As we honor Black History Month, we’re excited to launch a blog series titled The Gospel in Song: Theological Truths for Teenagers from Black Spirituals. This series highlights the rich theology, resilience, and faith woven into these timeless songs. We hope youth ministers and parents will be inspired to share the Black spirituals as tools for discipleship.
Sunday morning had come. I heard my grandmother come to the room to wake us. I could smell the bacon. I forced my way out of bed and located my very best “church” clothes: a faded plaid shirt and a pair of jeans with a patch on the knee. I hurried to get dressed, because Grandma wasn’t the one to repeat herself.
We piled into her car to make our way to Sunday School because that is what we did every Sunday morning. As I stood among my tiny peers and belted out words that I thought sounded good, I realize now that I had NO CLUE what I was singing about. I knew it was about God, but I didn’t really know what it meant when we sang “He’s got the whole world in his hands.”
I can only image what our ancestors endured as they sang the words to this song. Whether they were battling the scorching heat in the fields as they were forced to toil from dusk til dawn, or if they were facing the injustice of the Jim Crow era, the words of this song gave them the strength to press forward. Each stanza fueled them so they could stand under the constant, heavy pressures. They would not fold; they would not give up. Instead these words reassured them that God had a plan. All they had to do was hold onto the hand that holds all things together.
How can you as a parent or youth leader tap into the power of this beautiful song? How is this relevant to you today? There are 3 things I’d love for us to take from the premise of this song and implant into our hearts.1) Nothing is too hard for God, 2) God cares about everyone and every part of our lives, and 3) God will make right all the things that are wrong.
Nothing Is Too Hard For God
“Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:” (Jer. 32:17 KJV) No matter what you’re facing or what your family is facing, it is refreshing to remember that God is in control of all things. There will be times that we don’t have the answers, or we can’t see how we’re going to overcome our present circumstances. Especially in these moments, we remind ourselves that although the situation may be difficult for us to handle, nothing is too hard for God. He’s got the whole world in his hands.
Think of Job. Job experienced many great moments in life but he’d also seen the lowest of lows. Yet his ability to remember who God is and who he was in the Lord kept his heart pure and helped him remain steadfast in the face of the most horrific circumstances. “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.” (Job 42:2 NLT). When we’re walking the path that God has ordered for us and we feel as though the obstacles in our lives are too hard to handle, we can re-read the words of Job and regain our strength and focus and stay strong in the Lord.
You don’t have to have all the answers when you know the one who does. It has been said that God can do all things but fail, so when things that seem impossible to overcome present themselves, lean on these words: “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:37 KJV). You will never find anything outside of the realm of God’s ability. Remember this when you’re leading your teenagers through their tough moments. Job couldn’t figure out why life flew into a whirlwind the way it did, and you and I may struggle to understand the troubles of our lives. What we can do is what Job did, and continue to trust the one who has the whole world in his hands.
God Cares About Everyone and Every Part Of Our Lives
“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand” (Ps. 37:23-24 NLT). It is easy sometimes to become overwhelmed with what the world throws at us. But it is truly refreshing to know that there is not a single person on this planet, or a single part of our lives, that God is not concerned about. Nothing is too big for him to handle, but it is equally important for us to accept that nothing is too small to bring to him.
When I first got married, my wife would call her mother and share all the little details of things we were doing. If we bought new curtains, she’d call to share with her mom. If we changed the rugs and towels in the downstairs restroom, she’d share with her mom. I grew to admire their relationship. Literally nothing was too small to talk about because she knew how much her mom was concerned about her happiness. She knew that her mom had wisdom to share in many different areas of life she had yet to experience.
What if we approached God like this? What if we remembered that he cares about all parts of our lives? He cares when we’re happy and we want to rejoice, but he also wants us to share with him when we are hurting or carrying a heavy load. When we focus on the truth that he’s got the whole world in his hands, we are reminded that we don’t have to carry any burden alone because ultimately God is in control of all things.
Consider the words of the prophet Isaiah: “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” (Isaiah 43:2 NLT). The word “when” in this passage makes it clear that there will be times that all of us will have to go through difficult moments. But each time we experience something difficult, we will also experience God in a way that we may not have before.
It is only after the storms or fires we endure mount up against us that we will be able to sing the words of this old Negro spiritual from a place of true understanding. There is a stanza in the song that says, “he’s got the wind and the rain, in his hands.” Although none of us want to deal with the “wind” or “rain,” it is truly encouraging to know that he’s got the whole world in his hands.
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Pet. 5:7 NLT). Here are a few questions to ponder:
What am I withholding from God?
What am I not trusting him with?
What am I carrying that I don’t have to?
Peter makes it plain for us that God is willing to take on all the cares and worries that are impacting us, if we are willing to bring them to him.
Years ago my father told me that the God he serves neither sleeps nor slumbers, so there is no sense in them both staying up worrying about his situations. It was apparent to me that my dad understood and trusted that he’s got the whole world in his hands, and because of this, he could have peace in the midst of whatever he had to face.
God Will Make Right All The Things That Are Wrong
When everything seems unfair, one-sided, or uneven, we must force ourselves to remember that he’s got the whole world In his hands. Even though things don’t look or seem fair, we can trust that “The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed” (Ps. 103:6 NIV). Having this understanding doesn’t remove the pain on our paths, but it does help us focus beyond the pain. This allows us to remain hopeful, and hope will sustain us.
Remembering that Jesus didn’t live a trouble-free life, that he walked a path of adversity for our sakes, enhances our faith. From the moment he was born until he breathed his final breath, Jesus endured oppression, hardship, and rejection. He suffered the most horrific death so that all those that would believe on him could reclaim their connection with the Father. His life, death, and resurrection settled our debt for sin. When you know that he will make all things right, you can find the strength you need to press forward in the face of the wrong that you are currently enduring.
“At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame.” (Zeph. 3:19 NIV) In life we will deal with people who may not value us like God does. It could be a boss, a teacher, or even a relative. Don’t lose heart, don’t become discouraged. It is not always easy to keep doing the right thing when you’re in a situation like this. The fact that he’s got the whole world in his hands will help us rest in those very tough moments where we want to lash back, or retaliate.
I had an old Navy buddy tell me that “Two wrongs don’t make it right, but it does make us even.” When I heard him say this, I laughed hysterically! We must fight the urge to avenge ourselves and remember that the Lord will make things right. This may feel foreign and unnatural, but God will reward us for sticking with his plans in the face of the oppression.
Because he’s got the whole world in his hands, we can trust God. We may not have the when, what, where, or the how, but we do have this assurance and that strengthens our faith substantially. Knowing how much Jesus loved them and the sacrifice he made for them fueled our ancestors to remain hopeful in the face of the most trying of circumstances. We can tap into that same hope, the same power, that same faith.
I will give you one last Scripture to hold onto for when you need a quick reminder. “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Rom. 8:28 NLT). This means the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. No matter what we are presently facing, God wants us to know that he sees us, he loves us, and he’s got the whole world in his hands.
Parents, check out the Rooted Parent Podcast for more encouragement in the gospel of Jesus!
