The ‘bad’ things in our lives are part of God’s perfect orchestra.

“And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. (Revelation 14:2)”

Music is maybe the strongest proof that chaos is not beautiful. Even the most anarchic thrash metal band keeps rhythm. No matter how postmodern and weird ‘art’ becomes, music still follows the rules. No one likes a jarring note. You can confuse genders, you can mix up beliefs, you can pour tomato sauce on cereal but no one likes a note out of tune, or timing that is off.

Music follows the ‘rules’. Even syncopated notes are deliberately played before or after a beat, not to create chaos, but produce an unexpected accent in a harmonious piece of music. There are seven notes in an octave. This goes for opera, reggae, trance, metal, pop (ugh), rock and even country.

The ‘rules’ of music do not squish creativity, but foster it. Within the parameters, anything goes. Break the ‘rules’, go outside the parameters, and it gets ugly. Chaos is ugly. Harmony is beautiful.

Then why does my life feel like a piece of jazz? (My humblest apologies to those unlike me who have the musical ability to understand jazz.) If there is meant to be this harmonious symphony how come my life is full of jarring notes? Why is the ‘timing’ in my life so bad? How can the ugly things that happen to me be part of some harmonious song?

In Revelation 14 we are shown a picture full of symbols that tells us that the Universe under God is a symphony. A beautiful harmonious concert. Everything comes together as a perfectly orchestrated symphony of instruments, angels and people singing one gloriously orchestrated song.

You may be tempted to think, ‘Ah, but my life is out of tune’, or ‘how can this sickness be part of a beautiful symphony?’

Revelation is not just a book about the future. It is a revelation of things past, present and future. It is a revelation of the Truth behind all truth. Revelation is not saying that one day everything will be a glorious harmonious concert. No, Revelation is telling us that even now, this perfect symphony is playing. This is because God is the Conductor and He won’t let wrong notes, bad timing, or chaos interfere with His masterpiece.

Your ‘jarring notes’ or ‘bad timing’ – things that are ugly in this life – these are only ugly because you can’t hear the full symphony now. Right now all we can hear are isolated notes or half the tune. We just can’t hear the whole thing right now. How ugly is an electric guitar entirely by itself!

But one day we will see how something as ugly as a trumpet is beautiful when it is in its place in a vast orchestra. Then we will understand. All the ugly things in life will be seen to be part of God’s perfect symphony of love.