[This reflection by David Makanjuola was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 12/May/2024]
During a recent ‘Connect in Faith’ house group meeting, the internet connections went awry and the songs that had been prepared could not be projected and played.
The following day in church, I met one of the regular attenders, a friend, whose smile is usually so welcoming, you have no choice but to give him a hug, but not that day. He looked quite sad, and the smile was nothing near its usual, brightness. He just said it had been quite a difficult week.
Two very separate events it would seem, but they share an interesting connection – words coming to life. Let me tell you what happened next in each case.
As we could not get the YouTube video to play during the Connect in Faith meeting, Helen who was leading, agreed to read the words out to us (she declined the suggestion to do a solo). She commented after, that sometimes, reading the words helps you to get a deeper meaning from them.
During the church service the following day, I couldn’t stop thinking about my friend who had been feeling low. I said a few things that I thought would lift his spirits, but I didn’t see an immediate effect. We then sang a few songs during the service, one of which I wasn’t that familiar with, so I paid a little more attention to the words. Here is one of the verses:
The night is dark but I am not forsaken
For by my side, the Saviour He will stay
I labour on in weakness and rejoicing
For in my need, His power is displayed
To this I hold, my Shepherd will defend me
Through the deepest valley He will lead
Oh the night has been won, and I shall overcome
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
These words, set to music, were what I felt that my friend needed to hear, and now, it wasn’t just me saying them, but the whole congregation singing them. Perhaps this was Christ letting him know that dark as things might be, the night has been won and that he would overcome, because of Christ’s Spirit in him.
As if to drive the point home, the final song in the service was titled ‘Christ is enough’!
To paraphrase CS Lewis, “we often don’t need to be instructed, just reminded”. So, as you go into the week ahead, I would like to remind you that whatever happens, Christ is enough and you will get through, yet not by your strength, but through Christ in you.
Have a blessed week.
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Last week’s reflection: Missing The Gold by Dennis Ginter
Contributed by David Makanjuola; © David Makanjuola