Stanley Simpson

Tell Your Heart to Beat Again

The next entry for my Blog is Tell Your Heart to Beat Again, which was written by Bernie Herms, Matthew West, and Randy Phillips. The song was initially released January 8, 2016. A link to Danny Gokey performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Tell Your Heart to Beat Again

You’re shattered
Like you’ve never been before
The life you knew
In a thousand pieces on the floor
And words fall short in times like these
When this world drives you to your knees
You think you’re never gonna get back
To the you that used to be

Tell your heart to beat again
Close your eyes and breathe it in
Let the shadows fall away
Step into the light of grace
Yesterday’s a closing door
You don’t live there anymore
Say goodbye to where you’ve been
And tell your heart to beat again

Beginning
Just let that word wash over you
It’s alright now
Love’s healing hands have pulled you through
So get back up, take step one
Leave the darkness, feel the sun
‘Cause your story’s far from over
And your journey’s just begun

Let every heartbreak
And every scar
Be a picture that reminds you
Who has carried you this far
‘Cause love sees farther than you ever could
In this moment heaven’s working
Everything for your good

Oh, so tell your heart to beat again

This is a song about the loss of a loved one and suggestions on how to somewhat recover from that loss. Note that I do not even pretend to know how each of you are impacted by a significant loss such as this, I am just sharing my views. The singer of this song actually lost his wife at an early age and this is his story. Just imagine losing the one person in your life who you loved the most and who felt the same about you. Many of you have perhaps had to live through this situation already. As this happens, the world around you just shatters and comes crashing down in small pieces. There are no words that bring comfort and no embrace that can fill your empty and broken heart. At this point in time, you probably can’t even imagine making it through today, much less tomorrow. The whole weight of the world has suddenly fallen upon your shoulders as you crumble to your knees. One of the biggest challenges for us, is how do we rise out of the deep dark pit of loss and our intense feeling of loneliness? Our emotions are out of control and our desire to live seems to be fading away. We may have many friends who love us, but even their tears and their embraces bring us little hope.

Psalm 121:1-2 can provide us hope in these times of anguish. “I lift my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” I realize there is a period of grief we must all go through as we experience our loss, but there also comes a turning point as we start to open our eyes to life once again. The chorus of the song is delivered with such power and with a strong message of encouragement and direction. At some point, we need to realize that we must rise from our knees and take that first step into our changed future. We have to almost tell our lungs to breathe and our hearts to beat again; and we have to look to the light that only God can provide. He is there to give us strength and comfort and to take our hand as we begin our new journey. This strength may be felt through our prayers, our family, and our friends. I know that God listens to our prayers and I also believe that he brings the right people into our lives at the right time. The sooner we put God in control, the sooner we can start our new future. We will always have the past with us as a heartfelt memory, but we must go forward and not let the past dictate our future. The hardest part is taking that first step into your new future and driving your heart to beat again. In the book of Isaiah 41:13, we are told that God will help us when we are ready to move forward, “For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”

As we start our lives over, it is like a new beginning. We are starting over and starting to find our way out of the darkness. God has been with us every step of the journey through our darkness and loneliness, and he gives us his love as he prepares us for that first step. He is there to lead us, to guide us, and to love us. As we take our first steps into our new future; we start to leave the darkness and feel the bright sunlight shining on our face. It is a time of building a new future and beginning the next chapter in our lives. We have to learn to deal with the conversations around our loss, how we handle dinner invitations when we are now alone for the first time, how we go to events, and how we completely restructure our lives. Perhaps Matthew 6:34 gives us some of the best guidance regarding one day at a time, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” It is not only a new beginning for us, but also for those around us. It may be the first time we have paid attention to just how many people care about us and how they have been there supporting us during our deepest darkest hours.

Our heartbreak will never go away, but it doesn’t mean we can’t go on living. Our loss has taught us lessons about cherishing every moment of every day; take nothing for granted. Yes, we will have the scars of our loss forever, but we have also learned to keep walking forward no matter what life throws at us. Every moment of our past means even more and every memory is more precious than we could have ever imagined. We must look to the future and the path that God lays before us. We can have hope once again as God opens the new doors of our future and helps us close the doors of the past. We will never be alone, God tells us this in Matthew 28:20; “and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

Maybe, as others hear about the scars on our heart and soul, we may be able to help them find their way and continue their story.

Click to Hear Danny Gokey Sing Tell My Heart to Beat Again

How Great Thou Art

The next entry for my Blog is How Great Thou Art, which was written by Karl Gustav Boberg and was modified by Stuart Hine. The song was initially released Mar 13, 1886. A link to Carrie Underwood performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

How Great Thou Art

Oh Lord, my God
When I, in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration
And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

Well, I have finally selected a song that has been on my heart for a very long time. I have always been hesitant to take on this song since it is so powerful and so well known.

I believe that most of us have at sometime in our life, stopped to admire a stunning sunset, a stream gurgling its way through the woods, and maybe a glorious sunrise as we awaken to a new day. Unfortunately, we rarely take the time to take in everything that has happened in our lives and how we have been positively impacted by others. How many times have you stopped and just thanked God for everything he has done? Many times, we think about family, friends, possessions, and maybe places we have been; but we don’t take the time to thank God for all he has done for us. In this song, I believe the writer has taken the time to think about all that God has done and he is blown away. He is not just thinking about what is going on around him, but all of creation and how God created the entire universe, the stars, the planets and even the sheer power of a thunderstorm. All of this created by the hand of God!

As the writer thinks about this great power, he starts singing from deep inside. He is not talking about singing along with others in church or singing along with the radio, but it is a voice from deep within; a voice from his very soul that is worshipping our Lord and Savior. Such a powerful and moving chorus. It is as if he is finally realizing how great and powerful our God is and that nothing is impossible for him. This powerful refrain occurs three times in the song and it seems as if it builds in strength and power throughout the song.

God created this world for mankind and it was a perfect world with everything we could ever need. Unfortunately, mankind started listening to the temptations offered by the devil and lost their perfect place on earth. They traded their perfect lives for an imperfect world that was overcome with sin. Many people totally turned their backs on God and lost their relationship with him. Over time, as God watched his creation continue to wander away from him, he knew it was time to take action to bring his people back. He wanted us to sense his presence always, no matter where we were or what we had done. To accomplish this objective, God sent a piece of himself, his only son, to come to earth. This son, named Jesus, came to show God’s love; and then had to suffer and die on the cross so that all of us could restore our relationship with God. Jesus was nailed to the cross as the ultimate sacrifice for all of our sins; and this was done just so we could once again have a harmonious relationship with God. This is the real definition of true love. The only action required of us to rebuild our relationship with God and secure eternal life with him in heaven, is to accept Jesus as our personal savior and recognize that his earthly death secured our eternal life in heaven. God loved us enough to give us his only son so that all of our wrongdoings would be erased for eternity. John 3:16 tells us of God’s love; “For this is how God loved the world, He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

The even better news is that the story has not ended, we are still waiting for God’s next step; which he has promised. Jesus, the son of God, who died on the cross for our wrongdoings; is coming back one more time! We are told that the trumpets will sound as Jesus and the angels come back to earth. Everyone alive who has yet to accept Jesus as their personal savior will get one more chance for eternal life and a reunion with friends and family who are already in heaven. We find this in 1 Thes 4:16-17: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” I can’t even imagine what that moment will be like for those who are alive when it happens. I envision everyone who accepts Jesus at this time, will be falling to their knees in adoration and wonder and then be swept away into heaven with him.

My God, how great thou art!

Same Power

The Gospel

With Lifted Hands

Thank God I Do

The next entry for my Blog is Thank God I Do, which was written by Alecia B. Moore, Jason David Ingram, Jeffrey Bhasker, Lauren Ashley Daigle, and Nathaniel Ruess. The song was initially released March 8, 2023. A link to Lauren Daigle performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Thank God I Do

I’ve seen love come and I’ve seen love walk away
So many questions, will anybody stay?
It’s been a hard year, so many nights in tears
All of the darkness, tryin’ to fight my fears

Alone
So long alone

I don’t know who I’d be if I didn’t know You
I’d probably fall off the edge
I don’t know where I’d go if You ever let go
So keep me held in Your hands

I’ve started breathing, the weight is lifted here
With you it’s easy, my head is finally clear
There’s nothin’ missing when You are by my side
I took the long road, but now I realize

I’m home
With You, I’m home

I don’t know who I’d be if I didn’t know You
I’d probably fall off the edge
I don’t know where I’d go if You ever let go
So keep me held in Your hands
I don’t know who I’d be if I didn’t know You
I’d probably fall off the edge
I don’t know where I’d go if You ever let go
So keep me held in Your hands

You’re my safe place, my hideaway
You’re my anchor, my saving grace
You’re my constant, my steadiness
You’re my shelter, my oxygen

I don’t know who I’d be if I didn’t know You
Thank God I do

Have you been in love before and believed that the relationship you were in was going to last forever? If/When our first love doesn’t work out, we are just devastated and initially think we will never love again and may never feel loved again. Maybe we go through this cycle multiple times in our lives and start to wonder, will I ever find that right one? How many times will my heart be broken? People that enter this seemingly endless and vicious cycle just want to give up; they just can’t imagine living through yet another broken relationship. Every night becomes a sad night, a night of sadness, and a night of tears. Have you been there and felt this intense loneliness and heartbreak that just sucks the life out of you? Even worse is you feel as if you are all alone and every minute of feeling this way seems like an eternity.

The good news is that love, hope, and warmth can be found through faith, faith in Jesus Christ as our lord and savior. He will never leave us and we are told this in the book of Deuteronomy 31:8, “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.” All we need to do is reach out our hearts and our hands to Christ and he will wrap his arms around us and fill us with hope and love. So many people try to find their own way and their way leads them to drugs, to alcohol, false hopes, and into despair and they may ultimately fall over the edge that is referenced by the song. The weight of our sorrow and loneliness is so great that we struggle to breathe, to survive, and just to take another step. The words of the song encourage us to keep holding the hand of God and he will keep us from falling into the pit of despair and from falling over the proverbial edge.

As we start to realize that we are never alone and that we have the power of God supporting us, we start feeling a glimmer of hope. We can start to live again and dream about a new beginning of hope, the sun is finally lighting up the sky as the clouds of despair disappear. We can finally take those deep breaths and feel our lungs fill with the air of relief as opposed to the shortness of breath we felt during our despair. At the same time, we start to realize that we are never alone and will never be alone again. It doesn’t mean that our path will always be smooth and that every dream will come true, but we will never be alone and there will always be hope through God and his son. The sad part is that so many of us get lost and struggle for so long before we ever bring God into our lives. We traveled through the valley of despair and darkness for a long time before we asked for help from the only source that can hold us, love us, and guide us. The path to this realization can be a very long one, but God’s response is immediate once we turn it all over to him.

Once we feel the presence of the hand of God, we realize we will never be alone and that at long last, we are home and in the company of someone who truly loves us, who will never reject us, and will never let go. He becomes our safe place, a place where we can escape from the world and find peace. We may have friends or family that change and move on with their lives and leave us alone, but the bible tells that Jesus never changes, which means his love for us is forever and that his commitment to us is unwavering. Hebrews 13:8 tells us that “Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” You may turn your back on Jesus, the son of God, who should be your best friend, but he will never turn his back on you. When you are looking for that hand to lift you up, his hand is already extended to you, all you have to do is grab his hand then feel the peace that only he can bring.

Notice in the song where the writer describes God as being a safe place, a hideaway, an anchor, a saving grace, a constant, a source of stability, a shelter, and a fresh breath. Aren’t these things we look for in a best friend? Don’t we all desire a best friend or even a group of friends who can provide all of this to us? Isn’t it true that although we expect all of this from our best friends, they can never meet every one of our needs? We all need good friends to turn to, but the only friend we have who can meet our every need is Jesus. Jesus is the only constant we will ever have in our lives. Isn’t it a good feeling to know that even though you feel as if you are on the edge of the precipice of life, there is someone ready to pull you back and give you unconditional love?

Thank God I do.

Click to Hear Lauren Daigle Perform Thank God I Do

First Things First

The next entry for my Blog is First Things First, which was written by Jordan David Ward, Caleb Paul Ward, Jake Hess, and Grant Timothy Bias. The song was initially released March 17, 2023. A link to Consumed by Fire performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

First Things First

All the things that I have held dear
The vanities that whispered in my ear
What would I do if they all disappeared

Riches and fame and all that they could buy
I’ve come to find they never satisfy
What would I gain if my soul’s the price

I don’t wanna love what the world loves
I don’t wanna chase what the world does
I only want you
I only want you

First thing’s first
I seek Your will
Not my own
Surrender all my wants to you
Keep the first thing first
To live Your truth
Walk Your ways
Set my eyes
Lord I fix my face on you
All my desires reversed
To keep the first thing first

I give it all
My life an offering
My heart is yours
So have Your way in me
Your kingdom’s all I wanna seek

I don’t wanna love what the world loves
I don’t wanna chase what the world does
I only want you
I only want you

To keep the first thing first
All my desires reversed
To keep the first thing first
To keep the first thing first

All my desires reversed
To keep the first thing first

If a friend took a close look at you, what would your friend say are your primary drivers in your life? Then take a good look at yourself, what are the everyday things in life that are most important to you? I am thinking you may come up with items such as friends, family, close relationships, jobs, money, retirement, your next car, your next place to live, or maybe that special someone in your life. Some more personal things may be your clothes, your looks, fame, and even how you fit into the world. Now, think about your view of the world around you and what you are willing to do to just fit into the crowd. Are your really happy with all aspects of your life or do you feel as if you are constantly chasing happiness and trying to escape regret?

This song then asks an extremely thought provoking question, what if everyone and everything you listed above just disappears? As you answered the questions above; was God, your faith, and your salvation part of the list? If not, then that should quickly tell you that your focus is on the wrong things. Everything I listed is temporary except for the eternal life that we gain by accepting Christ as our personal savior. I John 2:16 tells us that we cannot truly love this world and love God. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

The initial lyrics of the song references all of what we perceived to be the best things in life, but having what we perceive to be all without putting our faith in God, only makes us continue to search for true peace and happiness. The reality sinks in along the way and as the song says, we can only gain eternal hope and happiness through faith in God and the plan of salvation he offers us. Once we have accepted God’s plan and accepted his son as our savior, he will meet our every need. This is validated in Matthew 6:25-34: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. This doesn’t mean we can’t have nice things, homes, cars, great friends, or a wonderful family; it just means that we need to seek God first and let him guide us in each of our decisions so we can achieve the eternal happiness that he wants each of us to have.

The chorus of this song is extremely powerful and tells us what we need to do. We must start and then continue putting first things first. Open your heart to God, read the bible to find out how he works in us, and talk to him in prayer to understand what he expects of each of us. Turn away from the sins and temptations of the world, and turn your eyes and heart toward God. Ask God to show you the way he has chosen for you instead of you trying to find the right paths. As the song says, give God your all and he will direct your path. This doesn’t mean you turn away from everything and everyone in your life, but it is asking you to turn your eyes and heart to God first and let him guide you along the right path instead of you finding your own way. Our way will never give us eternal life, it only takes us from the day we are born to the day we physically die. God’s way gives us our period of time on earth, and then an eternity with him. All we have to do is accept his son, Jesus Christ, as our personal savior. Accepting Christ does not make you perfect, it does not mean you will not make mistakes in life; but it does mean you have an eternal life in heaven and not just a temporary life on earth

It is time to make first things first and seek God’s will instead of our own. We must put our trust in God and the path he wants us to take. The good news is that we are told in many places in the bible that God, via his son Jesus, will never leave us once we put our faith in him. Hebrews 13:5 states, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.“ None of us can ever achieve true happiness until we can put First Things First and put our lives in the hands of God and his son.

We all need to decide if we want to live for today or do we want to live for eternity. Isn’t it time to put first things first?

Click to Hear Consumed by Fire Sing First Things First

God is in this Story

The next entry for my Blog is God is in this Story, which was written by Jeff Pardo, Ethan Gregory Hulse, and Katy Nichole. The song was initially released June 10,2022. A link to Katy Nicole and Big Daddy Weave performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

God is in this Story

There’s torn up pages in this book
Words that tell me I’m no good
Chapters that defined me for so long
But the hands of grace and endless love
Dusted off and picked me up
Told my heart that hope is never gone

God is in this story
God is in the details
Even in the broken parts
He holds my heart, He never fails
When I’m at my weakest
I will trust in Jesus
Always in the highs and lows
The One who goes before me
God is in this story

So if the storm you’re walking through
Feels like it’s too much and you
Wonder if He even cares at all
Well, hold on tight to what you know
He promised He won’t let you go
Your song of healing’s written in His scars

If it reads like addiction
If it reads like disease
He’s the One who frees the prisoner
He’s the healer of all things
If it reads like depression
If it reads broken home
He’s the One who holds your sorrow
He won’t leave you here alone

Always in the highs and lows
The One who goes before me
God is in this story (you’re in this story)
God is in my story (right here in my story)

Have you ever really stopped and thought about everything that has gone on in your life? I know that many of us refer to a chapter in our life or reflect on the many experiences we have had over the years. Suppose all of this was documented in a book, what story would it tell? What would be the theme of your life story? How does each chapter begin and end and what caused you to fail or succeed in each chapter? I believe this song encourages each of us to take the time and answer these questions.

The song starts out by referring to torn pages. When I see this, it makes me think of books where the pages have been dog-eared, high-lighted, and perhaps torn at times. The cover is probably torn as well. These are indicators of constantly referring back to the same pages over and over again. In our lives, don’t we often seem to be caught in a roundabout? Maybe it is a series of bad relationships, choosing the wrong friends, difficulty in the work place, poor decisions, or just that we can’t seem to escape the situations we get into. These reoccurring events in our lives are the worn out pages in our story. We become so defined by our past, that we really don’t focus on what we could be and how we could turn around our lives. The end result is we spend too much time dwelling on our past instead of focusing on how to get out of our rut and becoming who God wants us to be.

The good news is that Christ is always there to pick us up whenever we decide to accept his outstretched hands. He knows the stories of our past, because he was with us every chapter in our story. Not only does Christ know the chapters, but he also knows the most intimate details of every chapter; most importantly he knows how our story ends. Jesus was always there with his outstretched hands that we did not accept because we either forgot him or decided we didn’t need him. We may think we are lost forever, but Christ is always there to love us; no matter what we have done wrong or how many times we have made mistakes. His love never fails and he never gives up on us. We are told in Matthew 28:31 to give all of our burdens to him. “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Once we adhere to and accept this verse, we can move on to the next chapter in our life.

As you enter into that next storm thinking you are alone and that no one cares about you, take the hands that Christ has extended to you and feel his arms around you. He promised to never ever let us go. It is at this time that you will realize that you are not alone, have never been alone, and can start focusing on tomorrow instead of repeating yesterday. Feel the comfort in his love and the nail scarred hands that he has because of each of us. As we face addiction, sickness, depression, rejection; know that you never face these alone and walking with Christ will keep these events from being the dog-eared chapters in your life. It doesn’t mean our lives will be easy and that we will not stumble, but we will never be alone when we realize that God is in our story. The good news is that he is with us even before our story begins and stays with us until the last chapter is complete. 1 John 5:4 tells us that God has overcome the world and with our faith in him, we too shall have final victory and spend eternity with him. “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”

Put your faith in Jesus and make him an integral part of your story.

Click to Hear Katy Nicole and Big Daddy Weave Sing God is in this Story

The Commission

The next entry for my Blog is The Commission, which was written by David Neesmith, Carter Frodge, Madison Cain, Taylor Cain, and Logan Cain. The song was initially released December 11, 2021. A link to Cain performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

The Commission

See my hands and look at my feet
It’s okay if it’s hard to believe
I have faith you will do greater things
It’s my time to go but before I leave

Go tell the world about me
I was dead but now I live
I’ve gotta go now for a little while
But goodbye is not the end

Don’t forget the things that I taught you
I’ve conquered death and I hold the keys
Where I go you will go too, someday
But there’s much to do here before you leave

Go tell the world about me
I was dead but now I live
I’ve gotta go now for a little while
But goodbye is not the

End of the journey, the end of the road
My spirit is with you wherever you go
You have a purpose and I have a plan
I’ll make you this promise
I’ll come back again but until then

Go tell the world about me
I was dead but now I live
I’ve gotta go now for a little while
But goodbye is not the end

go tell them about me
(Go tell the world) I’ve gotta go
(Go tell the world) for a little while
But goodbye is not the end

I write a lot of Blog entries focused on becoming a Christian and what Christ can do in our lives, but have never really written much about what Christ expects of each of us who have accepted him as our personal savior. I believe this song provides definition around Christ’s expectations of us.

The very first line has us drawing our attention to the sacrifice Christ made for us, he was nailed to the cross and died for our sins. He knows that it is perfectly normal, as human beings, to doubt that it would be Christ standing in front of any of us. He then makes an amazing statement, he who has conquered death says, “I know you will do even greater things.” Wow, stop and give that some thought! My first thought is, you have to be kidding, how can any of us possibly accomplish more than Christ?

The simple statement that follows, in the first line of the chorus, is to basically tell the world about him. He is asking us to essentially tell his story since he will be leaving them, but he did promise to return again one day, so it was more of “I will see you later” as opposed to “this is good bye.” This is the same commission Christ gives all of us in Matthew 28:16-20. ¹⁶Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”.

He doesn’t just ask us to go out into the world without preparation. To be successful in our task, we are firstly told to focus on the things Christ has taught us. Each of us needs to take a quiet time and reflect upon everything we have been taught via his teachings. How we should love everyone, how we should pray for everyone, that we should never be ashamed of his teachings, and that we proclaim his word wherever we go. Many of these things he has commanded us to do will take us outside of our comfort zone. Take a minute or two and reflect on these things we are told to do and assess your willingness to follow through on his commands for us.

A strong encouragement he gives us is that he conquered death and he now holds the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Those that accept him as their Lord and Savior will join him one day. Jesus knows there is a lot for each of us to do as we try to reach the world around us, but he died for our eternal life, so I don’t think it is an unfair request.

Jesus tells them his time on earth is done, but he leaves us with the Holy Spirit, which dwells in every believer, to guide and comfort us. In John 14:26, we find this promise, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

Another point of note is that we are all given a purpose, but only he knows the plan. For these who believe they know all of God’s plans for them are terribly mistaken, we all want to operate within God’s plan since that is the only valid and successful plan. Jeremiah 26:4 tells us, For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jesus promised eternal life to all of those who accept him as their personal Savior, and he also promised that he would return to the earth one day. We do not know the day of his return, but we all need to work on the commission he has laid out before us. We want to work on The Commission until he takes us home. When we are finally called to our eternal home, wouldn’t it be great to hear our Savior say, “well done my good and faithful servant?”

Click to Hear Cain Sing Great Commission

Hold On To Me

The next entry for my Blog is Hold On To Me, which was written by Lauren Daigle, Paul Brendon Mabury, and Paul Duncan. The song was initially released in 2021. A link to Lauren Daigle performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Hold On To Me

When the best of me is barely breathin’
When I’m not somebody I believe in
Hold on to me

When I miss the light the night has stolen
When I’m slammin’ all the doors You’ve opened
Hold on to me
Hold on to me

Hold on to me when it’s too dark to see You
When I am sure I have reached the end
Hold on to me when I forget I need You
When I let go, hold me again

When I don’t feel like I’m worth defending
When I’m tired of all my pretending
Hold on to me

When I start to break in desperation
Underneath the weight of expectation
Hold on to me
Hold on to me

Hold on to me when it’s too dark to see You (I’ll hold on)
When I am sure I have reached the end
Hold on to me when I forget I need You (I’ll hold on)
When I let go, hold me again

I could rest here in Your arms forever
‘Cause I know nobody loves me better
Hold on to me
Hold on to me

Have you ever gotten the feeling that all you do every day is fight one battle after another just to survive in this world? The battles may be associated with just putting food on the table, dealing with family issues, health, or external influences that just sap all of your energy. You fight these battles every single day and eventually reach the point where you have nothing else to give and all of your emotional and physical strength is gone. You are no longer the person you used to be and are ready to just throw up your hands and say I quit. The person you are ceases to exist in your mind, the world has defeated you, and you cry out to God to hold on to you and not give up on you. Despite where you are in your life, you can still know that God is always there and his arms are always open for you.

When we find ourselves in this situation, we sometimes become focused solely on the negative issues in our lives and view everything that goes on around us with a negative perspective. We do not even try to look for the positive. Many times, windows of light and doors are being opened right in front of us, and we disregard them since we are lost in the morass of darkness we are living in. Our friends try to talk to us and cheer us up, but we just ignore them; we have the attitude of “they just don’t understand.”

The chorus is a desperate plea for help. We may have reached a point where we are just ready to leave this world via suicide or perhaps give into the call of drugs that give us short term relief before a final addiction ends our life. The plea to God is that even though I have forgotten you, please wrap your arms around me and never let me go. In the book of Deuteronomy 31:8, we find these words, “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.”

As we start to question the value of our life, maybe we have the attitude of “why bother” and why should my friends continue to try and bring me out of this deep hole, I am just not worth the wasted effort. We just feel as if we are putting up a façade to everyone else, but fading away and giving up on the inside. We can no longer handle the weight of the burdens as we try to carry them alone nor can we meet the expectations of all of those around us. The good news is that our savior is there to help us with your heavy load. We are told in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. “

I really like the way she closes out this song; because at the end she has once again found peace, comfort, and love; all coming from our heavenly father. She recognizes that her focus should only be on him since he is the only one who can solve our problems and loves us more than anyone else ever could. The great news for us, is not only does God love us, but has a plan for us! This comfort is found in the book of Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to give you hope and a future”. We need to try and remember to look to God first as opposed to viewing him as our last hope.

Click to hear Lauren Daigle Sing Hold On To Me

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