Darlene Deibler Rose arrived in New Guinea as a newlywed to do mission work among unreached jungle tribes. However, shortly after her arrival, the world went to war and Japanese soldiers invaded the island. Darlene and her husband were taken as prisoners and sent to separate work camps.
At the camp, Darlene’s situation grew worse: an accusation arose that she was an American spy. The guards immediately moved her to one of the dreaded Japanese prisons. She was locked in solitary confinement and placed on death row.
From her cell, Darlene cried out to God, overwhelmed with fear. But it seemed like her prayers hit the ceiling. She felt completely alone and forgotten by God.
What is your response to trials, suffering, or feeling forgotten by the Lord?
Darlene started searching the scriptures she had memorized. In the middle of her panic, the verses she knew by memory reminded her of God’s promises and God’s character. And these reminders caused her to open her mouth and respond to her circumstances by praising God.
Men and women who have experienced greater suffering than I can even imagine, praise God in their pain. I see this theme repeated over and over again as I read and listen to stories from the persecuted church. They know what it is to “rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NKJV).
Here are three important and powerful lessons the persecuted church has taught me about praising God–even in the midst of suffering.
Lesson 1: Praise is a Choice
The persecuted church doesn’t sing and worship God because they always feel like praising Him. They choose to praise God because they trust Him.
When Darlene sat in prison feeling alone and abandoned by God, she remembered verses such as Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” And then she prayed, “Lord, I believe all that the Bible says. I walk by faith and not by sight. I do not need to feel You near, because Your Word says, You will never leave me nor forsake me. Lord, I confirm my faith; I believe.”
The words of Hebrews 11:1 welled up, unbeckoned, to fill my mind: ‘Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.‘ The evidence of things not seen. Evidence not seen—that was what I put my trust in—not in feelings or moments of ecstasy but in the unchanging Person of Jesus Christ.
(Evidence Not Seen, by Darlene Deibler Rose)
You and I have the same God as Darlene. When you are faced with trials or tempted to think that the Lord has forgotten you, remember the truth about God and make the choice to praise Him for who He is and for what He has promised.
Lesson 2: Praise Strengthens Us
Tavian is a believer who was imprisoned for his faith during the Soviet Occupation following World War II. During his time of persecution and pain, Tavian wrote around 600 worship songs. In a conversation with Nik Ripken, author of The Insanity of God, he said, “God gave me words and melodies to strengthen and soothe my soul.”
Ripken had the privilege of hearing Tavian sing two of those songs. “As he sang, I understood how he had been able to silence his captors and persecutors as he sang the power of God into their lives.” (The Insanity of God, Nik Ripken, p. 185)
Praising God may not be your natural response to suffering. But praise is one of God’s gifts for when you suffer. It is a way that He has chosen to supply strength to you for endurance. So next time you face suffering, allow the Lord to strengthen you by speaking words of praise to Him.
Lesson 3: Praise Impacts the People Around Us
When we praise God, it not only strengthens us, it also impacts the people around us.
In his book, The Insanity of Obedience, Nik Ripken shares a story about another follower of Jesus in prison for his faith, this one in the Middle East. Every day in prison, he prayed, recited scripture, and sang praises to God while his guards listened.
After about ten days, one of the guards came to him. They were quite angry and a bit afraid. They said to the believer, “You must stop singing those songs.”
Puzzled, he asked why they were making such an unusual request.
They explained: “The songs you are singing are so powerful, they are going to convert us. Then we will become Christians also and we will be in the same cell with you!” (The Insanity of Obedience, Nik Ripken, pp. 291-292)
When you choose to praise God in the presence of others, it is a testimony of God’s glory and goodness. It is powerful enough even to convert hardened prison guards.
Praise is a Choice that Strengthens Us and Others
The persecuted church has taught me that praise is a choice. It’s not a response to my feelings, it’s a choice to trust the Lord and give Him the glory that He is worthy of.
In His goodness, the Lord uses our praise to help us endure even the very worst and most painful circumstance. And He also uses our praises to cause the people around us to stop and wonder at who this God is that we praise in our suffering.
But what if it feels impossible to respond to your circumstances the way the persecuted church does? This is when you must remember, you have the same God as these men and women. If you take the step of faith, God will offer you the same grace to praise Him. His sustaining grace and promises aren’t just for prison cells. They are for laundry, kids, sickness, relational conflict, broken hearts, and redeemed sinners so that we might praise and glorify God in every season of our lives.
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