November 5, 2024

Today Is Beautiful

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Sometimes the day won’t ever end
Sometimes you just throw up your hands
It’s the little things sometimes

Sometimes the world has just gone dark
Sometimes your praying for a spark
It’s the little things sometimes

But if you lift your eyes
See it in a different light
Just a cloud up in the open sky
Let the rain fall away
‘Cause today is beautiful

Right now it feels so hard to breathe
Right now you’re asking God why me
It’s what you can see right now

Cause right now there’s a greater truth
Right now there’s a bigger view
Than what you can see right now

If you see more than what’s in front of you
You might see more of heavens view
If you see more than what’s in front of you
You might see more of heavens view

Singer/Songwriter David Dunn (written with Sam Tinnesz, Blake Bollinger)

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It’s all about perspective.  When you’re standing too close to a painting or a picture, you miss out on the whole picture.  You can only see a small piece of the painting. That’s how it is with life.  When we are standing in the midst of our story, and the rain is falling and storms are raging, all we can see is the water in our eyes.  But if we step back under a walkway, out of the rain, we can see sometimes what had to be.  Oh, there will be things we will not understand on this side of Heaven.  But one day, our eyes will be open and we will see the view from Heaven.

Your life is beautiful because He made it.  Sometimes we are so focused on what we are going through…maybe our heads are down because we don’t have the strength to look up.  All we have to do is ask and God will deliver.  All we have to do is look up—and see there is light, there is joy, and there is hope.  At the end of that day that you thought would never end, there is a promise that joy will come in the morning.  At the end of the rain, sometimes you can even see a rainbow.  If you look hard enough, you will see that there is beauty all around us.

Our Creator made sure that we would be surrounded by His goodness.  His artwork fills the earth.  The sun is shining and the stars are singing His praises.  The ocean knows where to stop and the fish of the sea have their own song of praise.  The Bible says that even the rocks will cry out in praise.  Luke 19:40 says, “I tell you,” He replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”  And we, as His chosen people, have the ability to sing His praises in the middle of whatever it is that we are going through. Just close your eyes, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you see this life in His light.

Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars?
He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name.
Because of His great power and incompatible strength, not a single one is missing.
Isaiah 40:26

And because of His strength, you will be empowered to keep on!

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Let us pray:  Dear Lord, You are amazing.  You are the Creator of this amazing place, and You are Holy.  You made the stars and the moon and the sun all for our enjoyment, and we are so grateful.  Thank You that we can see things so differently when our eyes are on You.  That life is just a little brighter when we look up to the heavens for our help.  This world can be so hard, but You went before us to prepare the way.  Thank You for the rain.  For when the sun comes out, we are so grateful.  We love You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Jesus Loves Me

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I was lost
I was in chains
The world had a hold of me

My heart was a stone
I was covered in shame
When He came for me

I couldn’t run, couldn’t run from His presence
I couldn’t run, couldn’t run from His arms

Jesus, He loves me, He loves me, He is for me
Jesus, how can it be, He loves me, He is for me

And it was a fire
Deep in my soul
I’ll never be the same

I stepped out of the dark
And into the light
When He called my name

I couldn’t run, couldn’t run from His presence
I couldn’t run, couldn’t run from His arms

He holds the stars and He holds my heart
With healing hands that bear the scars
The rugged cross where He died for me
My only hope, my everything

Singer/Songwriter: Chris Tomlin along with Reuben Morgan, Ben Glover

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Look up into the heavens.
Who created all the stars?
He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by it’s name.
Because of His great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing.
Isaiah 40:26

Don’t you love reading such amazing verses about our Creator?  I know I do.  And you have to think—if He cares that much for the stars and their names—how much more does He love and care about you?  As you listen to this song, I want you to just sit and soak in all His love for you.  Try to name all the ways He has shown you this past week and write them in a notebook.  The Creator of this world is totally in love with you!

There is nothing that you can do to make Him love you any more or any less than He already does.  He even sent Jesus His Son to this earth, to go before us and to suffer and die for us.  He allowed His only Son to go through a lot of hard on this earth, to experience the loss and suffering, the hurts and trials that we would go through after Him.  He paved the way for us.  He wants the best things for you.  He doesn’t want you to settle on a life where you are striving and trudging along to the next event. He wants you to have an abundant life—full of Him and full of joy!

This world can get a hold on you if you aren’t intentional about living for Jesus. Romans 12:2 says,”Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good,pleasing and perfect will.”  It would be so easy to throw in the towel and just live like the rest of the world.  How many hard things are we allowed to go through in order to bring Him glory?

Is this you today?  Have you been in a valley for so long that you forgot what a mountain looks like?  I want to tell you that He sees you and He has not forgotten you. Whether you need freedom from a stronghold or you need financial provision…. Whether or you are waiting on God to heal a loved one or yourself, have courage and faith!  He has overcome this world!

I have told you these things, so that you may have peace in Me.
Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.
But take heart, because I have overcome the world.
John 16:22

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Let us pray:  Dear God, You are almighty and trustworthy.  You love us so much and You give us grace and mercy so freely.  You are our Stronghold and our Portion forever.  We praise Your Name.  Thank You for sending Jesus to die in our place.  We have a place to lay all our sorrows and troubles…at the foot of the Cross.  Lord, I pray for all who need You today and don’t know You.  Or maybe they have just moved away.  Help us, Your people, to be the light and the hope that they need to come to You.   We love You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.