Hi friends, this is Joni Eareckson Tada and welcome to Joni and Friends.
The orchestra was performing a well-known piece by Mozart called “The Magic Flute.” And midway through, a powerful storm raged outside and it caused the lights in the symphony hall to go out. But, undaunted by the darkness, the musicians hardly skipped a beat. The members of the orchestra knew the music so well that they carried on the performance even though it was pitch-black in the symphony hall.
At the end of the Mozart symphony, the audience rose to its feet and burst into thunderous applause, clapping long and loud at this extraordinary feat. A stagehand illuminated the conductor with a flashlight and shined it along the front row of the musicians as everyone took their bows. The applause crescendoed again. It was a night never to be forgotten.
Friend, I think it illustrates a beautiful lesson for us. Do we know the Savior by heart? Have we rehearsed the good times with Him? Have we practiced the presence of God to the point where, if times went dark, if the lights went out, if we couldn’t see the conductor... would we still make his music?
Dark times will come and the storms will, for sure, make everything seem pitch black. But, like you, I want to get to the point in my life with Christ where I barely miss a beat.I want to get to the point where I can carry on as though nothing is changed. And I suppose I want to do that not for my own soul’s sake, but for the applause that will resound to the Lord Jesus.
Think of it. Had the lights remained on while the Cleveland Symphony finished playing Mozart, sure... the audience would have applauded appropriately. But what really turned up the wattage on the praise, what really hiked the intensity, the emotion, and the volume was the fact that they played through the dark. And the same is true when we live for God. Our lives resound to His praise when He lights our path and we follow him — that’s what you’d expect. A disciple should follow his Master.
But when there’s no light for your path and when you follow him during dark times, the volume and the intensity of praise to God goes up more than a couple of decibels. 2 Corinthians 4:15‑17 puts it this way: “All this (that is, the dark times) all this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving – that is applause – to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
Or, in other words, friend, today keep playing the music. And once again let me remind you of our website, come by and visit us at anytime. It’s joniandfriendsradio.org. God’s blessings on you until next time when we get together for Joni and Friends.
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