Nobody Knows The Trouble I See
Nobody Knows but Jesus
Nobody Knows the Trouble I See
Glory Hallelujah

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This spiritual is striking in that the subject of the song is “Trouble.” But even though it has “Trouble” in it, It also has “glory Hallelujah.” What gets us from “Trouble” to “Glory?”

We are all in trouble in this world. And this trouble is greater than others can see. People look at us and see good and bad things happening to us from the outside. The Bible says that Humanity looks on the outward appearance. (1 Samuele 16:7) All we can see is what is going on on the outside. So we look and we see that you are going through something.

But the singer says that what you see ain’t all there is. No there is even a greater trouble than you see. You ain’t seen how bad it really is for the singer. No, the singer is in the midst of a terrible circumstance and not only that there is nobody who understands. There is nobody who feels. There is nobody who can even see it!

But then The singer either has a revelation or was holding back some pertinent information for Nobody knows it BUT JESUS. Yes there is one who sits high and looks low. There is one who sees everything. There is one who knows even the full extent of our troubles.

Then after that revelation, the singer says “glory hallelujah”. The singer doens’t tell us here exactly why this is something to celebrate. Perhaps the singer remembers the scripture that tells us that Jesus is able to help us becuase he suffered (being tempted) in this wretched earth and lived where we live. (Hebrews 2:18)

Perhaps the singer begins celebrating becuase there is power in someone simply knowing what the singer has to go through. Maybe the singer uplifts praise to the most high becuase God is there and will not allow my pain to go unheard. God will listen to us when we pray. Maybe the singer uplifts praise becuase God will overturn the pain into good for the Bible tells us that weaping only has a short duration and Joy will come in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)

I don’t know, but one thing I do know, we can be sure God is with us. We can be sure that Jesus cares. And we can be sure that “There is a balm in Gilead that heals the sin sick soul.” In Jesus, Our pain is overcome. And yes, in Jesus our pain is heard.

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Heavenly Father, we thank you for the reality that you are with us in our pain. We acknowledge that you hear us and even when we can’t see the other side of the storm, we thank you for leading the ship through the treacherous waters to the sunlight of a limitless future.

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I got Shoes, You Got Shoes
All God’s Children Got Shoes
When I get To Heaven, Gonna Put on My Shoes
Gonna Walk, All Over God’s Heaven

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We probably know that only the barest of necessities were given to the slaves by the slave master. Just barely something to cover themselves. They didn’t have a robe or shoes. Certainly the slave singer was not happy about that, but the singer saw past the present reality into God’s future. Seeing God’s future transformed the present moment of frustration into a moment of celebration.
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Sinner Please Don’t Let This Harvest Pass
Sinner Please Don’t Let This Harvest Pass
And Die and Lose Your Soul At Last
Sinner Please Don’t Let This Harvest Pass

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There is a strong “evangelistic” mode to many of the spirituals. We do know that some of them were “coded” having a dual message of current realities and the apocalyptic ending. So they would be singing about the end and at the same time singing about the underground railroad that would lead to freedom.
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Wade In The Water
Wade In The Water, Children
Wade In The Water
God’s Gonna Trouble The Water

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We are in a world that seems so unpredictable. Our weather experts seem to only get it right sometimes and even then only partially right. The news is full of unpredictable things. The war that breaks out that seems to be out of our control. The automobile accident where someone else causes the accident that kills the family. The gunman who seems to want to cause hurt and pain. Even the winner of the sports team eludes us as many seek to make money predicting who will win the game. All of these things force us to face the reality that we just don’t know what is going to happen.
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Deep River
My Home Is Over Jordan
Deep River, Lord
I Want To Cross Over Into Camp Ground

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Not too long ago we saw a spiritual where we simply uttered our despair. This spiritual is close to that, but it goes a little further and simply states what the singer wants. There is a gulf standing between the singer and “camp ground” and “peace.” The singer states that she wants to go to there. It is an important step to groan over the pain, but it is also important to be able to articulate what you want and where you wish to go.

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Great Day,
Great Day, The Righteous Marching
Great Day, God’s Gonna Build Up
Zion’s Walls

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It is absolutely amazing that those who found themselves in the midst of slavery could still muster up hope. This hope served as a death sentence to hopelessness. This spiritual reminds us that the hope is based in God’s future action. God is going to do something in the future that will turn around this situation we are in now. This something in the future is that “Great Day” we look forward to. (more…)

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Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
A Long Way From Home

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I love the spirituals because they speak truth even when it that truth is not popular or pious. The singer here is not afraid to state that sometimes she feels like an orphan in a strange land. Certainly this is not the only theme we find in the spirituals. There are times to celebrate the “Great Day.” There are times to strengthen our resolve to “follow Jesus, no turning back.” And yes there are even times to contemplate our Lord and his sacrifice by solemnly singing “were you there when they crucified my lord?”

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Sounds Like Jesus
Somebody’s Knocking at Yo Door
Ohhh, Why Don’t You Answer
Somebody’s Knocking at Yo Door

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I like this spiritual because like many other spirituals it is tied closely to scriptural imagery. In this case it is the knocking of Jesus at the door in Revelation 3:20. But secondly I like it because the singer has an idea who is the one knocking. The singer thinks that the sound of the knocking is like Jesus.
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