkness that has held them captive will become known to all the "good" Christians around them. Many people don't know how to process pain, anxiety and fear in their lives, and I can't help but believe that the worship songs we sing and the songs of David give them a possible avenue for expressing their journeys in words they can't find for themselves, while leading them to the hope and rescue in Jesus. Our sweet Lord wants to see us step into the spacious place of freedom that he has waiting, to step out of the darkness we have created for ourselves and to feel the freedom of God's delight and compassion toward us.
This could be their weekend. It could be their day.
Let's contend for that.
Jamie
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