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Category Archives: Hymns and Songs

“Living Water, Bread of Life” by 4Him

11 Oct

“Living Water, Bread of Life” by 4Him

Like a deer, panting for the water
I was thirsting for so long, I was so dry
So I set out on my journey, not sure what I would find
But I found an everlastin’ river of life

Ooh, it’s just like fallin’ rain
I will never thirst again

Living Water, Bread of Life
Come and quench this thirst within me
Fill this hunger deep inside
For so long I have been empty

Nothing else will satisfy
You alone are what I need, Lord
Living Water, Bread of Life

I had looked this whole world over for the answer
Wanting just to fill this void inside
All the things that were material, they could not satisfy
For my hungering was for the Bread of Life

Ooh, it came like manna from above
I can never get enough

Living Water, Bread of Life
Come and quench this thirst within me
Fill this hunger deep inside
For so long I have been empty

Nothing else will satisfy
You alone are what I need, Lord

Living Water, Bread of Life
Come and quench this thirst within me
Fill this hunger deep inside
For so long I have been empty

Nothing else will satisfy
You alone are what I need, Lord
Living Water, Bread of Life
Living Water, Bread of Life

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Mark R. Harris

Dear God, I couldn’t tell you what the dream was about last night, but I know that in the dream I heard this song playing and I was singing along with it passionately. Well, I figure that’s worth a deeper dive.

As I thought about this song this morning while I was getting showered and dressed for work, I had a couple of thoughts. One of my thoughts was about the story from John 4 when Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well. In John 4:10, Jesus said, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” I know the lyrics are largely based on Psalm 42, but I thought about Jesus referencing the living water that comes from him.

The other thought was about a discussion I heard yesterday on a podcast about what is important to Evangelical Christians. According to a survey, what did they believe were absolutes and what were they more unsure about as a group. It was only about half who understood Jesus is part of you and your nature. As the creed says, “Begotten, not made.” But over 90% believed in sexual purity and that it should only be in the context of traditional marriage. There was more agreement in how we should treat sex (although most of us don’t live out that purity) than there was about the nature of who you are. That got me to thinking about why we become Christians. Why we do what we do. When I was a kid, a lot of the sermons I heard were about me getting my “fire insurance” so I wouldn’t go to hell.

That’s where I want to combine these two thoughts. The woman at the well is us. The living water is what we, as Christians, are offering to the world. Life lived in communion with you might not always be easy. It absolutely won’t be easy. But it can be peaceful with a peace that passes all understanding.

Holy Spirit, be with me today. As I work with our staff, volunteer, patients, and old friends. As I love my wife. As I love my children and family. As I love you. Be my counselor, my comforter, my instructor, and my convictor. Show me the Father. Jesus, teach me. Father, draw me near. My Triune God, I worship you.

I pray this through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 11, 2022 in Hymns and Songs, Miscellaneous

 

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“How Long, O Lord?” (Hymn)

02 Oct
From Glory & Praise hymnal, third edition

Dear God, there are times when this hymn is appropriate and there are times when it isn’t. For an oppressed people like those right now in Ukraine, it’s a perfect song. For an American church that likes to feel sorry for itself and feel like it is being persecuted, it’s the wrong song. For some, it is about desperation and devotion to you. For some, it needs to be about repenting and submitting to you.

Both of these Psalms, 13 and 22, are from David. I don’t know what he was experiencing at the moment he wrote them, but there were plenty of times when I’m sure he felt there were enemies all around him, including Saul trying to kill him. What he couldn’t see at the time was you guiding him on the path to being king. Not that all who suffer are on the path to being king, but, at the very least, the persecution can lead us to being on our knees and praying to you like this. It’s doubtful David would ever have prayed like this if he had never felt pain.

Holy Spirit, please be with me today. I am supposed to be giving an invocation for a city council meeting. Please give me wisdom in what to pray. Please join me in my prayer for the people in that room this morning and all of those they represent. Please speak into my ear and counsel me today. Guide me. Love through me. I have an important role to play this evening. Guide me in that as well. May everything you do be done to bring you glory and bring our community into communion and fellowship with the Father. Father, you know my other needs and concerns. You know those I love and how they are on my heart. My friends and coworkers as well. Holy Spirit, please heal. Heal bodies, souls, hearts, and minds. Heal relationships. Do it all for your glory and our best in your eyes.

I pray this through the right afforded to me through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, my Lord,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 2, 2022 in Hymns and Songs, Psalms

 

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Mark 9:2-10

01 Oct

2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.

Mark 9:2-10

Dear God, verse 2 is the verse of the day from Oswald Chambers’s My Utmost for His Highest. I thought the first few words of his thoughts were a good place to start with this passage:

We have all experienced times of exaltation on the mountain, when we have seen things from God’s perspective and have wanted to stay there. But God will never allow us to stay there. The true test of our spiritual life is in exhibiting the power to descend from the mountain. If we only have the power to go up, something is wrong. It is a wonderful thing to be on the mountain with God, but a person only gets there so that he may later go down and lift up the demon-possessed people in the valley.

The part of you not wanting us to stay there. I guess this is why I’ve always had an issue with monks. It feels like they’ve made an intentional choice to avoid the valley as much as possible. I might be wrong and this might be unfair. Perhaps their valley is being there to greet those who come to their monasteries to find a mountain of their own. But I suppose it seems like a…I almost said selfish, but it’s not selfish because they deny themselves a lot. I guess I’ll say it seems like a decision that does not accomplish as much in the world as you might otherwise through their lives. But again, I don’t understand it and I could be totally wrong about this. I guess I’m just acknowledging where my judgment of monks comes from and thinking through the idea that there is likely more to it than I understand because I haven’t take the time to learn more about it.

I was in our church group last week, and the women had just come back from an ACTS retreat the weekend before. One of them mentioned not wanting to lose the high of the experience of being there with you. It reminded me of a song by Charlie Peacock called “Monkeys at the Zoo.”

It’s about coming back from a mountaintop experience: “Will it be different now or the same? Will I have learned anything? Or was it just a way to spend a day or two set aside for thinking thoughts about you? If that’s all it was, I had a good time…”

I’ve been to several mountaintop experiences and I’ve had that experience of coming back motivated but then not doing the little things to discipline myself to carry you into the valley. I expect the work that others did to provide my mountaintop experience will be enough to sustain me. But that’s like going to a tennis camp, working with a coach to improve my game, and then returning home and not doing anything to sustain my level of tennis. But then when someone asks me to play on the weekend I’m terrible. Why? Because I didn’t put in the work on my own.

It was April 2000 when I returned from a mountaintop experience at Laity Lodge. You laid it on my heart to start taking scripture and journaling to you about it. Praying to you about it. Ironically, I started by taking the My Utmost for His Highest verse of the day and praying over it without looking at his commentary. That was over 22 years go. Now I’ve done thousands and thousands of these prayers through journaling. In the aggregate, I can certainly see that it has changed my life.

Father, help me to keep disciplining myself to spend this quality time with you. I was talking to someone yesterday about how much time my wife and I spend talking to each other. We spend over an hour every day catching up and talking. We also pray together nearly every day. Those are great things and they make all of the difference in the world in our relationship. I need to do the same with you. Not that I need to spend an hour praying every day (although it probably wouldn’t hurt), but I certainly need to spend an hour every day exposing myself to you in some way. Maybe not all at once, but cumulatively. Praying. Listening to Christian music. Listening to Christian podcasts or the Bible in a Year podcast. I need to make sure my mind is on the things of you every day. That’s the best way for me to hear your Holy Spirit talk to me. That’s the best way to feel you presence and follow the nudging of my heart. That’s the way to expose the soil of my heart to the seeds you might want to be planting that day. Really, God. Thank you for everything. I’m here to meet with you. Won’t you meet with me?

In Jesus’s name and through the grace you extend to me through his life, death and resurrection and I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 1, 2022 in Hymns and Songs, Mark, My Utmost for His Highest Scripture of the Day

 

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“Love Will Be Our Anchor” by Gary Chapman

29 Sep

“Love Will Be Our Anchor”
by Gary Chapman, Michael Omartian, and Amy Grant

We said I love you with initials and an arrow
Hearts were carved, our lips touched
And the love we chose was on the straight and narrow
And love will be our anchor
We know the days will bring us things we’re not prepared for
Night will fall, love will call
And every morning we will wake up feeling cared for
And love will be our anchor

Life’s not easy
And it helps if you are lucky
Rain will fall on the good and the bad
I will give you
Everything that I am able
And love will be our anchor

And when you can’t believe the answers
To the simplest of questions
And your heart has grown cold
Love is still the rock of ages
And the rock will not be shaken
It’s an anchor to hold

And when the waves have tossed our lives in reckless motion
Wind has blown, we have grown
We will make it all the way across this ocean
And love will be our anchor

Life’s not easy
And it helps if you are lucky
Rain will fall on the good and the bad
I will give you
Everything that I am able
And love will be our anchor

And when you can’t believe the answers
To the simplest of questions
And your heart has grown cold
Love is still the rock of ages
And the rock will not be shaken
It’s an anchor to hold

We said I love you with initials and an arrow
Hearts were carved and our lips touched
And the love we chose was on the straight and narrow
And love will be our anchor
This love will be our anchor

Dear God, I have found myself singing this song this week. I guess I’ve been thinking about marriage for a bit, and I think it’s a good one. In fact, it occurred to me as some point that it would work well for an anniversary slideshow should I ever be tasked with putting one together for someone.

I guess I should clarify that this song was written at a time in Christian music when the song writers would substitute your name, God, with love. I think it was so it would have the potential to get crossover play on secular radio. “Love” plays anywhere. “God” does not. With that said, when I hear this song or sing this song, in my head, I’m singing, “God will be our anchor.” The problem with this is that “love” is used in the traditional sense in this song too, so it can be hard to remember that the anchor love represents you.

The lyrics start with the idealism of young love. Maybe even naive love. It’s easy to have a love that is straight and narrow when it’s young and unchallenged. When it’s fresh and exciting. But that’s just a season. Emotions fade. Selflessness and service are what remain.

I remember when my youth minister in high school got married and the pastor was teasing him from the pulpit about being a newlywed. “He thinks that marriage is exciting right now. Sex every night (yes, he said that in a Baptist church from the pulpit). But it won’t always be like that.” It’s true. It’s okay that it’s true. It’s nothing to be afraid of. But it’s true.

I heard someone say recently that choosing a mate isn’t about picking that person who excites you or turns you on the most. It’s about picking the person who will be good to go through life’s challenges with. That’s true too.

So back to the song. When life’s not easy and the rain falls. When the waves toss our lives in reckless motion. When night falls. Will we have built our foundation on you and relationship with each other. I remember being grateful as empty nest approached that my wife and I enjoy each other’s company. We work to serve each other in the little things. No, we aren’t perfect. Yes, we frustrate each other sometimes. But we also give the other the latitude to be who the other is. But you are our anchor–at least, as best as we know how to make you our anchor.

Holy Spirit, be with me today as I go through this day. Love my wife through me and give her what she needs through me. Be with the marriages that are on my heart. Be with those who are single and trying to find their way in the world. Forgive me for when I have failed you as your son-in-law. Forgive me for the times I fail your will for your daughter. Help us to model what you have for men and women to be as husband and wife as others such as our children, relatives, and friends look at us. Inspire others through us. And raise up people who will inspire us to be more as well.

I pray this, asking that you advocate for me to the Father through Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 29, 2022 in Hymns and Songs

 

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“Oh, My Soul” by Casting Crowns

26 Sep

“Oh, My Soul” by Casting Crowns

Oh, my soul
Oh, how you worry
Oh, how you’re weary, from fearing you lost control
This was the one thing, you didn’t see coming
And no one would blame you, though
If you cried in private
If you tried to hide it away, so no one knows
No one will see, if you stop believing

Oh, my soul
You are not alone
There’s a place where fear has to face the God you know
One more day, He will make a way
Let Him show you how, you can lay this down
‘Cause you’re not alone

Here and now
You can be honest
I won’t try to promise that someday it all works out
‘Cause this is the valley
And even now, He is breathing on your dry bones
And there will be dancing
There will be beauty where beauty was ash and stone
This much I know

Oh, my soul
You are not alone
There’s a place where fear has to face the God you know
One more day, He will make a way
Let Him show you how, you can lay this down

I’m not strong enough, I can’t take anymore
(You can lay it down, you can lay it down)
And my shipwrecked faith will never get me to shore
(You can lay it down, you can lay it down)
Can He find me here
Can He keep me from going under

Oh, my soul
You’re not alone
There’s a place where fear has to face the God you know
One more day, He will make a way
Let Him show you how, you can lay this down
‘Cause you’re not alone
Oh, my soul, you’re not alone

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Bernie Herms / John Mark Hall

Dear God, I’m still not sure what happened yesterday. Was it good? Did I do something wrong? Did I leave something crucial out? Or was it exactly what it was supposed to be? I taught a Sunday school class on Hezekiah and his desperation in praying before you. I used “He’s My Son” by Mark Schultz as an illustration of what pleading with you looks like. It’s a song I’ve certainly prayed. I’ve ugly-cried to that song. I ugly-cried yesterday. But playing that song yesterday ended up being a trigger for some of the people in the room. Some have had their children die. Some have children in prison. Some have seen their children go through horrific physical issues that resulted in them living but with significant remnants of the disease they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Some have broken relationships with children.

I feel bad right now. Did I do the wrong thing? I know I just asked this, but it’s the question that is running around in my mind. If I were to be teaching the class next week I might continue with healing and leaning on you. What that looks like. What it doesn’t look like. One thing it doesn’t look like is just “being fine.” No, sometimes this is just going to hurt, and sometimes the hurt will never go away. Like I said yesterday, sometimes that anchor will be there, but you can use it to form us into something that we’d never have otherwise been.

The second verse of the song above is what is speaking to me this morning:

Here and now
You can be honest
I won’t try to promise that someday it all works out
‘Cause this is the valley
And even now, He is breathing on your dry bones
And there will be dancing
There will be beauty where beauty was ash and stone
This much I know

Yeah, this might never work out the way we want it to this side of heaven. But there is something you will eventually do for me. At the end of this physical life, you will breathe on my dry bones. There will be beauty made from ash and stone.

Holy Spirit, please be the comforter and counselor for each person in the class yesterday and those who were touched beyond the class. Forgive me if I missed something I should have said. Use the pain that happened yesterday for your good and the good of everyone in there. Use it as an opportunity to heal, call us to repentance, and teach us to lean into you a little harder.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 26, 2022 in Hymns and Songs

 

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“He’s My Son” by Mark Schultz

25 Sep

“He’s My Son” by Mark Schultz

Down on my knees again tonight
Hoping this prayer will turn out right
See there’s a boy that needs your help
I’ve done all that I can do myself

His mother is tired
I’m sure You can understand
Each night as he sleeps
She goes in and holds his hand
And she tries not to cry
As the tears fill her eyes

Can You hear me?
Am I getting through tonight?
Can You see him?
Can You make him feel alright?
If You can hear me
Let me take his place somehow
See he’s not just anyone
He’s My Son.

Sometimes late at night
I watch him sleep
I dream of the boy he’d like to be
I try to be strong and see him through
But God who he needs right now is You.

Let him grow old
Live life without this fear
What would I be
Living without him here?
He’s so tired and he’s so scared
Let him know that you’re there

Can You hear me?
Am I getting through tonight?
Can You see him?
Can You make him feel alright?
If You can hear me
Let me take his place somehow
See he’s not just anyone
He’s My Son.

Can You hear me?
Am I getting through tonight?
Can You see him?
Can You make him feel alright?
If You can hear me
Let me take his place somehow
See he’s not just anyone

Can You hear me?
Can You see him?

Please don’t leave him
He’s My Son

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Don Robey / George Hollis

Dear God, this song means a lot of complicated things to me. I’ve used it to pray for my own children. Not because they were physically ill, but because my wife and I were equally desperate for them.

As I sit here this morning, I am thinking about the hopes we have for our lives when we are young. “When I grow up I want to _____________________.” Answers can be “get married,” “have children,” “be rich,” “play professional sports,” or even “be an accountant.” Whatever it is, we all have our dreams. But then life gets in the way.

I have a niece who got married 18 months ago. In a letter I wrote her before her wedding, I encouraged her to plan more around facing life’s unexpected hurdles together than making her own plans about how life will turn out. My life, for example, overall has turned out pretty well, but there are clouds that hang over me. There are sorrows. I haven’t experienced the pain the parent in this song is experiencing, but I’ve certainly experienced considerable parental pain. I am still considering pain. I still have what feels like an anchor on me that is directing the way the ship of my life is moving. Yes, my ship might still be moving forward, but that anchor is dragging and impacting the course of my life. And I’ve prayed to you. I’ve prayed like the father in this song. I’ve prayed like Hezekiah in 2 Kings 19:14-19:

14 After Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it, he went up to the Lord’s Temple and spread it out before the Lord. 15 And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the Lord: “O Lord, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. 16 Bend down, O Lord, and listen! Open your eyes, O Lord, and see! Listen to Sennacherib’s words of defiance against the living God.

17 “It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations. 18 And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all—only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands. 19 Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O Lord, are God.”

And you’ve answered some of my prayers. Okay, you’ve answered all of my prayers, but some of your answers I’ve been able to see. My faith tells me you’ve answered the others as well. And sometimes you’re going to say, “No. No, I cannot answer the prayer the way you want it answered, but you have to trust me that I am doing things beyond what you can see or know.” That’s where the faith of Hebrews 11:1 comes in: Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Holy Spirt, Jesus, Father God, please. I lay my heart before you like Hezekiah laid the letter from the Assyrians about before you. It feels hopeless. It is hopeless in my own power. I have no control over anyone or anything. But you can move the heart of Nebuchadezzar and use him for your purposes. You can certainly move my heart to be what you need me to be. You can move others as well. Please work all things for good. I’ve prayed this so many times. Even though I cannot see what you are doing, I pray that your kingdom will come and your will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Hezekiah decided to ignore the practices of his father and submit himself to you. I’m sure he had dreams of what his kingdom would be like when he took over. How things would run. How his army would be tough. But his kingdom didn’t work out as he thought. Many of the cities of Judah fell under his watch. He paid a tribute to Assyria to get them to go away, but they didn’t go away. He was left with nothing but you. That’s where I am right now. I’m left with nothing but you. And my desires are very selfish. I’m not praying over an entire country. I’m simply praying over the people who mean the most in the world to me. But maybe that’s just as important to you as well. I guess I’ll end with this: I really do love you.

Thank you for allowing me to pray all of this to you through Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 25, 2022 in Hymns and Songs

 

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“Oh, Lord, Your Love” by Caedmon’s Call

22 Sep

“Oh, Lord, Your Love” by Caedmon’s Call

Oh Lord I give you all I have
But it seems so little
When you have given me so much
I come to you with empty hands
And a heart that’s fragile
You come to me with a wealth of love

Oh Lord Your love
Is new with every morning
Your faithfulness
It gets me through the night
You bid me come
You know that I am weary
Your yoke is easy
Your burden is light

And now I sing you songs of praise
But your greatness is beyond me
I know I can not comprehend
How You, Ancient of Days
Stoop Yourself to call me
To be Your son
To be Your friend

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Fred Hammond / Joann Judith Rosario / Joseph Tyrone Woolfork / Noel Christopher Hall

Dear God, it’s one of those mornings when I just need to remember to praise. I’m just listening to this song and singing it in my heart while I type this. There’s a part of my heart that is aching this morning. I’m aching for a loved one going through a divorce. I’m aching for broken relationships in my life. I’m aching for problems and looming conflicts in my community. My heart aches this morning.

I am preparing to teach a Sunday school lesson about Hezekiah on Sunday. He ached too. He was afraid. He tore his clothes. And he had to lead others into apparent doom through his aching. What did he do to get through it? He went to the Temple, laid out his problems before you, and prayed.

Father, here I am this morning. I am giving you all I have, but it seems so little when you have given me so much. I come to you with empty hands and a heart that’s fragile. But you come to me with a wealth of love. Oh, Lord, your love is new with every morning. Your faithfulness gets me through the night. You bid me come. You know that I am weary. But your yoke is easy and your burden is light. And now I sing you songs of praise, but your greatness is beyond me. I know I cannot comprehend how you, Ancient of Days, stoop yourself to call me to be your son…to be your friend. Oh, Lord, your love is new with every morning. Your faithfulness gets me through the night. You bid me come. You know that I am weary. But your yoke is easy and your burden is light. Thank you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 22, 2022 in Hymns and Songs

 

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“Where You Are” by Rich Mullins

03 Sep
Rich Mullins Live at Family Broadcasting Corp.

“Where You Are” by Rich Mullins

Talkin’ Daniel in the den of the lions
Talkin’ Jonah in the belly of a whale
Talkin’ three Hebrew children
And they’re standing in a furnace, fiery furnace

But the fire didn’t burn them, and the lions didn’t bite
And the Lord reached down and you can be sure that
Everything turned out right
Oh you’ll meet the Lord in the furnace
A long time before you meet Him in the sky

And where you are ain’t where you wish that you was
Well your life ain’t easy and the road is rough
But where you are is where He promised to be
From the ends of the world to every point of need

Talkin’ Daniel in the den of the lions
Talkin’ Jonah in the belly of a whale
Talkin’ three Hebrew children
And they’re standing in a furnace, fiery furnace

But the fire didn’t burn them, and the lions didn’t bite
And the Lord reached down and you can be sure that
Everything turned out right
Oh you’ll meet the Lord in the furnace
A long time before you meet Him in the sky

Meet Him in your time of trial
Meet Him in your hour of prayer
You can reach out and I’ll bet
That you’ll find that He’s right there

Where you are, however grim it may seem
This is real life, baby
This ain’t no Hollywood dream
And where you are no matter what you may face
You’re gonna find out real soon what they mean when they say

Talkin’ Daniel in the den of the lions
Talkin’ Jonah in the belly of a whale
Talkin’ three Hebrew children
And they’re standing in a furnace, fiery furnace

But the fire didn’t burn them, and the lions didn’t bite
And the Lord reached down and you can be sure that
Everything turned out right

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: David Strasser / Richard Mullins

Dear God, I’m teaching a Sunday school class about Naomi tomorrow and I’ve been thinking a bit about her and Ruth all week. For whatever reason, this is the song that was going in my head this morning when I woke up, and I think it fits with their lives and even my life today. Of course it fits with my life today.

I haven’t heard this song in years (it’s about 30 years old), but I know the words almost by heart. As I was singing it to myself, this one line struck me:

Oh, you’ll meet the Lord in the furnace a long time before you meet him in the sky

I’m not sure it’s possible (outside of a small baby or child) to meet you in the sky before we’ve met you in the furnace. It’s the furnace that tempers our steel. It’s the furnace that removes the dross. It’s the furnace that refines. Metaphorically, Rich was referring to the three Hebrew exiles who were thrown into the furnace for worshipping you instead of the king in Daniel, but the furnace imagery actually lends itself to great effect in other areas of my life.

I was listening to Chuck Swindoll talk about the book of Ruth this morning, and he said (paraphrasing) the underlying message of Ruth is that in our worst times, [you are] present. You are present. You aren’t necessarily fixing everything the way I want it, but you’re present. You’re loving me. You’re teaching me that there are things going on that I cannot, and my never, see. You are teaching me to trust you beyond what it benefits or harms me and the life I have now.

My wife and I were talking this morning over breakfast about how you have used each other and our children to grind off some of the rough spots of who we are. You aren’t done with me yet. I still have plenty of rough spots. But that’s something that a single person or a person with no children will have to find somewhere else–a source for friction to grind down our pride and selfishness. Our arrogance and foolishness. You designed marriage and parenting to make me holy more than to make me happy (I’m looking at you, Gary Thomas).

Holy Spirit, Father God, please help me today. Help me to love my wife. Help me to love my friend who’s coming for a bike ride. Help me to love my children. Help me to love my parents. Help me to love my siblings, nieces and nephews. I include in all of those the significant others of each one as well. Help me to prepare for this Sunday school message tomorrow. Glorify your name in that room tomorrow. Offer your hope. Offer your peace.

In Jesus’s name, through his life, death and resurrection, I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 3, 2022 in Hymns and Songs, Ruth

 

“America the Beautiful” Verse 2

04 Jul

“American the Beautiful” Verse 2

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress,
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

Dear God, we sang this song in church yesterday (I suppose you have to throw in one patriotic song with a God slant on the day before the 4th of July). I noticed the last three lines of the second verse. I thought each of them might be worthy of a little time this morning as I pray to you and worship you through prayer.

God mend thine every flaw

It’s refreshing to feel like we can say out loud that something we love–something we are proud of–is flawed. I guess I feel like everyone has gotten so inside their own agendas that it’s hard for us to admit there is a flaw in them. A Democrat might be unwilling to examine President Biden’s flaws. A Republican might feel the same way about Donald Trump. But it goes beyond that. Church’s sweep issues under the rug (abusive leadership, a range of inappropriate sexual conduct, etc.) because they cannot admit their flaws. Families compensate for one family member who might engage in destructive patters such as violence, anger, manipulation or substance abuse. I say all of this to say that it kind of goes back to the old saying that “admitting you have a problem is the first step.” Until we recognize our issues, discuss them, and repent of them to you and to each other we will not make any progress. In fact, we will just go deeper down the rabbit hole.

Confirm thy soul in self control

Now, I’m not sure this one holds up theologically, but I can at least appreciate the idea that there comes a time when we just need to reign ourselves in and submit ourselves to you. Galatians 5:13 says, “…our freedom is not intended to cause us to sin, but rather to love God and one another, to be humble, and to serve.” I guess this is what confirming our soul in self control.

Thy liberty in law!

This holds up with the last part. We submit ourselves to the laws of our community for the good of each other. Then we work together to make the laws. Lately this has been very controversial. Abortion is probably the best example of different groups opposing each other on a law. But there are certainly other laws upon which we can all agree. When done at its best–when we have repented and you have mended our flaws–you are able to help us experience an unusual liberty that is quite unique to our society.

Father, I’ve been listening a lot lately to the stories in 2 Kings and both books of Chronicles about the myriad of kings that came and went in both Israel and Judah (the south and the north). Even the good ones had some fatal flaws. I know I have fatal flaws as well. I am sorry for that. I can’t help but wonder if I have watered down your justice and holiness too much. Have I lowered the bar of your expectations too low? I don’t know, but I know I love you and I know I’m trying to get this right. Help me to get this right. Mend my every flaw. Show me who you need me to be for the sake of your kingdom, those I love, and those to whom you have sent me to love.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 4, 2022 in Hymns and Songs

 

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Worship

10 Jun

Dear God, as I sat this morning and thought about what direction I want to go as I spend some time with you, the word “worship” came to mind. I just want to worship you. I want to worship you in song. I want to worship you in my thoughts and words. I want to love you this morning and show you the love I have for you.

“The Heart of Worship” by Matt Redman

When the music fades
All is stripped away
And I simply come

Longing just to bring
Something that’s of worth
That will bless Your heart

I’ll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required

You search much deeper within
Through the ways things appear
You’re looking into my heart

I’m comin’ back to the heart of worship
And it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus

I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it
When it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus

King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve

Though I’m weak and poor
All I have is Yours
Every single breath

I’ll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required

You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You’re looking into my heart, yeah

I’m comin’ back to the heart of worship
And it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus

I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it
When it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus

I’m comin’ back to the heart of worship
‘Cause it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus

I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it
‘Cause it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus, yeah
All about You

I’ll bring You more than a song
I’ll bring You more than a song, more than a song
I’ll bring You more than a song
I’ll bring You more than a song (than a song)

You’re looking into my heart
You’re looking into my heart
You’re looking into my heart
Into my heart

I’ll bring You more than a song
I’ll bring You more than a song, yeah, yeah
I’ll bring You more than a song
I’ll bring You more than a song

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Matthew James Redman

This song captures my heart this morning. Some lines that stand out to me:

“Longing just to bring something that’s of worth that will bless your heart.”

“You’re looking into my heart.”

“King of endless worth. No on could express how much you deserve”

My wife and I were talking this morning about a friend who does not live in an ideal situation in terms of housing and roommates. However, something fortuitous happened with that friend yesterday that likely would not have happened if she lived alone. Could it be you are making her struggle count?

We have another friend who received a significant diagnosis for their child two days ago, but we just found out yesterday. As we pray for them, what will you do to make their pain and struggle count? How will you heal? How will you show your glory.

I have no less that six friends who are going through some sort of marital problems right now. From unhappiness in the same home, to separation, to divorce. It’s hard to watch from the outside looking in. How will you use me to help those situations? How can I keep from getting in your way and making things worse?

Then there is the world. From wars and war crimes, to national politics, to the economy, to hunger, etc. There is so much happening. How should I engage with it? What are you doing in me through these things that is refining me into who you think I need to be?

And of course, there are my own personal issues. You know my concerns, pain, and fear. I bring it all to you, turn my clinched fists to the ground, open up to let the things to which I hold so tightly fall, and then turn my palms up to accept what you want to give me to meet my needs.

Father, I am humbled before you. I am unworthy. You are good. I am not. You are my God. I worship you. Help me to be what you need me to be today for those around me. My wife. My children. Their significant others. My friends. My coworkers. The clients where I work. I give it all to you. I’ll bring you more than a song, for a song in itself is not what you have required. I bring you my whole life. I bring you my pride and my ego. Do what you need to do to break me, mold me, fill me, and use me. And comfort everyone who has crossed my mind while I typed this, as well as those I have forgotten.

I pray all of this because of the power and redemption you give me through your son Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 10, 2022 in Hymns and Songs, Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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