Come to Me

This is the season of joy, celebration, love, and so much that uplifts. These same characteristics of the season, however, can seem to exacerbate the pain, distress, questions, and uncertainty that are often present during difficult times.  I am praying that the lyrics of the song, “Come unto Me,” by Nicole Mullen will remind us that the One Whose birth we celebrate, our God Who became flesh for us, continually whispers His invitation, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28).  He still offers the incomprehensible exchange of His beauty for our ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3). Beloved, let us accept His invitation and receive the strength and grace that He alone can give.

Lyrics

Are you looking for someone to be gentle
With your broken heart your shattered dreams
And are you searching for someone who'll be faithful
To you no matter what life brings
Well I know the maker of the storm the sunrise
He is both the lion and the lamb
He is strong enough to shake all earth and heaven
Yet meek enough to take me as I am.

He says come unto me
All who are weary
And I will give you rest
Bring what hurts
Bring your scars
Bring the load that you carry
And I will give you rest

Are the clouds above your head oh so heavy
Bursting with showers of despair
And do you struggle under more then you can carry
Has life given more then you can bear
And would you like to trade your failures in for victories
Like piles of ashes in for piles of gold
And can you fall down like a child who is helpless
So he can pick you up and make you whole

He says come unto me
All who are weary
And I will give you rest
Bring what hurts
Bring your scars
Bring the load that you carry
And I will give you

la la la la la la
la la la la la la
la la la la la la la la la la
la la la la la la
la la la la la la

Come---
All who are weary
And I will give you rest
Bring what hurts
Bring your scars
Bring the load that you carry
And I will give you

Come---
All who are weary
Come---
All who are weary
(Riff several lines)
He says come!

Nelson Mandela

The death of Nelson Mandela has hit me hard. It does not matter that he was 95 and I never met him in person. The quality of his life and the lessons he taught about forgiveness, and selflessness, and humility, and his dedication to ending oppression regardless of the color of the oppressor and the oppressed are of such magnitude, how can I not grieve his passing even as I celebrate his life?

I think of the fact that he was in prison for 27 years, most of which involved hard labor and deprivations I cannot comprehend. I think of him and find myself thinking about Moses who was in the wilderness for 40 years. And Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers, falsely charged, and imprisoned.

I think of these individuals and how these difficult circumstances changed and prepared them for the work for which I believe they were created, and which touched the lives of millions. It is interesting to note that former prisoners were used to free millions of oppressed persons or save millions from starvation during a long famine.

I have heard that suffering is part of God’s preparation for those He uses. I have no expectation that I will be used in the way Mr. Mandela, Moses, and Joseph were; however, I pray for the courage and grace to walk through difficult circumstances and emerge from them free from bitterness and all that will impair, even defeat His purpose in my life. I pray the same for you.

Giving thanks in difficult times

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the USA, the day set aside to reflect on the blessings we have received and on the Giver; however, the thought of giving thanks during difficult times can seem impossible, even ludicrous. The question may be asked, “What do I have to give thanks for?” or, “How can I give thanks for this … this heartbreak, this betrayal, this disappointment, this traumatic loss, this illness …?”  We do so as we do everything else, “through Him.” 

Listen to the instruction in Hebrews 13:15 (Amplified):

“Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.”

He tells us to give thanks in everything (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and then enables us to do so (Philippians 2:13).  Also, when we offer Him praise and thanksgiving, we glorify Him (Psalm 50:23)  and magnify Him (Psalm 69:30). You will agree that if there is ever a time when we need Him magnified, it is during the difficult seasons of our lives when all we can see is what is hard, scary, and painful about our circumstances.  When He is magnified, we gain a different perspective on our circumstances and ourselves. Let us, with His help, give Him thanks today.

Evidence of His love

How often we complain and see the hard things, the crushing places of our lives as evidence that God does not love us. But it is the Cross that is the evidence of His love, not the absence of hard things in our lives. Siblings, let us use His Word to silence the lies of the Enemy.  You may not understand what is happening and why but You are loved more than you can comprehend. And the one Who loves you so will sustain you through it all.

Be encouraged,

EWW

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

 "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10)

"By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." (1 John 3:16)

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)

 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

(All Scripture passages are from the New King James Version)

 

The floods and our Father

I woke up this morning to rain, and not a gentle patter. It was a hard shower accompanied by loud thunder. It continued to rain as I read Psalms 92 as part of my feed-my-spirit-time, in preparation for today. I was captivated by the following verses:

 

The LORD reigns, He is clothed in majesty.

The LORD is clothed,

He has girded Himself with strength...

Your throne is established from of old;

You are from everlasting.

 

The floods have lifted up, O LORD

The floods have lifted up their waves.

The LORD on high is mightier

Than the noise of many waters,

Than the mighty waves of the sea."

 

 

I exhaled a breath I did not even know I was holding.

 

The LORD reigns. His throne is established from of old. He is from everlasting. He is mightier than the floods.  Selah.

 

Whatever this day holds, whatever shape the floods may take today - rejection, criticism, stress, hurt, anxiety, temptation - the LORD who reigns, and has made you and I His own, He is mightier than the floods. Furthermore, He has promised to be with us when we pass through the waters and through the rivers, and assures us that neither will overflow us (Isaiah 43:2).  Thank You, Abba. 

 

Be encouraged siblings and remind the floods that your Father reigns.

 

EWW

 

 



"Nothing is wasted"

A beautiful, healing, encouraging song by Jason Gray. I pray that you will be encouraged and strengthened. The lyrics are given below the video.

Blessings,
EWW

“Nothing is Wasted”

The hurt that broke your heart
And left you trembling in the dark
Feeling lost and alone
Will tell you hope's a lie
But what if every tear you cry
Will seed the ground where joy will grow

And nothing is wasted
Nothing is wasted
In the hands of our Redeemer
Nothing is wasted

It's from the deepest wounds
That beauty finds a place to bloom
And you will see before the end
That every broken piece is
Gathered in the heart of Jesus
And what's lost will be found again

Nothing is wasted
Nothing is wasted
In the hands of our Redeemer
Nothing is wasted

From the ruins
From the ashes
Beauty will rise
From the wreckage
From the darkness
Glory will shine
Glory will shine

The Promise Keeper

Rest

 Rest, the Lord is near

 Refuse to fear, enjoy His love

 Trust, His mighty power

Fills every hour, of all your days

 

Chorus:

There is no need

For needless worry

 With such a Savior

You have no cause to ever

 Doubt, His perfect Word

 Still reassures, in any trial

 

 Rest, the Lord is there

Lift up your prayer

For He is strong

Trust, He’ll bring release

And perfect peace, will calm your mind

 

Chorus:

Call Him

 If you grow frightened

Call Him

With loving care

He’ll lift the burden and you’ll

 

Rest, the Lord is near

Refuse to fear, enjoy His love

Trust, His might power

Fills every hour, of all your days

 

Rest, the Lord is near

Refuse to fear, enjoy His love

 

 http://www.stevegreenministries.org/product/rest

Battle

"In this place ..."

“This is what the Lord says: In this place, which you say is a ruin, without man or beast—that is, in Judah’s cities and Jerusalem’s streets that are a desolation without man, without inhabitant, and without beast—there will be heard again a sound of joy and gladness, the voice of the groom and the bride, and the voice of those saying,

'Praise the Lord of Hosts,
for the Lord is good;
His faithful love endures forever'

as they bring thank offerings to the temple of the Lord. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as in former times, says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 33:10-11)*

“In this place, which you say is a ruin …there will be heard again a sound of joy and gladness..”

We can look at our lives after a storm and see only ruins and devastation but what God spoke of Judah’s cities and Jerusalem’s streets, is also true of us. What is will not always be. Restoration will come. There will be joy again. Be encouraged.


*Holman Christian Standard Bible

Rooted in His love

Your Rock is Unchanging

 

Food for thought

"You are I AM"

Years ago, I came across the following statements, "There is a God. You are not Him." So many times, my actions suggest that these statements are not true. An example of this is when, during difficult situations, I attempt to control things over which I do not have a shred of control. The song, "You are, I am" by the group, MercyMe, eloquently and powerfully reminds me of who God is and who I am. These are truths which it can be so helpful for us to take hold of and allow to become rooted in our hearts in all seasons of life. Here are the lyrics and the official YouTube video.

Blessings to you.

"You Are I Am"

I've been the one to shake with fear
And wonder if You're even here
I've been the one to doubt Your love
I've told myself You're not enough

I've been the one to try and say
I'll overcome by my own strength
I've been the one to fall apart
And to start to question who You are

You're the one who conquers giants
You're the one who calls out kings
You shut the mouths of lions
You tell the dead to breathe
You're the one who walks through fire
You take the orphan's hand
You are the one Messiah
You are I am
You are I am

I've been the one held down in chains
Beneath the weight of all my shame
I've been the one to believe
That where I am You cannot reach

You're the one who conquers giants
You're the one who calls out kings
You shut the mouths of lions
You tell the dead to breathe
You're the one who walks through fire
You take the orphan's hand
You are the one Messiah
You are I am
You are I am

The veil is torn
And now I live with the Spirit inside
The same one, the very same one
who brought the Son back to life

Hallelujah, He lives in me
Hallelujah, He lives in me
Hallelujah, He lives in me
Hallelujah, He lives in me

You're the one who conquers giants
You're the one who calls out kings
You shut the mouths of lions
You tell the dead to breathe
You're the one who walks through fire
You take the orphan's hand
You are the one Messiah
You are I am
You are I am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JI4CPfuLW0

Strengthened and Carried

 
The following dialogue is an excerpt from the adaptation of J. R. Tolkien's epic novel, The Lord of the Rings.

Frodo: I can't do this, Sam.

Sam: I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going..." (The Two Towers).

Many of us, faced with a situation that overwhelms, upends, shatters, or at least creates deep fissures, have echoed Frodo’s words, “I can’t do this…” Sometimes we uttered the statement audibly, at other times in our minds, but whatever form it took, we made the statement with absolute certainty. “I can’t do this!” Like the people Sam describes in his response to Frodo, each of us have opportunities to give up but can choose to go on; thankfully, we are not required to do so in our own strength. Hear the words of our Father spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand’” (Isaiah 41:10).He also makes this promise in Isaiah 46:4: “Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.”

Be encouraged.

Do not give into despair: A quote

"I implore you to not give in to despair. It is a dangerous temptation, because our Adversary has refined it to the point that it is quite subtle. Hopelessness constricts and withers the heart, rendering it unable to sense God's blessings and grace. It also causes you to exaggerate the adversities of life and makes your burdens seem too heavy for you to bear. Yet God's plans for you, and His ways of bringing about His plans, are infinitely wise." - Madame Guyon

 

Hope in God: A Quote

“Please remember

 there is never a time when we

cannot hope in God,

 whatever, our need or however

great our difficulty may be…

Our hope will never be in vain,

and in the Lord’s own timing

help will come.”

- George Mueller

 

Downton Abbey

I am a fan of the British show, Downton Abbey, which airs on PBS. In one season, I was quite upset when one of the main characters died on his way home after a very tender scene in a hospital with him, his wife, and their newborn son.  I was moved from tears of joy to tears of sorrow within minutes. I knew that my reaction was influenced not just by his death but also by the death earlier in the season of another of my favorite characters.  Two major losses in one season? I wanted to ask the writers and producers, "Are you serious?" and then sternly add, "One loss per season is enough, thank you."

As often happens in real life when we are hit by loss or other hard life events, I felt compelled to figure out why.  What reason did the writers and producers have for including such a plot in the story? My hunt took me through several online articles to one that explained it all. Somehow, knowing there was a reason, an explanation for the “deaths" of two of my favorite characters helped to ease “the pain of their passing." J 

This experience with Downton Abbey reminded me that often I do not find the explanation I desire for the difficult seasons of my life, no matter how hard I seek for one.  What I do receive are God's comfort, His peace, His abounding grace, His strength to endure, and His promises to which I have sometimes clung with a white-knuckled grip. God owes me no explanations but I can be assured of His presence every moment and every step of my journey. So can you.

HE gets it

“This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15, New Living Translation [NLT])

”For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15, New International Version [NIV])

God’s will requires death (although in our case it is death to ourselves or a way of living)? HE gets it. (John 3:16)

Been betrayed? HE gets it. Judas, one of those in His closest circle betrayed Him with a kiss. (Mark 14: 44-45)

Deserted? Abandoned? Disowned? HE gets it.  When He was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane every last one of his disciples abandoned Him. Before this, they slept when He was in agony of spirit and needed them to pray for Him. (Mark 14:33-34; 37, 39). Later, Peter denied he knew Him, not once, but three times (John 18:15-18; 25-27).

Lied about? HE gets it. False witnesses accused Him before the Sanhedrin (made up of the High Priest and all the chief priests; Mark 14:55-59).

Dealing with physical pain? HE get its. Isaiah 53:5 records, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (NIV). Mark 15:17-20 records that a crown of thorns were placed on His head (and you can be sure it was not gently placed), a whole company of soldiers struck him “again and again” on the head with a staff. According Wikipedia, a company of soldiers is a military unit, typically consisting of 75-200 soldiers. All this happened after Pilate had him flogged (Matthew 27:28, NIV) and before He was made to carry His cross and later crucified. According to Mark 14:25-37, His crucifixion lasted for about 6 hours.

Sorrowful? Grieving?  HE gets it. He is described in Isaiah 53:3 as “A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” Verse 5 of the same chapter notes, “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.”

Feeling forsaken by God? HE gets it. (Mark 15:34, NIV)

Whatever our experience, HE gets it, is touched by it, and is a “an ever present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1, NIV).

We all go through periods when it seems that no one really understands how we feel and what is happening but while watching the Garden of Gethsemane scene in The Passion of the Christ” I realized, “HE gets it.”

The God Who sees and responds

I am engaged in a study of the book of Nehemiah as part of a women’s Bible study at my church. The study is by Kelly Minter and I wanted to share some of her words of wisdom that I find comforting. "Perhaps you need to be reminded today that God sees where you are and hears your cry... One of the worst things we can believe about God during a season of hardship is that we have somehow escaped His view or His hearing. He is the God who sees (El Roi) and the God who responds."

Her words also bring to mind one of my favorite psalms, Psalm 139. Here are a few verses: “LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up; You understand my thoughts … You observe my travels and my rest; You are aware of all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, LORD. You have encircled me; You have placed Your hand upon me. This extraordinary knowledge is beyond me … “ (verses 1-6*).  We are intimately known by our heavenly Father.  As both Kelly Winter and the psalmist David remind us, God sees where we are, hears us, and responds to us.  Be encouraged.

EWW

*Holman Christian Standard Bible

The "pieces" are woven together perfectly

The song “Already There” sung by the group, Casting Crowns, may be familiar to you or you may be hearing about it for the first time.   The lyrics remind us that all the things which confuse us, leave us feeling helpless, uncertain of what to do and where to turn, cause us to experience our world as upside down ... all these “pieces” are woven together perfectly by the One Who loves us eternally.  May you be encouraged and experience His comfort today.

EWW

“Already There”

From where I'm standing
Lord, it's so hard for me to see
Where this is going
And where You're leading me

I wish I knew how
All my fears and all my questions
Are going to play out
In a world I can't control

When I'm lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory

'Cause You're already there
You're already there
Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You're already there
You're already there

From where You're standing
Lord, You see a grand design
That You imagined
When You breathed me into life

And all the chaos
Comes together in Your hands
Like a masterpiece
Of Your picture perfect plan

When I'm lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory

One day I'll stand before You
And look back on the life I've lived
I can't wait to enjoy the view
And see how all the pieces fit

One day I'll stand before You
And look back on the life I've lived
'Cause You're already there
You're already there

When I'm lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory
'Cause You're already there
You're already there

Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You're already there
You're already there

Songwriter(s): John Mark Hall, Bernie Herms

Sometimes ...

I heard the song, "Sometimes," on the radio today as I drove home after completing a few errands. I was encouraged and comforted by it and wanted to share the lyrics. I was reminded that I may not understand what God is doing but He always does what is best for me  and for each of His children ... whether it is calming the storms in our lives or calming us in the midst of the storm.

Grace and blessings,
EWW

"Sometimes He calms the storm"*

All who sail the sea of faith
Find out before too long
How quickly blue skies can grow dark
And gentle winds grow strong
Suddenly fear is like white water
Pounding on the soul
Still we sail on knowing
That our Lord is in control

Chorus
Sometimes He calms the storm
With a whispered, "Peace be still"
He can settle any sea
But it doesn't mean He will
Sometimes He holds us close
And lets the wind and waves go wild
Sometimes He calms the storm
And other times He calms His child

He has a reason for each trial
That we pass through in life
And though we're shaken
We cannot be pulled apart from Christ
No matter how the driving rain beats down
On those who hold to faith
A heart of trust will always
Be a quiet peaceful place

*by Scott Krippayne

"What if?" 2

Perhaps because the chorus of the song, "Blessings," continues to echo in my heart (See previoius blog engry), I find myself still musing on the question, "What if?" as it pertains to this song and God's perspective on our lives and night seasons.

Here are my musings:
What if God being God and all knowing, and knowing us as He does, knows that these painful, gut-wrenching, heart shattering circumstances are necessary for us ...

to mature us,

to cause us to trust Him fully and constantly,

to break the limitations and bondages off of our minds, emotions, etc.,

to usher us into the next level of our purpose

to lead us deeper into His heart

so that His power can flow through us as never before?

I believe that, regardless of the pain we are feeling in the core of our being, if we knew the specifics of what He is doing, we would bow in surrender to His work in our lives and circumstances in these night seasons.  I believe we would say, “Let Your will be done,” and pray for the grace and strength to persevere, knowing that the outcome is worth the pain of the process.  Out of our hurt and frustration, we may be tempted to argue in response, “But I do not know what He is doing! And can’t He find another way?”  But beloved of the Father, that is where our faith in Him must take precedence over everything and our faith has to be based on His word. We must trust what He says more than what we feel or see.  Central to trusting Him is believing He loves us and purposes good for us.  As a verse of the hymn “Amazing Grace” reminds us,

 

The Lord has promised good to me

His word my hope secures

He will my shield and portion be

As long as life endures

His word our "hope secures," and He tells us that He has magnified His word above His name (Psalm 138:2). What He said through Balaam, a prophet, as recorded in Numbers 23:19 (HCSB*) is still true.

“God is not a man who lies,
or a son of man who changes His mind.
Does He speak and not act,
or promise and not fulfill?”

Like David, let us believe that we will see the goodness of the LORD in this life; this belief will keep us from losing heart (Psalm 27:13).  As encouraged by the prophet Isaiah, let us, “Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Behold your God will come … He will come and save you” (Isaiah 35:3-4). God, our Father, has not forsaken or forgotten us; He never has and He never will.   Let us remind ourselves that “The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8, NKJV).  We have His word on it. Let us encourage ourselves in Him.

Blessings and grace in abundance to you, fellow pilgrim,

EW

HCSB - Holman Christian Standard Version; all other verses are from the New King James Version (NKJV).

What If?

As humans, we struggle to make meaning of events in our lives, especially difficult, hurt filled ones; however, during our night seasons, our perspective is often distorted by our pain. The song, "Blessings" by Laura Story encourages and invites those of us experiencing a night season to consider that there is another perspective of our experiences, namely, that of our loving heavenly Father.  May you experience His comfort as you read the lyrics provided below and be reminded that God is at work in us and in our circumstances.  A link to a video of the song is also included. 

God’s grace in abundance to you,
E.W.

"Blessings"
We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
And all the while, Your hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if the trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your word is not enough 
And all th while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if the trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not,
This is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if the trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise
 

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CSVqHcdhXQ