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Author Archives: John D. Willome

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About John D. Willome

I post a blog of daily devotions that are my prayer journals based on scripture.

Matthew 7:15-23

09 Jun

15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Matthew 7:15-23

Dear God, I confess to you that I am coming into these passages today with a huge amount of personal bias. There are leaders who profess to be your children, but, in my mind, they are ferocious wolves in sheep’s clothing. And I recognize it through their fruit. And I’m not linking this to any one particular political party in the U.S. I see hypocrisy everywhere.

So it’s important to think about the fact that Jesus says that I will be able to tell the truth about a person by their fruit. According to Galatians 5:19-21, here are the fruits of the ferocious wolf:

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But according to Galatians 5:22-23, here are the fruits of the sheep:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

From a political standpoint, I can’t say that I see many people who seem to be legitimate sheep. What I guess confuses me the most is that there are Christians who are labeling some of these leaders as Christians with no evidence based on these five verses. Someone says they are a Christian and they claim to be pro-life so they are accepted at your vessel. It’s almost surreal to me.

So what is my role in all of this? I confess to you, Father, that I do NOT pray for these leaders nearly enough. I don’t pray for their spiritual transformation. I don’t pray Proverbs 21:1 over them:

In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him.

You used Pilate. You used Samson. You have used Godless people throughout history for your purposes. Sometimes you’ve even managed to use me despite the fact that I am a fool. So father, I pray that you will be working in all of this. Give us as Christians and as a nation exactly what we need to bring us into complete repentance and surrender to you. As for me, I am sorry. I am sorry for my sin. I’m sorry for my racism, my selfishness, my lust, my gluttony, and my cowardice. Please give me the courage to do exactly what you want me to do and to not miss any of the opportunities you lay before me.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 9, 2020 in Galatians, Matthew, Proverbs

 

Habakkuk 3:12

08 Jun

In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations.
Habakkuk 3:12

Dear God, this is an Old Testament passage. In light of the new covenant, what makes you angry now, and how do you handle that anger? I’ll start out by saying that I doubt I’ll be able to work through this deep theological issue this morning and in this format, but it’s an interesting question.

I guess I can try to think about what angered you and Jesus in the New Testament.

  • Hypocrisy among your believers — This is the first thing that came mind as I thought about Jesus. The hypocrisy of the Pharisees seemed to really anger him.
  • Disrespecting you for selfish gain — I’m thinking about Jesus clearing the Temple during Passover on this one. There were plenty of people who disrespected you, but to do it so brazenly for profit really angered him.
  • People who cause others to stumble (Luke 17:1-2).
  • Stubborn, unrepentant sinners who are confronted (Luke 17:3-4).
  • Christians who intentionally mislead people into thinking they are doing holier things than they really are (Acts 5:1-11).
  • Rejecting others who need our charity (Matthew 25:31-40).

Is there a theme in all of these things? If there is, it’s selfishness and deception among your believers.

So what is your response to these things now? Frankly, I don’t think I can be sure of the answer to that. Is it separation from you in eternity? I don’t know? Do you remove a certain level of protection from us to bring us to repentance? I don’t know. Do you actively punish us? I don’t know (although I tend to follow the school of thought that you might remove some protection before you actively punish). And, ultimately, I suppose my understanding of your response isn’t nearly as important as my understanding of what makes you angry in the first place. What grieves you.

Father, help me to not grieve you. Help me to not anger you. I’m sorry for my selfishness. I’m sorry that I still doubt you. I’m sorry that I still indulge my own vanity and actively cultivate a less than genuine image for others to see. I’m sorry I don’t pursue relationships with the poor and downtrodden. I hope, I hope, I hope that when you look at me you don’t see someone who is constantly grieving you because you don’t deserve that from me or any of us. You are a good and wonderful God and I am very grateful for your love.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 8, 2020 in Acts, Habakkuk, Luke, Matthew

 

What I would say…

07 Jun

Dear God, I have some relatives graduating and one getting engaged this year. When I was thinking about graduation presents for them, I thought of two things.

For the graduates, I thought of a daily devotion book called My Utmost for His Highest. You know I know this one well. In fact, it was my source for scripture when I first started doing these prayer journals to you 20 years ago. But my history with that book actually goes back closer to 40 years. My dad used it as a daily devotion when I was young, and he gave me a copy of it when I graduated from high school. The inscription reads:

8/27/88

John,

This book has really been meaningful to me as it constantly challenges me to turn loose of the distractions of life and to move into a deeper personal relationship with Jesus. I pray that you will likewise find it helpful in your personal walk with the Lord as you enter an exciting new phase in your life as a Baylor student.

Love,

Dad

I used it regularly my freshman year of college. The weakness in it for me is that its words were written pre World War I by a Brit, and the British language he used in the early 20th century was different than the language we use now. Thankfully, about 30 years ago, James Reimann re-edited it to update the language and it’s even clearer now.

The theology is this book is so solid, but I often found that just reading the daily verse, reading Mr. Chambers’s reflection on it, and then saying a prayer to you didn’t stick with me throughout the day. It wasn’t until I started to journal through the passages starting in April 2000 that your scripture and what you were saying to me through it began to seep into my soul.

So I found this version of the James Reimann edited edition that includes a column for at least writing down some personal reflections. IMG_3111

I ordered one for my niece and my nephew. I pray over these two books, that you will use them along with all of the other tools in your toolbox to draw their hearts into yours and lead them to lives submitted to you.

The second book I ordered was the one that changed the course of my marriage and who I eventually became as a husband to my wife. This one is for the niece who got engaged. It’s called Sacred Marriage and it was written by Gary Thomas. IMG_3112

The subtitle of the book is “What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?” That question alone gets your attention. Through reading this book and attending a workshop in person with my wife, you revealed to me how much I was depending upon my wife’s and children’s acceptance for my sense of worth instead of simply leaning into you. Ironically (or perhaps, providentially), I encountered this book right about the same time I started doing these prayer journals to you. I know we’ve talked about this a lot before, but I was a needy husband, and my neediness was oppressive to my wife. She could never fill up my “God hole” that I’d allowed to grow without you. I had made her an idol. I became codependent. It was all bad. But Gary helped me to see how you use my wife, my children, and everyone around me to shape me through the giving of myself, not the taking. That simple paradigm shift changed everything, and it helped me to become more disciplined in my pursuit of you as the source of my joy and peace.

So I have these young relatives who are starting new chapters in their lives. They have tremendous opportunities to radically affect the trajectory of their lives through the choices they make now. Who will they be in 10, 20, or 30 years? Well, as an uncle that they know just a little, I hope that what they know of me will give me the credibility to share these two critical tools you used on me and have them receive them as part of the tools you are using on them.

Father, I want to pray over my niece and my nephew right now. I pray for my niece, that she will experience the full measure of who you are. Help her to embrace you completely. Help her fiancé to completely embrace you as well. And as they work out their respective faiths with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12), unite their hearts together completely. Give them mutual respect and help them to turn loose of their expectations of the other. Fill them with so much of your presence that they don’t need to look to the other for their worth. And for my nephew, he has had a rough and confusing few years, but now he’s about to start college. There is a lot of healing to do there. Guide him in into your heart. Hold him close. Raise up people around him whom you will use to strengthen and encourage him. Heal his broken relationships and bring glory to your name through his life.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 7, 2020 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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John 17:20-23

06 Jun

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
John 17:20-23

Dear God, I think I’m going to be praying this passage over and over again for the time being. My wife told me last night that she has been spending a lot of time in prayer in our church’s chapel over the strife in our country right now. I asked what specifically she is praying and, to her credit, a lot of it was focused around your church and our response. Yes, that is a good place to start.

So I’m combining that with the knowledge that Satan’s goal is to work against that prayer and divide us. Divide us against each other as Christians. Divide us against others in our community. Divide us against our own family. And divide us, ultimately against you. He doesn’t care how successful we are or how much we might struggle. That’s not the war he is in. The war he is fighting is our unity with you. He is against our peace and joy because he knows that our suffering is the only way to make you suffer.

Father, I pray for your church. From nondenominational to Catholic, make us one, Father, as you and Jesus are one. And help us to abide in you. Reveal and unmask the plans of Satan to us. Help us to see the battle that is waging among the powers and principalities of this world. And help us to run to you. Help us to march into battle behind the power of Jesus and what he did for us. Help us to be lead by the Holy Spirit. Show us as a faith community the actions you want us to take, and that starts with prayer and clinging to you. As for me, show me my role in all of this. She me where my faith lacks. Reveal to me where I am failing you. I’m sorry for the ways I’ve contributed to any of this.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 6, 2020 in John

 

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What’s My Response?

04 Jun

No verse.

Dear God, I’m very nonplussed as to how to respond to what is going on around me. Every impulse feels wrong. I even tried to spend some time singing some worship songs to you today, but even that felt hollow. Where are you in all of this?

I guess it might be good to start to define what “this” is. What is happening that I’m feeling like demands my response?

  • Yes, George Floyd was killed, but that’s a tragic symptom of a greater problem. So what is that problem?
    • It could be just pure racism. Yes, maybe that police officer and his four fellow officers wouldn’t have killed that man if he had been white or Hispanic. There is certainly statistical evidence to suggest that black men are killed more by police than are white men.
    • But is it more complicated than that. Is racism only part of the cocktail? Is there also trauma on the part of the officers? Fatigue? Psychological disorders brought on my stress? I’m sure that officer didn’t wake up that morning thinking he was going to kill a man–a black man–that day. But he snapped and he did.
    • I have not heard what Mr. Floyd did to get arrested in the first place. Funny, but that has all been lost in the reporting.
      • I just took a moment to look this up. Here is what I found on ABC News: George Floyd, 46, is arrested shortly after 8 p.m. after allegedly using a fake $20 bill at a local Cup Foods. He dies while in police custody.
    • So did Mr. Floyd consciously know he was passing a fake $20 bill, or had it been passed to him and he was just using it? Did he resist arrest? Did he mouth off? I don’t know. Regardless, I stand by my statement that I’m sure the officer involved didn’t wake up that morning expecting to get to kill a man–a black man–that day.
  • Protestors gather to call attention to the continued inequality in injustice that black people, particularly men, experience at the hands of law enforcement.
    • What I perceive to be a small fraction become violent, destructive and criminal.
    • Most just want things to change. I’m not sure they know how to affect change, but they want change. I saw Floyd Landis talking about how to clean up cycling and the doping that’s so pervasive in it. He said that he didn’t know how to do it. I feel the same way about healthcare in this country. I can describe the problems a lot better than I can develop any solutions.
  • Government officials have tried to respond.
    • President Trump has taken the authoritarian approach, in essence telling the mayors and governors around the country, “Control the protestors/rioters, or I’ll control them for you.” And I’m not even going to go into the controversy of how he handled the photo-op at the church.
    • Mayors have taken different approaches, as have governors.
    • Local law enforcement has had to figure out how to follow the orders of their leaders while still balancing that with their own conscience. Sometimes they’ve done great and sometimes they’ve failed. The news only seems to report the times they failed.
  • Everyone has taken a side and dug in.
    • Okay, maybe not everyone, but it sure feels that way. And this is where social media, the strategic outside influence of other nations trying to undermine our society, and the hypocrisy in all of us comes out. For the most part, the original issue of Mr. Floyd being needlessly murdered and what it says about the injustice to black people and other minorities is getting lost. Somehow, it has become about people either attacking or defending President Trump. And I think he puts himself out front to invite that kind of response.
    • I guess what frustrates me about this part is the hypocrisy. People don’t seem to realize that if President Trump had a “D” next to his name then all of a sudden, nearly across the board, his defenders would become his attackers, and his attackers would rally to defend him. In terms of the forceful clearing of protestors from the park so he could walk to the front of a church to take a picture with a Bible, if Nancy Pelosi or President Obama had done it, those defending struggling to defend President Trump would completely attack them, and those attacking would try to find a defense for them.

So what is my response to all of this? What is my personal, private response? And is there a place for me to have a public response? Are there actions I should be taking?

My personal response is to grieve for Mr. Floyd, his family, and everyone they represent. They have experienced injustice not only from their fellow citizens, but their government as well. It is undeniable when you look at the numbers. Black people especially suffer in our country like no other ethnic group, and the reasons for that are more than I can list here. My heart is heavy for them, Father. My heart is truly heavy for them. Please help.

My other personal response is on behalf of law enforcement. They have been tasked with an untenable job. I know I couldn’t do it, and I don’t know that I would respond like I would hope I would if I did try it. They have to walk into situations every day that I don’t want any part of. They have to see the worst part of our society multiple times every day. They risk their lives every time they do something as simple as pull someone over. And then they have to deal with the mentally ill because our society doesn’t have any other answer. My heart is heavy for them, Father. My heart is truly heavy for them. Please help.

I don’t know that there is anything I can do about leadership or campaigning for different political candidates so I’m not going to consider that, but you know what we need. You know who we need. Maybe what we need is to sink so low that we have nowhere to look but you. Oh, how bad will hitting bottom look like before we turn as a nation to you? My heart is heavy for our leadership situation, Father. My heart is truly heavy for all of our leaders. Please help.

Finally, for our society. We are losing this battle against divisiveness. Friends are becoming enemies and assuming the worst in each other. Lies are spread as truth, and our enemies, from Satan to foreign nations, encourage it all. They delight in all of this. They delight in us tearing each other apart, calling each other names. They don’t even care which side in particular wins a particular battle. It’s all about the war to them, and they can see it moving in their favor. United we stand and divided we fall. My heart is heavy over all of this, Father. My heart is truly heavy. Please help.

With all of that said, my personal response is to spend more time praying for all of this. As for my public response, I promise to not get out ahead of you. Please guide me in your love, Holy Spirit.

In Jesus’s name I pray because it is through him and his power that I have hope and a pathway to you,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 4, 2020 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories, Uncategorized

 

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“Daring Daylight Escape” by Caedmon’s Call

02 Jun

“Daring Daylight Escape” by Caedmon’s Call

I’ve got my mind made up
I’ve got to love you or leave you fast
‘Cause I’ve been thinking clear
And I don’t know how long it’ll last
Just like Uri Gellar
I’m bound to twist the facts around
I’ve got to get them straight
Before my baby up and leaves town

‘Cause I can’t walk on water
And if I chase you I might drown
And I’m already up to my neck

If I may pose a question, it’ll only take a second
‘Cause I know that it’s getting late
And depending on your answer I might have to pack
And make a daring daylight escape
Because it’s either high time to make you mine
Or I swear it’s time to get out of town
So please say yes quick
‘Cause the sun’s going down

Yeah, well, London’s nice
But it’s the last place you want to go
But there’s no crime and
You can catch a Broadway show
‘Cause it’s just so far
And it’s bound to get a hold on you
And I’ve got front-page headlines
Pulled right out of yesterday’s news

You can read all about it
About boy meets girl and then
Screws the whole thing up
Just like always

If I may pose a question, it’ll only take a second
‘Cause I know that it’s getting late
And depending on your answer I might have to pack
And make a daring daylight escape
Because it’s either high time to make you mine
Or I swear it’s time to get out of town
So please say yes quick
‘Cause the sun’s going down

It’s no crime to love you
And my heart’s still doing time
It’s acting on its best behavior

If I may pose a question, it’ll only take a second
‘Cause I know that it’s getting late
And depending on your answer I might have to pack
And make a daring daylight escape
Because it’s either high time to make you mine
Or I swear it’s time to get out of town
So please say yes quick
‘Cause the sun’s going down

Written by Derek Webb

Dear God, this song and “Somewhere North” are both back to back on this album and written by the same guy. I’ve never put them together before, but is one the continuation of another? At the end of the day, it’s a guy just trying to figure out his path. In this case, it’s about love, but there are a lot of things that come up in life that bring us to a fork in the road. New job? More kids? Expand my business? Change churches? Start a ministry on the side? Join a protest? The list is endless. I come to these forks in the road every day. How do I respond?

My biggest frustration with myself is how seldom I see the fork in the road and immediately turn to you for guidance. I just plow through. Sometimes I get it wrong. Sometimes I get it right. And sometimes you bless the activity even though I was foolish.

Father, I thought about skipping this song because there weren’t any obvious theological implications since it’s pretty simply a love song. But there’s always something in the description of a life experience that brings us back to you. I think of Paul trying to figure out which way you wanted to send him. You kept closing doors until he found the right one. I think about his argument with Barnabas over Mark. They were just trying to figure it out. And you used all of that to still accomplish your will. Mark matured and even wrote Peter’s version of the Gospel. So please be with me through my ignorance, and ordain the steps I will walk today, even if I am a fool and I can’t see where I’m going.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

 
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Posted by on June 2, 2020 in Caedmon's Call - 40 Acres Album, Hymns and Songs

 

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“Somewhere North” by Caedmon’s Call (40 Acres Album)

31 May

“Somewhere North” by Caedmon’s Call

It’s a muggy night in Houston
And all the intersections are
Like full serve stations
And I’m on my way to a familiar place

It’s cold in Kansas City
And you can no more hear me
Than I can see your face
And how I wish it was just you and me

We wouldn’t have to talk above the crowd
We wouldn’t have to talk so loud

Yes, I give you my life and all I am
But what have I to give so I
Hand you a candid photograph
Of this little boy cause I
Have nothing to my name
But I can give you that

See I don’t miss the driving
Seems like forever, and
I’m always driving in my mind
I’m wearing out the road that gets me there

I’m driving till my eyes just can’t see straight
But I suppose it is getting late

Yes, I give you my life and all I am
But what have I to give so I
Hand you a candid photograph
Of this little boy cause I’ve
Got nothing to my name
And I can give you that

See I may never find the sleep
I’ve lost all feeling in my hands
And feet may touch the ground
But my mind’s somewhere north of here

Cause I give you my life and all I am
So what have I to give so I
Hand you a candid photograph
of this little boy
Cause I have nothing to my name
I’ve got nothing to my name
But I can give you that
And I will give you that

Dear God, first, I don’t think there is much here that is theological, but there is a ton here that is completely human. And if I consider the idea that you gave us all of these emotions and help us to sort through them then it makes this song as relevant as any I’ve done on this album.

I wanted to see if I could find any comments by the author or band about this song, and I found this comment by just a person who loves the song:

I love this song. The way Derek’s voice cracks and soars lends itself beautifully to the heart-wrenching sentiment in these lyrics. “We wouldn’t have to talk above the crowd / We wouldn’t have to talk so loud…” This will be my song until I find that person. “I’m always driving in my mind, and wearing out the road…”

Yeah, good music taps into nerves like this. I’ve been happily in a relationship for over 30 years now, but I remember this pain before I met my wife. I remember looking for that Eve to my Adam. I remember these feelings. And I’ve felt them in other ways since then. I’ve felt them when I was unemployed and looking for that next job. I’ve felt them when I was estranged from my children.

Father, thank you for the answered prayers in my life. Thank you for what you’re doing that I can and cannot see. Thank you for peace. I pray for those I love to find this peace as well. Heal our wounds. Make our pain count and use it to bring all of us closer to you regardless of our situations.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 31, 2020 in Caedmon's Call - 40 Acres Album, Hymns and Songs

 

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“Petrified Heart” by Caedmon’s Call (40 Acres Album)

30 May

“Petrified Heart” by Caedmon’s Call

This old heart’s been left
Upon my sleeve
And I have paid as it’s been rent
into pieces

Seems everyone I’ve loved has
Taken a bit of my insides
I’m scattered as the woman whose body
Was torn for the twelve tribes

When did my heart get so petrified?
When did it get so hard to feel?
When did my heart get so afraid to love?
When did it get so hard?

And the easy-living Gnostic proud
Use their knowledge
Like a wrecking ball to tear me down
Flooding me with their fallacies
I can’t walk on this water
I’m starting to drown

When did my heart get so petrified?
When did it get so hard to feel?
When did my heart get so afraid to love?
When did it get so hard?

Strike this rock with your rod
I’ll take the blows
Till your living water begins to flow
As it flowed from the Man of Sorrows’ side
On that day when his body
Was torn for the twelve tribes

When did my heart get so petrified?
When did it get so hard to feel?
When did my heart get so afraid to love?
When did it get so hard?
When did it get so hard?

Written by Aaron Tate

Dear God, I’ve been anxious to get to this song. Frankly, it’s the one that inspired me to finally sit down and dig into this album a little more from beginning to end. This song reminds me of a friend. A couple of weeks ago, when I heard it for the first time in a long time, I called my wife over and read her some of the lyrics. It reminded her of our friend too. I decided I wanted to pray the spirit of this song over her. She’s been hurt, she feels betrayed. She’s been hurt by family, friends, boyfriends, etc. On paper, she has a lot going for her and a lot of people would trade for her life in an instant, but the scars from the past have left her, seemingly, unable to feel.

The biblical allusions in this song are interesting. Comparing the woman in Judges 19 (the Levite’s concubine–one of the more horrific stories in the Bible, in which there are no heroes, but only cowards and one victim) to this person’s pain is interesting. Victimized. Left for dead. Attacked by strangers and betrayed by one who was supposed to love her so that he could save himself. Awful. The story is really too terrible to read, and yet you included it in your scripture.

Then there is our hope. The rocky, petrified heart can still contain water. It can be a conduit through which your water can flow. We are reminded of this from the biblical allusions in the bridge:

  • “Strike this rock with your rod, I’ll take the blows, Till your living water begins to flow” (Exodus 17:6 – [God speaking to Moses] I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.) – This story was a result of the people grumbling about God and having been brought out of Egypt just to die. In verse 7 it says, “And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not.” Well, there are times when I wonder if you are really there. I wonder if my friend wonders that too. 
  • “As it flowed from the Man of Sorrows’ side on that day when his body was torn for the twelve tribes” (John 19:33-34 – But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. In stead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’s side with a spear; bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.) – It’s important to remember that Jesus experienced much of what any of us experience that would harden our hearts. Rejection by family. Poverty. Want. Betrayal by everyone around him.

Father, the words of Rich Mullins in the song “Bound to Come Some Trouble” come to mind: There’s bound to come some trouble to your life, that ain’t nothing to be afraid of. There’s bound to come some trouble to your life, that ain’t not reason to fear. I know there’s bound to come some trouble to your life. Reach out to Jesus. Hold on tight. He’s been there before, I think he knows what it’s like. And you’ll find he’s there. I pray these words over my friend, and I pray them over myself. Help us to reach out to Jesus and experience the healing of the mercy given to us and that we can give to others. Help us to experience that freedom.

It’s in that same Jesus’s name that I pray all of this,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 30, 2020 in Caedmon's Call - 40 Acres Album, Hymns and Songs

 

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“Climb On (A Back That’s Strong)” by Caedmon’s Call (40 Acres Album)

28 May

“Climb On (A Back That’s Strong) by Caedmon’s Call

Oh, my soul
Sometimes we don’t know what to do
We work so hard
Being tough on our own
But now it’s me and you
Let’s give it up, sad bones
‘Cause we all fall on hard times
But you don’t have to stand up all alone
Just put your hand in mine

Climb on a back that’s strong
Hey, hey, you can get what you want
Climb on a back that’s strong

If you could save me a
A place in heaven
With a clean, well-lighted room
I’ll muscle up to Armageddon
And I’ll wave to you, Darlin’
Be home soon

And if you could show me
The story of love
I would write it
Again and again
And then you could be
The woman you need
If you just let me be
The man that I am

Climb on a back that’s strong
Hey, hey, you can get what you want
Climb on a back that’s strong

Oh, I don’t know
Sometimes we try too hard to see
But we got one down
And one more to go
That’s when you say to me

Climb on a back that’s strong
Hey, hey, you can get what you want
Climb on a back that’s strong

Climb on a back that’s strong
Hey, hey, you can get what you want
Climb on a back that’s strong, oh yeah

Climb on a back that’s strong
Hey, hey, you can get what you want
Climb on a back that’s strong, yeah, yeah

(written by Shawn Colvin and John Leventhal)

Dear God, this is one of the only songs on this album that wasn’t written by a band member. I’m a little fuzzy on the meaning of some of it as I look through the lyrics. The whole part about saving a place in heaven makes me wonder if the singer is talking to a terminally ill person and they are trying to help the person to be strong through their last days on earth, but I’m not sure. So I’ll just look at this song from a macro level.

The main message, I suppose, is that there are times when we need to encourage others to use us for strength. And then, and this is the hard one for me, I need to allow others to help me to be strong through my struggles. Frankly, it’s a lot easier for me to be there for someone else than it is for me to ask someone else to be there for me. But we need community. We need others. It is not good for man to be alone. No accomplished person is truly self-made. Everyone has at least one person who believed in them, encouraged them, guided them, and helped them. At least one, but likely there are many. Many, many. For me, I can look back on several people you put in my life and very specific times. I’d like to think I’ve been able to be that for others, but I don’t know that I’ve ever really been that consistent, long-term person that someone else might have needed.

Father, help me to simply respond to the people you put around me. Whether you put them there to help me or for me to help them (or both), give me eyes to see and a mind to interpret the situation as you see it. Give me a willing heart and and a persevering spirit. And do it all for your glory and not mine.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 28, 2020 in Caedmon's Call - 40 Acres Album, Hymns and Songs

 

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“Table for Two” by Caedmon’s Call (40 Acres Album)

26 May

“Table for Two” by Caedmon’s Call

Danny and I spent another
Late night over pancakes
Talkin’ about soccer and
How every man’s just the same
We made speculations on the
Who’s and the when’s of our futures
And how everyone’s lonely
But still we just couldn’t complain

And how we just hate being alone
Could I have missed my only chance?
And now I’m just wasting my time
By lookin’ around

But ya know I no better
I’m not gonna worry about nuthin’
Because if the birds and the flower survive
Then I’ll make it okay
Given a chance and a rock
See which one breaks a window
See which one keeps me up all night
And into the day

Because I’m so scared of being alone
That I forget what house I live in
But it’s not my job to wait by the phone
For her to call

Well this day’s been crazy
But everything’s happened on schedule
From the rain and the cold
To the drink that I spilled on my shirt
Cause you knew how you’d save me
Before I fell dead in the garden
And you knew this day
Long before you made me out of dirt

And you know the plans that you have for me
And you can’t plan the end
and not plan the means
And so I suppose I just need some peace
Just to get me to sleep.

Dear God, the video above was recorded about 15 years after this song was released, and his short introduction resonated with me. His final words before he started singing it described by unarticulated thoughts regarding the overall truth to this song when you look at it (and life) with older eyes: “Everybody, just enjoy the season of life that you are in.”

Of course, that’s easy to go back and tell my younger self, but am I doing that now? Am I enjoying this season of life? It makes me wonder how I would describe this season. I guess I could label it as empty nest/aging parents/stable career/good health. Wow, that’s not a bad season at all. When looking at it from a Texan’s point of view of the seasons, I’d call it a nice fall. The harshness of summer (teenagers) is over. The winter of our own health issues is not yet here. There are struggles, to be sure, but they are just the fluctuations of a solid fall. But back to my question: Am I enjoying this season of life? Will I look up and it will be gone? There are parts of my life’s history that I miss and I wouldn’t mind living again. The good news is that I feel like I knew what I had at the time and I enjoyed them. Will I look back at this period and feel the same, or will I have missed how nice it really is?

Father, help me to consider all things joy. All things. I’m sorry for taking so much of this for granted. I promise I try not to, but I do it anyway. Thank you that you’ve not only been singlely good to me, but you been doubly good as well. Find me faithful with everything you’ve given to me.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

 
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Posted by on May 26, 2020 in Caedmon's Call - 40 Acres Album, Hymns and Songs

 

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