Recently, while driving through south Georgia on my way to Florida, I stumbled across a pretty bad gospel radio station. Considering the alternative - country - I stuck with the twangy gospel. And was soon treated to one of the most wonderful blessings I've had in a while. The deeply drawled host introduced a segment in which Mark Shultz was talking about his new "Come Alive" album, and the process by which a new song emerged. Since I'm a music junkie, and since I LOVE Mark Shultz, I listened closely - to the point that when the station began to fade, I turned the van around and drove back until I got a better signal.
This new song - well, I think this is my new lifesong. It's the cry of my heart. . ."Father let the world just fade away, let me feel Your presence in this place. Lord I've never been so weary, how I need to know You're near me. Father just let the world fade away, till I'm on my knees, till my heart can sing. . ." How many times have we found ourselves in that place? We know we need to be on our knees, our faces, seeking Him, letting Him be our comfortor, and yet we fight it. We try to fix our problems, find solutions to the messes we got ourselves into, and all the while He's just waiting there.
And see, He's waiting there b/c . . ."He is, He was, He always will be." He's the same God we were busy praising and worshiping at the conference we attended when our spirits were high and we were feeling the blessing of being His child. The following week though, when the world comes crumbling down around us. . .He's still God. And that's the part a lot of us forget.
Last year, I moved to Cincinnati b/c God spoke to me and my family. Oh how God was speaking then, and how we were eager to follow His leading. But the perfect answer to prayer was short lived, b/c human beings got involved, and I soon found myself on the wrong side of unemployment. But in the midst, God was still the same. Earlier this year we found ourselves expecting a child and after the shock wore off, we CELEBRATED! Life. . .unexpected and amazing. . .what joy can compare to this? Oh how good how God was. And then, our lives changed in an instant when we found out our little one was no longer present with us, but with the Creator God. And still. . .God was God. He was the same God who'd taken delight in our joy, but now He grieved with us. Shortly thereafter, we lost many deep friendships, our church. We were accused, cast out, and found ourselves wondering, "Why?" Man had no answers for us, but through pain and suffering, when friends turned their backs, God remained ever present, ever loving, and still God. I praised Him when I needed His comfort; I praised Him when I was angry. I praised Him b/c He was my God, and it was for this purpose that I was created. No matter what happened, no matter how people molested the cause of Christ, God was still God.
"Father let Your Holy Spirit sing, let it calm the storm inside of me. As I stand amazed, lift my hands and say, He is, He was, He always will be. He lives, He loves, He's ALWAYS with me!"
I want this to be my song - always. No matter what happens to me, no matter where I am, no matter if His Glory is being revealed through me or whether I'm being stubborn. Let me always celebrate that God is. . .
This new song - well, I think this is my new lifesong. It's the cry of my heart. . ."Father let the world just fade away, let me feel Your presence in this place. Lord I've never been so weary, how I need to know You're near me. Father just let the world fade away, till I'm on my knees, till my heart can sing. . ." How many times have we found ourselves in that place? We know we need to be on our knees, our faces, seeking Him, letting Him be our comfortor, and yet we fight it. We try to fix our problems, find solutions to the messes we got ourselves into, and all the while He's just waiting there.
And see, He's waiting there b/c . . ."He is, He was, He always will be." He's the same God we were busy praising and worshiping at the conference we attended when our spirits were high and we were feeling the blessing of being His child. The following week though, when the world comes crumbling down around us. . .He's still God. And that's the part a lot of us forget.
Last year, I moved to Cincinnati b/c God spoke to me and my family. Oh how God was speaking then, and how we were eager to follow His leading. But the perfect answer to prayer was short lived, b/c human beings got involved, and I soon found myself on the wrong side of unemployment. But in the midst, God was still the same. Earlier this year we found ourselves expecting a child and after the shock wore off, we CELEBRATED! Life. . .unexpected and amazing. . .what joy can compare to this? Oh how good how God was. And then, our lives changed in an instant when we found out our little one was no longer present with us, but with the Creator God. And still. . .God was God. He was the same God who'd taken delight in our joy, but now He grieved with us. Shortly thereafter, we lost many deep friendships, our church. We were accused, cast out, and found ourselves wondering, "Why?" Man had no answers for us, but through pain and suffering, when friends turned their backs, God remained ever present, ever loving, and still God. I praised Him when I needed His comfort; I praised Him when I was angry. I praised Him b/c He was my God, and it was for this purpose that I was created. No matter what happened, no matter how people molested the cause of Christ, God was still God.
"Father let Your Holy Spirit sing, let it calm the storm inside of me. As I stand amazed, lift my hands and say, He is, He was, He always will be. He lives, He loves, He's ALWAYS with me!"
I want this to be my song - always. No matter what happens to me, no matter where I am, no matter if His Glory is being revealed through me or whether I'm being stubborn. Let me always celebrate that God is. . .
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