December 25, 2024

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

You call me out upon the waters, the great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery, In oceans deep my faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name, and keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters, Your sovereign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me You’ve never failed and You won’t start now

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Savior

I will call upon Your Name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are Mine

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

~ HillSongs United /Songwriters: Matt Crocker, Joel Houston, Salomon Lighthelm  ~

This song speaks to my heart so much!  “You call me out upon the waters, the great unknown where my feet may fail and there I find you…in oceans deep my faith will stand….”

“Will your faith stand in the oceans deep?” This is the question I ask myself….  Just like when Jesus called Peter out of the boat.  As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was able to walk on water.  But the minute he took his eyes off of Jesus, He began to sink.

Let’s go to Mathew 14: 28-33 NLT

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”  “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said.“Why did you doubt me?” When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

It is when we take our eyes off Jesus that we begin to sink into our circumstances and lose our peace.  But when we keep our eyes focused on Jesus the peace that surpasses all understanding in the midst of the hardest places is evident.

And I will call upon Your name and keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me,
You’ve never failed and You won’t start now..
My soul will rest in your embrace….

What a beautiful picture!

Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.

Mathew 11:28 NLT

Will you go to Him?  Will you trust Him even in the midst of the toughest places?  We know His plans for us are for good and to give us a hope and a future. We find this Truth in one of my favorite verses:

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD.
They are plans for good and not for disaster,
to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11

My prayer this day for me and for you is this…

Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander and my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior… In Jesus’ name AMEN!!!

Lord, I Need You

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~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

Lord, I come, I confess…bowing here I find my rest
Without You I fall apart; You’re the One that guides my heart

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You; every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness, Oh God, how I need You

Where sin runs deep Your grace is more; where grace is found is where You are
And where You are, Lord, I am free… holiness is Christ in me

Teach my song to rise to You when temptation comes my way
And when I cannot stand I’ll fall on You; Jesus, You’re my Hope and Stay

You’re my one defense, my righteousness, Oh God, how I need You
My one defense, my righteousness, Oh God, how I need You

Artist: Matt Maher

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

“Bowing here I find my rest…without You I fall apart; You’re the one that guides my heart….”  Oh, how this is my Truth that I live by!

He IS my Everything.  My ALL in ALL!  As long as I have God that is ALL that I need no matter what storms I may face in my lifetime.  As long as I have Him that is all that I need…even if the worst of the worst happens, or things don’t turn out the way I hope.  This is my Truth!!!

My Truth is not determined by my circumstances; I believe that somehow, someway He would get me through whatever it is.  He is the key.  I wouldn’t want to do life apart from Him.

In John 15:5 Jesus says,

I am the Vine, you are the branches.
Those who abide in Me and I in them
Bear much fruit, because apart from Me you can do nothing.

So the question I ask myself (and I want to ask yourself, too) is this:
Are you a Prisoner of Hope when storms in life come your way?? Or are you tossed to and fro depending on your circumstances??

God has shown me so much about trees.  Let me share some of this with you.  I love this excerpt from “Lessons From The Oak Tree’ blog:
“The mighty oak tree, no matter how severe the storm and how strong the wind, the oak tree will continue to stand tall – branches may break and the tree may be stripped of it’s leaves, but through it all it will continue to stand tall.” He also pointed out an interesting fact, of which I was unaware, that the roots of an oak tree can extend down into the ground up to two and one-half times their height. Now THAT, my friends, is a deeply rooted tree.

So the question for each of us is—how deeply rooted are your values? Do you let yourself be blown to-and-fro with what is currently popular? Or do you stand for what you believe in? I think that what we stand for defines who we truly are. What we do in private when no one is looking…that defines the type of person we are.

I truly believe that one way we can influence this world for good is through our example. By defining ourselves by our values and beliefs, and then sharing those values and beliefs with others through our example, we can influence others for good. Do not waiver, do not lower your standards to fit in or to be popular. Rather, raise your standards so that you can raise those around you.

Here is what Scripture says about trees:

Jeremiah 17:8 ESV
He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.

Psalm 1:3 ESV
He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

Isaiah 61:3b
They will be called mighty oaks, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor….

I love the strength in these trees; their roots are deep and they are grounded. No matter what storms they endure, they continue to stand firm. Oh, let this be my Truth and your Truth as well…

So no matter what you are enduring today (and believe me, I know life is hard). But I also know my God is Faithful in ALL things and He is my peace. And with Him I can get through anything that comes my way. He truly is ALL that I need….

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:27

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Heavenly Father, I ask You now for the peace that surpasses ALL understanding for each and everyone of the ladies reading this blog.  No matter what they are currently walking through, may our Truth be that no matter what storms come our way that as long as we have You then that is Truly ALL we need!!!  In Jesus name,  AMEN!!

Your Love Is A Song

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

I hear you breathing in, another day begins
The stars are falling out, my dreams are fading now, fading out

I’ve been keeping my eyes wide open I’ve been keeping my eyes wide open
Your love is a symphony all around me…running through me
Your love is a melody underneath me, running to me
Oh, Your love is a song

The dawn is fire bright against the city lights
The clouds are glowing now; the moon is blacking out, is blacking out
So I’ve been keeping my mind wide open; I’ve been keeping my mind wide open

Your love is a symphony all around me…running through me
Your love is a melody underneath me, running to me
Oh, Your love is a song

Oh, Your love is a song, Your love is a song
Oh, Your love is a song, Your love is strong

With my eyes wide open… I’ve got my eyes wide open
I’ve been keeping my hopes unbroken

Your love is a symphony all around me…running through me
Your love is a melody underneath me, running to me
Your love is a song, Your love is my remedy, Oh, Your love is a song


“Your Love Is A Song”
~  Songwriter: Mike Elizondo  / Performed by Switchfoot  ~
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The love of the Father…a love like nothing I have ever known. Unconditional. Life changing.  A love that changed my life Forever.  A love that saved me from a deep pit of despair and redeemed me and gave me a new future.  A love that is not based on conditions…but that is unconditional.

Do you know this kind of love?  It is the kind of love that is only found in God.

Let me share a few of my favorite Scriptures on God’s love that have been life changing.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers,
nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:37-39 ESV

Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.
Psalm 36:5 ESV

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son
to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:10 ESV

God loves us so much ladies…once we grasp and believe this Truth, we will be powerful women for the Kingdom!

When you are tempted to believe the lies of anything
other than the Truth, remember this:
You say: ‘It’s impossible’
God says: All things are possible
Luke 18:27

You say: ‘I’m too tired’
God says: I will give you rest
Matthew 11:28-30

You say: ‘Nobody really loves me’
God says: I love you
John 3:1-6 and John 3:34 )

You say: ‘I can’t go on’
God says: My grace is sufficient
2 Corinthians 12:9 and Psalm 91:15

You say: ‘I can’t figure things out’
God says: I will direct your steps
Proverbs 3:5-6

You say: ‘I can’t do it’
God says: You can do all things
Philippians 4:13

You say: ‘I’m not able’
God says: I am able
2 Corinthians 9:8

You say: ‘It’s not worth it’
God says: It will be worth it
Roman 8:28

You say: ‘I can’t forgive myself’
God says: I forgive you
1 John 1:9 and Romans 8:1

You say: ‘I can’t manage’
God says: I will supply all your needs
Philippians 4:19

You say: ‘I’m afraid’God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear
2 Timothy 1:7

You say: ‘I’m always worried and frustrated’
God says: Cast all your cares on ME
1 Peter 5:7

You say: ‘I’m not smart enough’
God says: I give you wisdom
1 Corinthians 1:30

You say: ‘I feel all alone’
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you
Hebrews 13:5**

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Heavenly Father,  I pray for each woman reading this blog today that she would choose to walk in the full Truth of who she is in You and that she would reject any lies the enemy may whisper and instead replace them with the Truth of Your great love for each and every one of us, and how very precious we are to You.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!!!

** I read these beautiful truths in a graphic from ‘The Pocket Testament League‘.  <https://www.facebook.com/pocketpower>

Lift My Life Up

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

You brought me this far so why would I question You now
You have provided so why would I start to doubt
I’ve never been stranded, abandoned or left here to fight alone
So I’m giving You control

I lift my life, lift my life up I give it all in surrender
I lift my heart, lift my heart up You can have it forever
All my dreams, all my plans, Lord, I leave it in your hands
I lift my life, lift my life up have Your way in me

If peace is a river then let it sweep over me
I’m under fire I know it’s refining me
When I hear You calling out I follow now wherever the road may go
I know You’re leading me home

Take my life and let it be all for You
Take my life and let it be all for You

I lift my life, lift my life up I give it all in surrender
I lift my heart, lift my heart up You can have it forever
All my dreams, all my plans, Lord, I leave it in your hands
I lift my life, lift my life up have Your way in me

Have Your way with me…have Your way with me
Take my life and let it be all for You

Performed by Unspoken /

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Surrender—that’s the word that has been on my heart the past few days. What does it mean to surrender?

The definition of surrender is to give up control of something.  There are many things God has been showing me that I have not surrendered…to Him.  When I don’t surrender I am choosing to take control of the situation in my own strength instead of allowing Him to take control.  When I surrender to God completely I am trusting Him in my situation.  He is ALWAYS Faithful in every circumstance and every situation.

Why is it so hard for us to surrender?  I know the hardest thing for me are my boys! And yet God entrusted me—a woman with a checkered past, saved by Grace—with these precious gifts.  I know that I don’t deserve it.  But isn’t that just like God…to give you another chance to do it well?  And to do it well is my heart’s desire.  So when I choose to not surrender or hang on to the precious gifts I have been given such as my boys, it is as if I am saying I do not trust the Giver of the gift.

So what is it you are hanging onto??  What is it that you need to surrender to Him—the Giver of the gift—and give Him complete control over?  When we choose to surrender our hearts to Him we are showing Him that we trust Him.

In Job 11:13-15 it says,

Surrender your heart to God,
turn to Him in prayer,
and give up your sins—
even those you do in secret.
Then you won’t be ashamed;
you will be confident
and fearless.

I love the last part of that verse…”then you WILL be Confident and Fearless.”  That is who I want to be: a woman who lives her life in surrender who lives Confident and Fearless.  Will you join me and surrender all?

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Father, my prayer this day for myself and any woman reading this is that we will choose to live a life in surrender and leave it ALL in Your hands.  All our dreams, all our hopes, all our plans!  Lord, I leave it in Your hands. Father, “take my life and let it be ALL for you!” In Jesus name, AMEN!!!

Hello! My Name Is Child of the One True King

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

Hello, my name is regret…I’m pretty sure we have met
Every single day of your life, I’m the whisper inside
That won’t let you forget
Hello, my name is defeat…I know you recognize me
Just when you think you can win I’ll drag you right back down again
‘Til you’ve lost all belief
Oh, these are the voices. Oh, these are the lies
And I have believed them for the very last time
Hello, my name is child of the one true King
I’ve been saved, I’ve been changed, I have been set free
“Amazing Grace” is the song I sing
Hello, my name is child of the one true King
I am no longer defined by all the wreckage behind
The One who makes all things new has proven it’s true
Just take a look at my life

What love the Father has lavished upon us that we should be called His children
I am a child of the one true King
What love the Father has lavished upon us that we should be called His children
Hello, my name is child of the one true King
I’ve been saved, I’ve been changed, I have been set free
“Amazing Grace” is the song I sing
Hello, my name is child of the one true King
I am a child of the one true King

~  Written and Performed by Matthew West  ~

Regret, Defeat, Loser, Unworthy, Worthless….  Are these the lies that you choose to believe???

Yes, there have been times in my life I have felt ALL of those things. But, let me assure you, that YOU ARE NOT YOUR PAST MISTAKES. Praise the Lord for this Truth!!!
I am no longer defined by all the wreckage behind
The one who makes all things new has proven it’s true
Just take a look at my life
Yes, just take a look at my life!!!  My life is a miracle and I am living proof of what Jesus can do in someones life. God has given me a second chance.. My past is not pretty. But I no longer put my focus there…I live in the truth of my redeemed life. Your past mistakes do not define your future with God; praise Him for that!

For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.
Heb 8:12 NIV

How amazing that our God remembers our sins no more.

To provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the LORD to glorify Him.
Isaiah 61:3 HCSB

Sisters, I encourage you to put the past in the past and let God heal those wounds and broken places and completely restore those years. That you would choose to believe the Truth of who you are in Him and that ‘Amazing Grace’ is the song that you will choose to sing!

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Heavenly Father, I thank You for the promise that You give us a crown of beauty instead of ashes; and I pray for each and everyone reading this that they would reject the lies and embrace the truth of who they are in you and KNOW just how much you love them. Thank You that You meet each of us where we are at and that you remember our sins no more! In Jesus’ name, AMEN!!!

Overcomer


psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

Staring at a stop sign, watching people drive by, T Mac on the radio
Got so much on your mind, nothing’s really going right, looking for a ray of hope
Whatever it is you may be going through
I know he’s not gonna let it get the best of you

You’re an overcomer
Stay in the fight ’til the final round
You’re not going under
‘Cause God is holding you right now
You might be down for a moment
Feeling like it’s hopeless
That’s when He reminds you
That you’re an overcomer
You’re an overcomer

Everybody’s been down, hit the bottom, hit the ground. Ooh, you’re not alone
Just take a breath, don’t forget, hang on to His promises, He wants you to know

The same man, the great I am, the One Who overcame death is living inside of you
So just hold tight, fix your eyes on the One Who holds your life
There’s nothing He can’t do…He’s telling you

~  Performed by Mandisa; Written by Christopher Stevens and David Garcia  ~

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“I am an Overcomer!”  Let’s think about that and say that together….

I AM AN OVERCOMER!!!!!

This is who God says I am! We all can get weighed down by the pressures in life. I know there are days when I feel like I am in the boxing ring and things (aka—life) is coming at me and how quickly I forget who I am when I get weary!!! It’s in those moments that God so sweetly reminds me just exactly who I am.

In Romans 8:37, He says, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” I am more than a conqueror because Jesus lives in me and because of Him I have the Victory!!!  He also tells us in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

There is peace and there is hope in ALL things and in EVERY situation if we so choose to take our eyes off our circumstances and get our eyes back on Him. The only way to be defeated is to give up. Make a choice this day to look the giant in the face, get back up, and walk in the confidence that your Father is working in that situation and is using it for good.

Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting,
God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along.
If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter.
He does our praying in and for us,
making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans.
He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition,
and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure
that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
Romans 8:28 (MSG)

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Heavenly Father, I thank You for these truths and I pray for each and every person who is reading this, and for myself included, that when things around us are swirling out of control that we would choose to take our eyes off the circumstances and CHOOSE to get our eyes back on You, walking in the peace and confidence of knowing that You are faithful in ALL things and in EVERY circumstance! In Jesus’ name. Amen!!!

You Are

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

  ~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

When I can’t find the words to say how much it hurts
You are the healing in my heart
When all that I can see are broken memories
You are the light that’s in the dark

You are the song, You are the song I’m singing
You are the air, You are the air I breathe in
You are the hope, You are the hope I’m needin’…You are

And when my circumstance leaves me with empty hands
You’re the Provider of my needs
When all my dirtiness has left me helpless
You are the rain that washes me

If I had no voice, if I had no tongue—I would dance for You like the rising sun
And when that day comes and I see Your face
I will shout Your endless, glorious praise

 

~  written and performed by Colton Dixon  ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He is my Healer, my Hope…the rain that washes me. He is the song that I am singing. What about you, dear sister? Is HE your everything? Even in the rain, is He your hope?

I love this song. Because even when I am hurting, and my circumstances are difficult, and the dirtiness of my past has left me helpess…He IS and WAS my Hope, My Healer from the pain.

Even in the most difficult of circumstances He is the song I am singing. God showed me this verse in one of the most difficult of circumstances in my life.

And be not grieved and depressed,
for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold.
Nehemiah 8:10 AMP

You see, my son was going through a sleep disorder at the time that caused him to have seizures while he was sleeping. We walked through this for about 7 months before he was completely healed from it. That was one of the most difficult walks I have had thus far with God. But joy was possible because it was found in Him. I watched God use that situation with my son for Good over and over again. If I was focused on my circumstances, I would slowly feel my joy being drained from me as well as my strength. But when I focused on God—my joy in Him began to return and the peace that surpasses all understanding began to wash over me! And He would remind me that I was ok. It was then that I would regain my strength.

I got to thinking about this verse, “…the joy of the Lord is my strength and stronghold…” How do I find joy in the midst of the most difficult of circumstances? The answer is found IN THE LORD! Joy and happiness are two different things. Happiness is a feeling and is dependent on circumstances.  Joy is only found in the Lord and is NOT dependent on my circumstances. So even in the midst of the most difficult of circumstances, I hang onto my joy because if I let my joy be stolen… there goes my strength. And in Romans 8:28 God reminds us that He causes “all things to work together for good to those who love God, and to those who are called according to His purpose.”  So be encouraged, dear sister, that even in the hardest of situations joy and peace in the Lord is possible…but it is ONLY found in HIM!!!

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Heavenly Father, I pray this day for each and every one of my sisters  that may be struggling to find the joy in You in their difficult circumstances. I pray that they would get their eyes focused back on You and that they would be encouraged that You will use it for their good and for Your glory; in Jesus’ name. Amen!!

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Interested in joining us for our next Online Bible Study that starts on January 13, 2014?   Click HERE for more details!

Let My Love Be The Proof

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

 

~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

If I sing but don’t have love, I waste my breath with every song
I bring an empty voice, a hollow noise
If I speak with the silver tongue and convince a crowd but don’t have love
I leave a bitter taste with every word I say
   So let my life be the proof of Your love
   So let my love look like You and what Your made of
   How You lived, how You died…Love is sacrifice
   So let my life be the proof—the proof of Your love
If I give to a needy soul but don’t have love then who is poor
It seems all the poverty is found in
When it’s all said and done, when we sing our final song
Only love remains…only love remains

1 Corinthians 13:1-3
If I can speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy
But don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rust gate
If I speak God’s word with power, revealing all of His mysteries
And making everything as plain as day
And if I have faith to say to a mountain jump and it jumps
But I don’t love, I’m nothing
If I give all I earn to the poor
Or even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr
But I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere
So, no matter what I say, no matter what I believe, no matter what I do
I’m bankrupt without love

“Oh, yes, Father—let my life be the proof of Your love!”  That is SO the DESIRE of my heart. But what do we do with those ‘hard to love’ people? You know the ones I am talking about…the sandpaper people—the ones that rub you the wrong way. Or what about the ones who are unkind, or speak harsh words, or do hurtful things? What about those people?!? Jesus says in Matthew 23:39 that we are to love our neighbor as ourself.  He didn’t say only the nice people or the ones who treat you with kindness. Loving someone who is nice to you is easy, and it doesn’t take much effort. But choosing to love the unloveable and the hard-to-love people…that is where you and I can make a difference in the lives of others…to the undeserving.

I don’t know about you but there was a time before Jesus saved me that I wasn’t so lovely. In fact, I was hard to love! But Jesus loved me anyway. That is also why He said (in John 15:5) “Apart from Me, you can do nothing….” Today God reminds me (and I encourage you!) to go out there and be willing to show the love of the Father to someone who needs it most. There is someone out there that needs to be introduced to a love like none other—the unconditional love of the Father. And to someone to love them right where they are at.

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Heavenly Father, I pray for each and everyone of us, as we go throughout our days, that we would choose to show Your love everywhere we go. That the love that we show others would not be based on how someone treats us but rather that we would choose to love them as You have loved us—with unconditional love. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!!! (Signed a former pit dweller saved by Grace.)

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Interested in joining us for our next Online Bible Study that starts on January 13, 2014?   Click HERE for more details!

Move In Me

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

The man I buried had a heart of stone
Left him there in the bright light, out on a dirty road
The day You saved me from shadow and shame
Old things gone, got a new song, got a new name
Burnin’ like the wildfire, kickin’ up flames
A brand new band in the wasteland singing about Grace
Gonna jump the fences ’til the world is free
But I won’t make a move ’til You move in me

I’m knocking on doors, You’re keeping the keys
Maybe they’ll open, maybe they’re not for me
I’m setting the sails, You ready the seas
But I won’t make a move ’til You move in me

Gonna sing a little louder, gonna rattle these chains
Locked up tight ’round midnight, won’t stay that way
Gonna bless this dirt floor, gonna kiss these walls
Singing Your praise ’til the earth shakes and watching them fall

I’m knocking on doors, You’re keeping the keys
Maybe they’ll open, maybe they’re not for me
I’m setting my sails, You ready the seas
But I won’t make a move ’til You move in me
No, I won’t make a move ’til You move in me…move in me
~ performed by: Jeremy Camp;  written by: Nichole Nordeman/Bernie Herms ~

 

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Old thing’s gone, got a new song, got a new name. The day you saved me from shadow and shame….” It’s my story. Is it your story too? I love this song…it speaks to me in many ways.

But this morning the Lord has given me a new perspective. “I don’t want to make a move until you move in me….”  How many times I have been impatient with things and have taken control of my circumstances and tried to work them out myself. Instead of waiting for God’s leading and direction in making a move. How many times have I taken control only to exhaust myself and end up in the same place that I started. When I have made a choice to do this and ended up at the foot of the Cross weary, worn, and completely depleted.

God gave me a visual of Jesus standing there, waiting, as I run myself ragged trying to fix things instead of resting and trusting in Him. Then as I fall to His feet, exhausted and defeated, He gently extends his hand and helps me up and says, “Are you ready to trust Me and let Me handle things???”

We want a quick fix, don’t we? We want answers now. But it is all in God’s timing and not ours! Steadfastness, consistency, keeping on in the faith walk, not wavering to the left or to the right, keeping right on the love line.

Listen to this: “We are to consider it wholly joyful when we encounter trials (temptations to get off faith), because the trial OF OUR FAITH (it’s our faith being tried not us) produces patience, constant consistency, resolute steadfastness.  As we let patience have its work (we yield to constant consistency, not looking to the left or to the right), so that we may be perfect (complete) lacking nothing.” Isn’t that a wonderful viewpoint on James 1:2-4.  Love that!

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Oh, Father, forgive me for when I have made the choice to move instead of trusting You to move in me. May I make the choice today to not make a move until I know that I know You are moving in me. Father, won’t You move in me…. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.

When Love Sees You

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Blessed are you as you weep on your knees with perfume and tears washing over My feet
And blessed are you, beggar, hopeless and blind calling for mercy when I’m passing by
Blessed are you, shaking your head at two tiny fish and some bread
Blessed are you as you tremble and wait for the first stone thrown at your sinful disgrace
   Tell Me your story, show Me your wounds
   And I’ll show you what Love sees when Love looks at you
   Hand Me the pieces, broken and bruised
   And I’ll show you what Love sees when Love sees you
Blessed are you, walking on waves, to find yourself sinking when you look away
Blessed are you, leper, standing alone the fear on their faces is all that you’ve known
Blessed are you, lonely widow, who gave your last shiny coin to Yahweh
Blessed are you, with your silver and lies, kissing the One who’s saving your life
I see what I made in your mother’s womb and I see the day I fell in love with you
I see your tomorrow’s, nothing left to chance, I see My Father’s fingerprints
   I see your story, I see My name written on every beautiful page
   You see the struggle, you see the shame; I see the reason I came
   I came for your story, I came for your wounds
   To show you what Love sees when I see you

~ performed by Mac Powell / written by Nichole Nordeman and Bernie Herms ~

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As we get ready to ring in the New Year,
may you be reminded what love sees when love sees you

This song is very near and dear to my heart. I was once a very lost woman full of shame. I handed Him the broken pieces of my life and He restored and redeemed it.  Maybe you need to hear that and to know that today—Jesus came for me AND He came for you, too!  May you know and believe who you are in Him. Your identity is not in who you used to be. You are who God says you areBlessed, Anointed, Redeemed, a daughter of the King!
Praise God that your past does not determine your future…He has great plans for you, sweet sister. You may see the struggle but He sees the reason He came.