Singing God’s Praises During Our Distresses

“But I will sing of Your power; yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; for You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; for God is my defense, my God of mercy.” (Psalm 59:16-17)

Do you know John and Betty Stam. During the Chinese Civil War on December 6, 1934 in Tsingteh, China, Betty was bathing their 3-month old daughter when the Red Army surrounded the house. They took her and her baby captive and forced them to march 12 miles outside of town where they bound John to a post for the night. The next day they forced John and Betty to walk in their underwear through the streets of the town and forced people to come watch the execution. Outside town in a clump of pine trees, they beheaded John Stam with a sword while his wife watched. And then when she fell over his body, they beheaded her as well. This was a young couple in their mid-20s that went to school at Moody Bible Institute.

When the China Inland Mission notified Betty’s parents in Patterson, New Jersey, of the death of their daughter and son-in-law, the mission received back a telegram immediately and it read, “Deeply appreciate your consolation. Sacrifice seems great, but not too great for Him who gave Himself for us. Experiencing God’s grace. Believe wholeheartedly Romans 8:28.”

Betty’s sister Helen wrote to her bereaved parents, “Dearest Daddy and Mother, you don’t need to hear me say how much we love you and are thinking of and praying for you in these days. … I have such radiant pictures of Betty and John standing with their palms of victory before the Throne, singing a song of pure joy because they had given everything they had to their Master, that I cannot break loose and cry about it as people expect. Crying seems to be too petty for a thing that was so manifestly in God’s hands alone; but my heart is very, very sore for you.”

The family of John and Betty were illustrating the above verses from Psalm 59. John and Betty Stam were delivered in the day of distress, and they also sang of the might and mercy of God.