May 5, 2025

One Thing Remains

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Higher than the mountains that I face
Stronger than the power of the grave
Constant through the trial and the change
One thing…remains

Your love never fails, never gives up
Never runs out on me
On and on and on and on it goes
It overwhelms and satisfies my soul
And I never, ever, have to be afraid
One thing remains

In death, In life, I’m confident and
covered by the power of Your great love
My debt is paid, there’s nothing that can
separate my heart from Your great love…

Written by: Brian Johnson, Christa Black Gifford and Jeremy Riddle
Performed by Jesus Culture

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And I am convinced that NOTHING can ever separate us from God’s love.
Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—NOT EVEN THE POWERS OF HELL can separate us from God’s love.
No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, NOTHING in all creation
will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39 NLT

Go back and read those two verses again. And again…and again.  Until it completely sinks in that NOTHING can or will EVER separate us from God’s love. When all else fails, when everyone else abandons you, when sin has defeated you His love STILL remains!  Is that not the most comforting, reassuring thought ever?!?  No matter how far we have fallen, no matter what our past or present looks like, we can never fall out of the reach of His love.  Neither can our loved ones.  We are all held tightly in His hand and our names are written on His palm.

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever!
No one will snatch them out of My hand.
John 10:28 HCSB

Behold, I have indelibly imprinted [engraved, inscribed (tattooed a picture of)
you on the palm of each of My hands;
Isaiah 49:16a AMP

What hope, what reassurance there is in each of these Scriptures!  Let us hold tightly to them.  Be confident in His great love and remember:

“Your love never fails, never gives up, never runs out on me!”

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Father, thank You for such a great love.  Thank You for the hope, the reassurance we find in these Scriptures.  Let us hold tightly to them and always be mindful of them, for NOTHING can separate us from Your love.  In Your Holy name we pray, Amen – It Is SO!!!

Little Ol’ Me

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Well I was just a kid coming up those steps
All dressed up in my Sunday best
Learning to sing, learning to stand
Right in the front, holding mamma’s hand
I still remember listening to my dad
Even if I didn’t always understand
Cause deep in his heart, deep in his soul
There was a fire that I wanted to know
And those memories are still burning brightly
Oh Jesus how I love the way You’re writing my life

However could it be, to have a part in your story
Bigger than what I can see, little old me, little old me
I may not know Your plan but I’m safe here in Your hands
Cause I know that You believe, in little old me, little old me

Walking through the halls on my way to class
Caught my reflection in the trophy glass
Who was this girl, trying to be
And who in the world is she trying to please
Suddenly ignited by a spark I hear my Savior’s voice speaking right to my heart
“Don’t give up now, and don’t be afraid, you know who you are,
you got something to say”
And those memories are still burning brightly
Oh Jesus how I love the way You’re writing my life

Turning the page, I’m up on stage
But I’m still a kid in a lot of ways
So many dreams, that are coming true
But Lord when they see me, I hope they see You
Nothing but You
(God I know, I know You got big plans for me)
Little old me, little old me

Singer/Songwriter: Jamie Grace Harper along with Morgan H. Nichols, Juan Otero, Joel Parisien
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Suddenly ignited by a spark I hear my Savior’s voice speaking right to my heart, ‘Don’t give up now, and don’t be afraid, you know who you are…’ “

Do we REALLY believe who God says we are??  Would we walk our walk with Him differently…fully confident with our head held high KNOWING we are more than conquerors??  God never meant for us to be living a defeated life and walking around in despair.

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31 NIV

As long as we have God on our side there is never a reason to lose hope in any situation.  Our hope is in Him.

I pray that God, the Source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace
because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope
through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 NLT

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Heavenly Father, may we never lose sight of the hope that we have in You and knowing with full confidence that ‘if You are for us WHO can be against us’.  Thank You for the promise in Jesus’ name.  AMEN!!!!

As Sure As The Sun

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

There is good news
There is good truth
That you could never change
No matter what you do
You are loved
More than you know
More than you could hope for
After everything you’ve done

As sure as the sun will rise
And takes away the night
His mercy will not end
His mercy will not end

There is good news
There’s a promise
That no matter where you go
You will never be alone
In the dark
In the doubting
When you can’t feel anything
Oh, His love remains the same

Even through the night
Silver stars will shine
Hope of glory’s light
That will wake us once again


singer/songwriter – Ellie Holcomb
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The premise of this song is truly something we don’t ever worry about, right? Oh, we have our worries…I hear you! But not this—not the rising of the sun…we just KNOW it will be there when we awaken each and every morning. And as assuredly as we stake our trust and confidence on God’s faithfulness to His plan for each new day, we should be equally as positive of His mercy and love. Perhaps when we are ensnared in doubt we could remind ourselves, “See…look! The sun came up this morning! And just like that, God will faithfully provide mercy and lovingkindness today!”

Let us acknowledge the Lord;
let us press on to acknowledge Him.
As surely as the sun rises, He will appear;
He will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth.
Hosea 6:3

There is a promise in chapter 3 of the Book of Lamentations that I cling to every day of my life…may I share it with you?

But this I recall and therefore have I hope and expectation:
It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed,
because His [tender] compassions fail not.
They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.
Verses 21-23

Some days it is difficult, seemingly near-to-impossible sometimes, to be hopeful and have joyful expectations. The world we live in is full of things that snatch away our dreams and desires; tempting us to feel futile and overwhelmed. But, Jesus assured His disciples (and us!) of the peace and hope we have been given. And so we endeavor to hold this Truth firm in our thinking knowing that Jesus spoke it and so it IS the Truth.

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

At times when my heart is needful of being reminded that “as sure as the sun will rise and take away the night…” I confess the following promises made in Jeremiah chapter 29 by our faithful, loving, compassionate, merciful Father. And I recite it like this…

For I know the thoughts and plans that <You> have for <me>…thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give <me> hope in <the> final outcome.
Then <I> will call upon <You>, and <I> will come and pray to <You>, and <You> will hear and heed <me>.
Then <I> will seek <You>, inquire for, and require <You> and find <You> when <I> search for <You> with all <my> heart.
<You> will be found by <me>….
Jeremiah 29:11-14 AMP (pronouns changed)

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Here are some additional verses from the Scriptures to persistently hang onto. I pray that you will be encouraged by each one of them as You remember Who has made the promises—the same One Who causes the sun to rise each and every morning—Almighty God, our heavenly Father.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.
Hebrews10:23

I wait for the Lord, I expectantly wait, and in His word do I hope.
Psalm 130:5

God is not human, that He should lie, not a human being, that He should change His mind.
Does He speak and then not act?  Does He promise and not fulfill?
Numbers 23:19

Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not  be discouraged.
Deuteronomy 31:6 and 8

Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath.  God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.  We have this hope as an anchor for the soul….
Hebrews 6:17-19

 

Blessings

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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, You 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 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 the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we’d have faith to believe

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 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

Singer/Songwriter – Laura Story

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Blessings in disguise. Are you looking for those blessings even in the hard days? What you focus on is what you will magnify…good or bad. What are you choosing to magnify in your life?  My prayer is that even when we are going through hard times we will choose to magnify God and focus on Him.

“I thought about how when I looked through my magnifying glass all I could see was the object that I was focusing on. Then I thought, when we go through hard times we need to focus on the Lord. We need to MAGNIFY HIM above our troubles and see only His helping hand in every situation.
In Psalms chapter 34 and verse 4 it says, “I sought the LORD, and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears.” We need to seek the Lord in our times of troubles and look to Him for our help. Psalms 69:30 says,” I will praise the name of God with a song, and will MAGNIFY Him with thanksgiving.” When we praise and thank God for being their for us in our times of need and our times of gladness,….when we like Joseph in the Bible, thank God for every situation we find our selves in, we can have peace of mind that God will come through for us.
When Paul and Silas were thrown into prison they didn’t sit there and gripe and say WHY ME….why did we get put into prison…were people of God… how could God let this happen to us!!!!! No… instead they sang the praises of God. They MAGNIFIED the LORD in their situation and the Bible says that the earth shook and their shackles opened up and the doors of the prison opened up for them. There is POWER in magnifying the Lord in our lives Psalms 40 and verse 16 says, “Let all those that seek you rejoice and be glad in you; let such as love thy salvation say continually, THE LORD BE MAGNIFIED!
So the next time you find yourself in a hard place in your life, be a Paul and Silas…. sing praises and MAGNIFY the Lord and see His mighty hand come to help you. And as Psalms 35 and verse 28 says,” My tongue shall speak of YOUR righteousness and of YOUR praise all the day long!”

excerpted from Living Truth website “Magnify The Lord”

click here to read entire article

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Heavenly Father, thank You for when we choose to magnify You in the midst of our troubles that You are faithful in each and every one. Thank You for the blessings in disguise. May we focus on You so that we may find them…in Jesus’ name, AMEN!!!

Completely

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I’m feeling so small
Standing here weeping
As I’m coming clean
Of the secrets I’m keeping
I’ve caused so much pain
To the ones I love most
And I’m falling apart
As I carry my heart to Your throne

I am completely surrendering
Finally giving You everything
You’re my Redeemer, I run to the Cross
Because You are more than enough
Lord, complete me
‘Cause I’m Yours completely

I’m letting go
There’s nothing I own
The treasures I held
Just weighed down my soul
And there’s nothing left
Inside of me
But a longing for You
And a longing to be the man that You need

I let Your gifts take the place of You
But You pulled up my selfishness from its roots
I am a broken and fragile me
But I’m where You want me to be

Performed by Among The Thirsty
Songwriters: Ryan Squitieri and Stephanie Lewis

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Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to Your name be the glory,
because of Your love and faithfulness.
Psalm 115:1

Let’s say it’s one of your children’s birthdays and you’ve gotten them the gift that they’ve always wanted. You saved and saved and searched and shopped and finally found the gift that’s on the top of the list. They unwrap it and scream with excitement. They go on and on about how much they wanted it and dreamed about it and then they take it and put it in their room. They go about their business, unwrapping the rest of the presents and finish the cake and ice cream. What did they forget? Oh yes, they never thanked you for the gift! How would you be feeling about now? I know! Totality unappreciated and forgotten and you would really have your feelings hurt. I would. They loved the gift and forgot the giver.

Turn my heart toward Your statutes and not toward selfish gain.
Psalm 119:36

Often we do the same thing. We focus so much on the blessings—actually put more importance on them—than the blesser. Just like the song says…we let His gifts take the place of Him, yet He keeps on giving. He gives us all we need, yet we worry about whether we will have enough. As you listen to this song, I encourage you to lay it all at His feet and surrender everything to Him. Not just the hard things that you are going through but the gifts that He continues to give so that you are open to receive even more of Him.

You are my Portion, O Lord, I have promised to obey Your Words.
Psalm 119:57

When Jesus came and walked the earth as a man and experienced all that we do, He went before us and paved the way. He gave us an example to live by. And when we get overwhelmed by the things of this world, we are to go to the foot of the Cross and surrender our lives to Him. We let Him know what we have done, those we have hurt, and sins we have committed  You say that He knows already, and yes…He does; but we still need to voice it to the Savior.

Don’t let the enemy keep you in shame of the past. God has called you for so much more than  that. As a wise lady said in her talk at our women’s ministry brunch:

“The enemy calls us by our shame, but Jesus calls us by our name.”
Stephanie Payne

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Let us pray: Dearest Heavenly Father, You are so awesome. You love us so much. You know everything there is to know about us and still You love us so much. You wait on us to come to You and tell You all about what is going on in our lives. You love to just sit with us. Oh Lord, forgive us when we focus so much on the blessings and the gifts and forget to keep our eyes on You. We forget to thank You for this amazing life that You have called us to. Keep us close, Lord, give us so much love for others that we are overflowing.  May we continue to be a witness to all who still are struggling. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Everything I Need

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When every step is so hard to take
And all of my hope is fading away
When life is a mountain that I cannot climb
You carry me, Jesus carry me

You are strength in my weakness
You are the refuge I seek
You are everything in my time of need
You are everything, You are everything I need

When every moment is more than I can take
And all of my strength is slipping away
When every breath gets harder to breathe 
You carry me, Jesus carry me

I need You
You are everything I need
I love everything about You

You are strength in my weakness
You are the refuge I seek
You are everything in my time of need
You are everything, You are everything I need

Jon Michah Sumrall, Dave Lubben  ~ Kutless

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Father, when life gets to be too overwhelming it’s Your refuge I seek. You are all that I need!

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ
may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults,
hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV

It is in our weaknesses that we are made strong through Christ. Jesus is all we need. He is the strength in our weakness. God is our everything in our time of need.

I will love You, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I will call upon the LORD, Who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies. The pangs of death surrounded me,
And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
Psalms 18:1-4

Jesus is the one who carries us when we feel as though our strength is slipping away. It is in these moments that we must turn our focus back to Him.

I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13 NKJV

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Heavenly Father, I thank You that You are my strength in ALL my weakness and it is in my weakness that You make me strong.  You are my everything!  Father, I need You!  Thank You for Your faithfulness to see me through to the victory that lies ahead.  In Jesus’ name, Amen!!!

I Never Lost My Praise

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I lost some good friends along life’s way
Some loved ones departed in heaven to stay but
Thank God I didn’t lose everything
I’ve lost faith in people who said they care,
The time of my crisis they were never there
But in my disappointment in my season of pain
One thing never wavered, one thing never changed

I never lost my hope, I never lost my joy,
I never lost my faith but, most of all, I never lost my praise

I’ve let some blessings slip away, and I lost my focus
And went astray, but thank God I didn’t lose everything
I’ve lost possessions that were so dear
And I lost some battles by walking in fear
But in the midst of my struggle, in my season of pain
One thing never wavered, one thing never changed

I never lost my hope, I never lost my joy,
I never lost my faith but, most of all, I never lost my praise
Praise, praise, praise, praise…most of all, I never lost my praise

My praise, still here, my praise still here

Hallelujah! My praise is still here

Songwriter – Kurt Carr/ Performed by the Charlotte Central Church of God Choir

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Oh, can you picture Job singing this song?  He lost loved ones and possessions.  He  lost faith in people who said they care and in his time of crisis they were never there.   But one thing never wavered…one thing never changed—he never lost his hope…he never lost his faith…he never lost his praise.

There aren’t too many records throughout the Scriptures which depict someone more deeply grieved and in mourning than the story of Job “…a blameless and upright man, fears God and turns away from evil.”  Right off in chapter one, we read of the horrific loss that Job experienced.   Job was a man blessed by his God with “seven sons and three daughters; 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very great body of servants.” The Scriptures tell us that “this man was the greatest of all the men of the East.” But, as we know, Satan purposed to take all that Job had in order to tempt him (verse 11) to turn away from and curse his God.  In one day, within a very short period of time, Job learns that all his flocks, practically every one of his servants, and each of his children has been taken from him.  However, Satan’s purpose was foiled because, “Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God” (verse 22).  Job kept his heart of worship and praise; his response to all this?

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head.
Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
Job 1:20-22

He never lost his praise.

As the woman who sings this song shared with us, in her time of sadness and loss, God taught her about the ‘sacrifice of praise.’   (Listen to her heart starting at :18 to 1:19.)

She never lost her praise.

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.
Hebrews 13:15

Probably each of us has offered a ‘sacrifice of praise’ at least once or twice in our lives…yes?  However, I am confronted by the higher standard that Hebrews 13:15 states: “let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise….”  Other versions of this verse use the terms, ‘continually…always.’  That doesn’t leave much room for wiggling out of obedience, now does it?

We are to constantly {always, continually, at all times} give to God our praise as a sacrifice—whether our circumstances are happy and joy-filled or not.  Even in those times where it looks like there is nothing left, we are to acknowledge all He has done, is doing, and will do to take care of us.  And when we struggle to maintain our joy and peace we can still praise God for Who He is…He never changes (Malachi 3:6).  He never leaves us nor forsakes us (Deuteronomy 31:8).  He loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3)…which nothing can separate us from (Romans 8:38-39).  We should always praise Him for those things…and much, much, much more!  I believe that then we, too, will sing…

I never lost my praise.

Hold Me

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv
I love, I love, I love, I love the way You hold me
I love, I love, I love, I love the way You hold me
I love, I love, I love, I love the way You hold me
I love, I love, I love, I love the way You, the way You

I’ve had a long day, I just wanna relax
Don’t have time for my friends, no time to chit-chat
Problems at my job, wonderin’ what to do
I know I should be working but I’m thinking of You and
Just when I feel this crazy world is gonna bring me down
That’s when Your smile comes around

Oh, I love the way You hold me, by my side You’ll always be
You take each and every day, make it special in some way
I love the way You hold me, in Your arms I’ll always be
You take each and every day, make it special in some way
I love You more than the words in my brain can express
I can’t imagine even loving You less

Lord, I love the way You hold me
Whoa, oh, I love the way You hold me
Whoa, oh

Well ya, took my day and You flipped it around
Calmed the tidal wave and put my feet on the ground
Forever in my heart, always on my mind
It’s crazy how I think about You all of the time
And just when I think I’m ’bout to figure You out
You make me wanna sing and shout

I’m so grateful and thankful for all You’ve done
Wish I could tell You in a short story or poem
But all I have is my voice and this guitar
And You have my heart

Oh, I love
I love, I love, I love, I love the way You hold me
I love, I love, I love, I love the way You hold me
I love, I love, I love, I love the way You hold me, hold me, hold me

Written and Sung by Jamie Grace and Toby McKeehan along with Chris Stevens

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Where do you run when you have one of those days?  To Jesus???  He is our comfort….

“Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28 NLT

“Gracious ‘word’ of a gracious Savior, on which the soul may confidingly repose, and be at peace forever! It is a present rest—the rest of grace as well as the rest of glory. Not only are there signals of peace hung out from the walls of Heaven—the lights of Home glimmering in the distance to cheer our footsteps; but we have the “shadow” of this “great Rock!” in a present “weary land.” Before the Throne above is there “the sea of glass,” without one rippling wave; but there is a haven even on earth for the tempest-tossed, “We who have believed DO enter into rest.”

(I love this word picture! It is taken from gracegems.org.  Click on the link to read more of this article.)

And He said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Exodus 33:14 ESV

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Heavenly Father, I thank You that when it has been one of those days, we can find comfort and peace in You!  I love the way You hold me.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!!!

Blessed Be The Name of the Lord

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be the name of the Lord Most High
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be the name of the Lord Most High

The name of the Lord is a strong tower
The righteous run into it and they are saved
The name of the Lord is a strong tower
The righteous run into it and they are saved

Glory to the name of the Lord
Glory to the name of the Lord
Glory to the name of the Lord Most High
Glory to the name of the Lord
Glory to the name of the Lord
Glory to the name of the Lord Most High

Holy is the name of the Lord
Holy is the name of the Lord
Holy is the name of the Lord Most High
Holy is the name of the Lord
Holy is the name of the Lord
Holy is the name of the Lord Most High

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be the name of the Lord Most High
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be the name of the Lord Most High

Written by Clinton Utterbach

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Ever want to run away and hide? Pull the covers over your head—and not come out? Yep, been there, done that. In fact, the last couple of weeks I have felt like that. A LOT! But in the quiet moments I found this chorus running repeatedly through my head. It is taken from Proverbs 18:10 (HCSB).

The name of Yahweh is a strong tower;
the righteous run to it and are protected.

Other versions use the word ‘safe’ in place of ‘protected’.  But I like the image of being protected.  Can’t you just picture the Lord standing in front of us, wielding His mighty sword, daring anyone to touch us?  It is so reassuring to know that when the trials and struggles of this world attempt to bring us down, we have a secure place to run and hide.  Job 11:18 (NLT) tells us, “Having hope will give you courage.  You will be protected and will rest in safety.” Proverbs 29:25 (HCSB) says , “The fear of man is a snare, but the one who trusts in the Lord is protected.” When we have hope in the Lord we have nothing to fear…we are protected. We can rest in peace. Hallelujah! I love how Psalm 61:3 (HCSB) puts it:

…For You have been a refuge for me, a strong tower in the face of the enemy.

Whatever the enemy may be, the Lord is our Refuge and our protection. We just need to remember to run to Him.

Call It Grace

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

hi there!  i would love to encourage you to listen to the entire length of the video attached below.  the first few minutes are a wonderful sharing by Chad Mattson of Unspoken about the impact God’s grace has made in his life.  if perhaps you don’t have the time right now, click ahead to 6:45 where the song begins.  <3

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It’s the light that pierces through you
To the darkest hidden place
It knows your deepest secrets
But it never looks away
It’s the gentle hand that pulls you
From the judgement of the crowd
When you stand before them guilty
And you got no way out

Some may call it foolish and impossible
But for every heart it rescues, it’s a miracle
It’s nothing less than scandalous
This Love that took our place
Just call it what it is, call it grace
Call it grace

It’s the breath that’s breathing new life
Into what we thought was dead
It’s the Favor that takes orphans
Placing crowns upon their heads
It’s the Hope for our tomorrow
The Rock on which we stand
It’s a strong and mighty fortress
Even hell can’t stand against

Amazing, unshaking
This is grace, this is grace
Unchanging, unfailing
This is grace, this is grace

Written and Performed by
Unspoken, Chad Mattson, Mike Gomez, Jon Lowry, and Ariel Munoz

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I just love the attributes attached to grace that the guys of Unspoken sing about—amazing…unshaking…unchanging…unfailing—don’t you?  Grace IS each of these things because the Giver of grace, our Sovereign Almighty God, IS all of those things.

The following are a few passages from the New Testament that are so encouraging and humbling as they remind us of the grace God has shown to us!  Each of them speaks clearly of the  ‘amazing, unshaking (steadfast, unwavering), unchanging, unfailing’ nature of our great God.

So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the Promise the unchangeable character of His purpose, He guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.
Hebrews 6:17-19

So too at the present time there is a remnant, selected (chosen) by grace (by God’s unmerited favor and graciousness).
But if it is by grace (His unmerited favor and graciousness), it is no longer conditioned on works or anything men have done. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace [it would be meaningless].
For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. [He never withdraws them when once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.]
Romans 11:5-6, 29 AMP

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:4-9

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, has given grace upon grace upon grace to His people throughout the ages.  He always has been and always will be a grace-giving God!  Truly our eternal future is totally dependent on the truth and fact that He IS  ‘amazing, unshaking (steadfast, unwavering), unchanging, unfailing’

There is a famous quote attributed to a 16th century believer, John Bradford. Whether Bradford truly is the one who spoke this phrase into infamy or not, I believe we all have voiced a similar thought many times!

“There but for the grace of God go I!”

Perhaps the world considers this a fatalistic way of thinking…but the Apostle Paul believed just the same thing.  Paul clearly recognized the value and magnitude of the grace that was given to him!  Writing to the Corinthian church regarding Jesus’ appearances after His Resurrection, he said:

He <Jesus>appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles,
and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain;
but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
1 Corinthians 15:8-10

And we too, who are recipients of MUCH of God’s amazing, unshakable, unchanging, unfailing grace, know this is a foundational truth of our lives.  ‘But for the grace of God’ each of our lives would look much different!  (I hear your ‘Amen!’)  Grace cannot be earned…so just call it what it is—Call It Grace!

May I pray the final benediction given in the Scriptures over each of you…
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.  Amen.
Revelation 22:21