Stanley Simpson

Little Drummer Boy

The next entry for my Blog is Little Drummer Boy, which was written by ‎ Katherine K. Davis in 1941. A link to Pentatonix performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Little Drummer Boy

Come they told me
Pa rum pum pum pum
A new born King to see,
Pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring
Pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King
Pa rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum
So to honor Him
Pa rum pum pum pum,
When we come.

Little Baby
Pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too,
Pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring
Pa rum pum pum pum
That’s fit to give our King
Pa rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum
Shall I play for you!
Pa rum pum pum
On my drum.

Mary nodded
Pa rum pum pum pum
The ox and lamb kept time
Pa rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him
Pa rum pum pum
I played my best for Him
Pa rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum
Then He smiled at me
Pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum.

Ok, I know this is not necessarily considered a Christian song, but I believe there is a very nice message when you stop and think about what is being sung. The little boy who played the drum was asked to come and play before a new born king. I have to think that this little drummer didn’t truly realize the magnitude of what he had been asked to do. The song says the others with him are bringing their special gifts to this king to honor him, to show him how important he is to them. Note that the little boy isn’t bringing a specially purchased gift for this infant king, he may have been so young that he didn’t understand the significance of this king and why a gift is even necessary.

As the group arrives at their destination, the little boy sees the infant king lying in a manger in a stable. The little boy has probably had nothing of value his entire life and he assumes this baby lying in the hay is heading for the same life, so a bond is already being formed. The boy sees the gift the others have brought and laid at the feet of the infant king and now he probably feels bad that he didn’t bring a gift, maybe he would have to go without food to get this new king a gift; someone he didn’t even know. He only had one gift to basically share, and that was a song he played on his drum. Perhaps that is how he earned money to eat, playing on the streets of his home. It is interesting in that even though he said he had no gift, the father had given him the ability to play a drum. As Mary, the mother of the infant king, hears the question; she nodded. I am sure she understood the little boy was giving all he had for her son.

A little humor is added when the lyrics reference the ox and lamb keeping time with the drummer, it is almost as if these creatures created by God, knew this was a special time. The little drummer played his very best and was rewarded by the best gift he could ever imagine, a smile from the son of God. The little boy had only a song to bring and the infant king gave him a smile, which was the only thing he could give at this point.

Yes, I basically repeated the lyrics with some additional commentary; but go back and look at the words again and try to apply them to you and your life and the lives of others. There are many who never knew who Jesus was and what he had to offer until someone told them about him. Maybe you went to church all of your life and had heard about Jesus every Sunday, but what of those who have never been to a church, never had a bible, or never heard the message of salvation? This little drummer probably did not understand what just happened to him until later, but what if he had never come to that stable that day? We don’t know if he became a Christian, but to me; the smile on the face of Jesus would be with this little boy forever and hopefully for eternity.

Many people are ashamed when they start thinking about Jesus and what he did for them. They think about all the bad they have done, the people they have hurt, and the fact that they have been keeping their back turned to God. Christ gave his life for us, a bunch of sinners. He gave the ultimate gift so we could spend forever with him and our fellow believers. The little drummer gave all he had when he played his drum. What has Jesus asked of us? He only asks us to accept him as our Lord and Savior, and we will spend eternity with him. He gave us this life on earth and all he asks in return for eternal life is to become his children. So, the little drummer boy gave all he had, Jesus gave his life, and all we have to do is accept him as our sacrifice.

Even though this little drummer boy is not in our bibles and maybe we have only heard about him in this song, I would like for you to think about how you too can give all you have to Christ. Hopefully he will put a smile on your face!

Click to Hear Pentatonix Sing Little Drummer Boy

What a Beautiful Name

The next entry for my Blog is What a Beautiful Name, which was written by Ben Fielding & Brooke Ligertwood. The song was initially released in 2017. A link to Hillsong performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

What a Beautiful Name

You were the Word at the beginning
One with God the Lord Most High
Your hidden glory in creation
Now revealed in You our Christ

What a beautiful Name it is
What a beautiful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a beautiful Name it is
Nothing compares to this
What a beautiful Name it is
The Name of Jesus

You didn’t want heaven without us
So Jesus You brought heaven down
My sin was great Your love was greater
What could separate us now

What a wonderful Name it is
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a wonderful Name it is
Nothing compares to this
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus

Death could not hold You
The veil tore before You
You silence the boast of sin and grave
The heavens are roaring
The praise of Your glory
For You are raised to life again
You have no rival
You have no equal
Now and forever God You reign
Yours is the kingdom
Yours is the glory
Yours is the Name above all names

What a powerful Name it is
What a powerful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a powerful Name it is
Nothing can stand against
What a powerful Name it is
The Name of Jesus

What do you think of when you hear the name Jesus? What makes this name special and why would anyone say it is a beautiful name, isn’t it just another name? When many people think about beautiful, their thought process focuses on the outward appearance; whereas true beauty is much much more than physical appearance. A person can be beautiful because they are loving, caring, compassionate, sacrificial, and put others before themselves. Thinking of these attributes, which type of person would you rather have around you? Now let’s think about what comes to your mind when you think of Jesus. Of course, we can start with the attributes listed in Isaiah 9:6, “And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”, but this is just the beginning when we start applying attributes to the name of Jesus. The names in Isaiah illustrate the power of God, his compassionate nature, his love as a father, and someone who only wants peace among his children. Take a moment to think of other names or attributes that come mind when you hear the name of Jesus.

We often think of God being around forever and Jesus starting his life on earth, but we are told in John 1:1-4, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Basically, these verses tell us that Jesus was a part of God and with God since the beginning. God loved us enough to let Jesus become flesh so he can walk among us and let us see the true glory of God and who he really is.

He had created us in his image and then gave us a perfect and sinless place to live, and he was there to meet our every need. In spite of having all we needed, we wanted more and gave into the temptations put forward by Satan. Even though his creation had sinned and even though he was probably disappointed, he didn’t want us to spend eternity away from him. Sin had separated us from him since heaven is a place of perfection and with no sin, we would no longer have an eternal home to look forward to. To keep all of us from spending eternity in hell, God sent Jesus to die for all of our sins. Once we accept him as our personal savior, all of our sins are forgiven and we are now able to spend eternity in heaven with the father, since we are now perfect and sinless in his eyes. God hated our sin, but he loved us enough to sacrifice his only son. It had to be a difficult time for God and Jesus since God had to turn his back on Jesus for that brief time on the cross when Jesus took on all of our sins forever. He had to do this because God is perfection and Jesus had just taken on all sin and this caused this temporary break with his own father. We know there is a place in the heavenly kingdom for us because Jesus said in John 14, prior to his crucifixion and resulting resurrection, that he was going to prepare our eternal homes for us in heaven with the father. Christ knew what was ahead, but he still loved us enough to go through the agony of the cross; he couldn’t just turn his back on us since we had no other way to get to heaven.

As Jesus arose from the dead, the people who knew him were completely overwhelmed since I am sure that not all of them were convinced he would be coming back as he said. It wasn’t a matter of not trusting in Jesus, it was the fact that if he had died; who could bring him back to life since they thought he alone had the power to resurrect people from the dead. Jesus conquered the grave and proved that not even death can overcome the power of God. For the Christian, death is just the transition from our temporary home to our eternal home. As Christ rose from the dead, I am sure the angels were rejoicing and that heaven was really rocking; and the devil just tucked his tail realizing he had been defeated once again by the incredible power of the father. There is no one who can rival the power of Jesus and no one else who deserves our praise and glory.

Yes indeed, Jesus is a beautiful, powerful, and wonderful name.

Click to Hear Hillsong Sing What a Beautiful Name

10,000 Reasons

The next entry for my Blog is 10,000 Reasons, which was written by ‎Jonas Myrin‎ and ‎Matt Redman. The song was initially released in 2011. A link to Matt Redman performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)

(Chorus)
Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name

The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning
It’s time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

Chorus

You’re rich in love, and You’re slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

Chorus

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore

Chorus (2)

Jesus, I’ll worship Your holy name
Lord, I’ll worship Your holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name
Jesus, I’ll worship Your holy name
I’ll worship Your holy name

This song is a little different since it starts off with the chorus, but I believe it is intentional in that the chorus reminds us of the way we should be all day every day. In blessing our Lord, we are making him first, we are honoring him, we are letting him know that there is none greater than he, and we are giving him all honor and glory. He gave us the Holy Spirit to stay with us, comfort us, and remind us of his presence. When we bless God, our words and our honoring of him should come from deep within us; it is not the words we say, but the love and thankfulness we express. When we worship him, we are thanking him for what he has done for everyone who has accepted his son as our Savior, how he is there to give us strength in every step we take, and how he brings light into our lives that only he can bring. We should be singing songs of joy, sharing his praises, and letting the whole world know about our God! No where does God say we have to sing well or be eloquent in our words, he just wants us to sing his praises everywhere we go.

As we begin our day, shouldn’t we focus on the most important thing in our lives? The song says that we should start singing our praises as soon as our day begins. I think the key word in this first verse is “again.” This is making the assumption that we ended yesterday praising God, so why not start out the new day praising him? As we encounter the challenges the world throws at us today, we will know that we are not fighting these challenges alone. It doesn’t mean that we won’t face tough times and lose battles along the way, but with God at our side; we know what eternity brings. It is not all about winning every battle you face, it is about approaching the battles with God in your heart and by your side, and knowing that you ultimately win the war. Jesus died for us so we wouldn’t have to worry about our final home, but Satan still tries to steal our joy even though he knows the war ended almost 2000 years ago when Christ died on the cross for us. May the song that started anew in our hearts this morning, continue as our day comes to closure.

God is unfailing love and despite our many faults and many mistakes, he doesn’t turn his back on us or stop loving us. God is very compassionate and caring, but the bible does list many times when he became angry. He became angry and he showed his power and might as he punished those who disobeyed him. The exceptionally good news is that when we accepted Christ as our personal savior, all of our sins and punishment disappeared forever. It is true that we will continue to sin, but God will not see this sin since Jesus took all of our past, current, and future sins to the grave with him. So, when God sees us, he only sees us as being without sin. It is true we will make mistakes and do things we shouldn’t do and end up suffering the consequences of our actions, but God doesn’t get angry since he does not see us as sinners; he sees us as his children who will spend eternity with him. We know people who will forgive and probably never forget and may even get angry at us for a time, but fortunately; God does not act like his children. What would help all of us to stay on the right path would be to think about all of the things God has done for us our entire life. The list of blessings will be more than the 10,000 number offered up by the writers of this song. It seems like a very big number, but it is actually a very small number. Take a moment to think about what you were thankful for yesterday, each one of these are blessings and reasons we should praise our God. Take the number you came up with and multiply by the 365 days in a year, are you surprised? If you then take this number over a lifetime, 10,000 is in indeed a very very small number.

God is with us every hour and every day of our lives and walks every step with us. The day will come when we realize we don’t have much longer before we join our heavenly father. As our life ebbs away, he will still be bestowing blessings upon us. Maybe these blessings are in the people he sends to us, the people we have known in our lives, and maybe our memories; but the most important thing is that he is still by our side. As we finally make the move into our heavenly home, we should be leaving this home with his praises in our hearts and knowing that soon we will be able to praise him face to face. I don’t mean for this to be a somber ending to this blog entry, I just believe that each of us needs to realize that God has always been with us; from the time before we were born until the day we join him in our eternal home. God has been with us since before we were born. He told Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” We have never been alone and will never be alone.

I hope that you will take the time and think about the blessings God has given you. As you think about these blessings, let your heart sing as it has never sung before. As you leave your home and encounter other people, hopefully someone will ask you why you are so happy today and I hope you will tell them how they can be just as happy as you are. Today, start singing his praises as you have never sung before. As the old hymn tells, count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Click to Hear Matt Redman Sing 10,000 Reasons

Rescue

The next entry for my Blog is Rescue, which was written by Jason Ingram, Paul Mabury, and Lauren Daigle. The song was initially released in 2018. A link to Lauren Daigle performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Rescue

You are not hidden
There’s never been a moment
You were forgotten
You are not hopeless
Though you have been broken
Your innocence stolen

I hear you whisper underneath your breath
I hear your SOS, your SOS
I will send out an army to find you
In the middle of the darkest night
It’s true, I will rescue you

There is no distance
That cannot be covered
Over and over
You’re not defenseless
I’ll be your shelter
I’ll be your armor

I hear you whisper underneath your breath
I hear your SOS, your SOS
I will send out an army to find you
In the middle of the darkest night
It’s true, I will rescue you

I will never stop marching to reach you
In the middle of the hardest fight
It’s true, I will rescue you
I hear the whisper underneath your breath
I hear you whisper, you have nothing left

I will send out an army to find you
In the middle of the darkest night
It’s true, I will rescue you
I will never stop marching to reach you
In the middle of the hardest fight
It’s true, I will rescue you

Oh, I will rescue you

Sometimes in life, we feel sort of like the person that got lost in the deep dark forest in a Disney movie. We look up and we can’t see the sky due to the towering trees, we can only see so far ahead since the sun seems to barely make it to the forest floor, and the path we used to get there now looks so overgrown that we are not sure that is the right path. Have you ever reached this point in your life? A time when you feel lost, forgotten, cast out, alone, and/or unloved? The events in our life cause us to want to just disappear. As we start to come back to our senses, we realize we don’t know the way back home and a feeling of hopelessness overwhelms us, we don’t want to stay where we are, but we don’t know how to get back to where we were. We may also reach a point where we are convinced that no one can find us and perhaps there is a feeling that no one even cares. This is sort of a dire situation that maybe all of us have reached at some point in our lives or have at least been on the verge due to the events of our lives just beating us down.

At some point, maybe as a last resort, we reach out to God and put our faith, hope, and trust in him to get us back home. Of course, we should have reached out to him earlier, but we often want to try to work everything out ourselves and then reach out to him when we discover we cannot handle our situation on our own. Fortunately, he always knows where we are physically and emotionally, so we are never hidden from him. He is the light in the darkness and there is no darkness that his light of love cannot penetrate. He sees us through the darkness and shines his light so that we can see him as the darkness dissipates around us. His word tells us that we will never be forgotten, especially since we are children of God once we have accepted Christ as our savior. He always hears our plea, our SOS, and we soon feel his love surround us in the midst of our dark world. We are now filled with hope and begin to realize that we were never really alone and that he is the great physician who can heal any brokenness we may feel. As the lyric says, he whispers to us that we are ok; he doesn’t have to shout since he knew where we were all the time.

To complete our healing, God sends his army to rescue us. We are told in Psalm 23 that we are the sheep of his pasture and John 10:14-15 where Jesus says “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” It doesn’t matter how far away we are physically or emotionally, his army will come; every single sheep is important. I view his army as our family, our church family, our friends, and maybe even people he brings into our lives for a short time to help provide the healing we need. They all come to seek us out and each will play a part in helping to make us whole again. His army may visit us in person and hold us, give us a call, maybe they send their love in a card, an email, or other electronic message. The key is that they are sent by God and doing what they need to do. All the while, God is protecting is us from more damage while serving as our hope and our shield. God and his army will fight for us until the battle is won.

It is true we will probably need help from this mighty force again, but all we have to do is reach out at any time and from any place and God will rescue as again. We must always remember his promises to find us and protect us no matter where we wander.

“For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.” Ezekial 34:11-12.

Click to Hear Lauren Daigle Perform Rescue

Let Them See You in Me

The next entry for my Blog is Let Them See you, which was written by Scotty J Wilbanks and Jason Weeks. The song was initially released in 2006. A link to the JJ Weeks Band performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Let Them See You

Take away the melody
Take away the songs I sing
Take away all the lines
And all the songs you let me write
Does the man I am today
Say the words you need to say

Let them see you, In me
Let them hear you, When I speak
Let them feel you, When I sing
Let them see you
Let them see you in me

Who am I without your praise
Another smile, Another face
Another Breath, A Grain of Sand
Passing quickly through your hand
I give my life, An offering
Take it all, Take everything

Let them see you, In me
Let them hear you, When I speak
Let them feel you, When I sing
Let them see you
Just let them see you in me

With every breath I breathe
I sing a simple melody
But I pray they’ll hear more than a song
In me, In me

Let them see you, In me
Let them hear you, When I speak
Let them feel you, When I sing
Let them see you

Let them see you, In me
Let them hear you, When I speak
Let them feel you, When I sing
Let them see you
Let them see you in me
Let them see you in me

Included in many of my Blog entries is the fact that Jesus commanded us to keep his word and to share his word. Most of us strongly believe in the command to share the word, but it is so difficult for us to follow this command. We worry about offending people, alienating people, maybe being concerned about what others may think of us, and just generally feeling uncomfortable when putting ourselves out there and sharing the word. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the fear we are trying to overcome and I clearly understand the command. I believe this song helps to address this challenge for us by stating that we share in many ways, some of those ways by actions and not just words. Please note that I am not saying we should not execute the commands of Christ, I just believe that words are only part of the command.
The lines of the song could be strictly interpreted as being applied to a song writer, but let’s focus on how we can make each of these applicable to our individual lives. Do people know who you really are, or do they only know the front you have created? Do you realize that most of the people you know don’t really know who you are? We may have a church persona, a work persona, a being with friends persona, and maybe a home persona. We don’t want to be who we really are. What would happen if people saw the true you? All of a sudden, the personas disappear and you are left with only the real you. How will people accept the real you once all of the false fronts have been removed. Will people see you the way you really want to be seen? As the song asks, does the man I am today, say the words you need to say? Maybe a different question to ask is, would people know you are a disciple of Christ by your actions?

It is at this point that we come to the reality of who we really are and perhaps how poorly we have represented our savior and how we have failed his commandment to share his word. Not only have we not verbally shared the gospel, but we have also failed to show others by our actions that we are his child. The chorus of the song should become a challenge and a prayer for us. We need to have others seeing us as being different by the way we act and the actions we take. The words we speak should be words of kindness, compassion, and love as opposed to gossip, complaint, and negativity. When we sing songs of praise, people should be able to tell that we are singing from our heart, not going through the motions. As we change from hiding behind a façade to becoming more of a disciple, we may have people coming to us to find out why we are so different. It is so much easier to share once someone has opened the door for us and invited us in.

If we keep living our lives the way we have been, nothing will change. We really are just another face, another voice, another life with no purpose, and another person who is lost in the world. The way we stop this is to fall to our knees and ask Christ for his strength in becoming the person he wants us to be. He can take us and mold us and put us on the right path; but we have to let go and let him take control. You will see people around you change and a lot of these people will see that you are different and they will become interested in your story and maybe ask you how you keep that song in your heart. Letting go is a challenge for all of us, but can we really become Christ’s disciple if we don’t trust him with our all? You can also become a better spouse, parent, child, and friend; because your actions are guided by the son of God and not dependent upon your situational persona.

Our lives gradually become easier because we are just who we are wherever we are. Let everyone we encounter see Christ in us. It doesn’t mean they will accept us or like us or agree with us; but at least we are acting as a child of God instead of trying to be someone we are not.

I agree that giving our daily life to Christ is not an easy thing to do and it will cause us pain and perhaps loss of acquaintances, but it still much less painful than being nailed to a cross and having your father turn his back on you.

Let today be the day where you give your life to Christ and to live as his disciple. As Joshua 24:15 commands, choose this day who you will serve. Are you ready to drop the facades and pick up the cross?

Click to Hear JJ Weeks Band Perform Let Them See Me

Mighty to Save

The next entry for my Blog is Mighty to Save, which was written by Benjamin Fielding and Reuben Morgan. The song was initially released in 2006. A link to Hillsong performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Mighty to Save

Well, everyone needs compassion
A love that’s never failing
But let mercy fall on me
Well everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Savior
The hope of nations

My Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is Mighty to save
He is Mighty to save
Forever
Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
And fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
And now I surrender

Chorus
Chorus

Shine your light and let the whole world see
We’re singing for the glory of the risen King
Jesus
Shine your light and let the whole world see
We’re singing for the glory of the risen King

Chorus
Chorus

Shine your light and let the whole world see
We’re singing for the glory of the risen King
Jesus

Repeat

Are there some people who perhaps need sympathy and compassion and you want no part of it? I am thinking about the people whom we might consider to be wicked or maybe just down right mean. What about the people who are struggling who injured you at some point either physically or emotionally? I believe we know these people need compassion, but we are unwilling to meet this need because of who they are or what they have done. The truth is that everyone, regardless of what they have done, deserves compassion and love. They need someone who really wants them to become a better person, someone who wants them to be healed; they need someone who will forgive them for all they have done. As I think about some people and their actions, I find it extremely challenging to ever forgive them or help to improve their lives. Have you ever felt this way?

What if Jesus had felt this way? What if he said that you had contributed to ruining someone’s life by your actions, your words, your lack of forgiveness, or your lack of love? If Jesus felt this way about the hearts and minds of people, do you think he would have ever come to earth? He did come and he showed kindness to all and he gave everyone hope. People could tell that he cared about them as he taught them, as he healed them, and as he forgave them. They could tell he did not hold a grudge or harbor resentment against anyone. He came to be our Savior and to provide that love and compassion for everyone, to give everyone hope and love.

He is the only one who can overcome every barrier from the mountains to the seas. He came to save all who would accept him as their Lord and Savior, and no one could stop him from executing his plan and his directive from the father. The name Jesus is synonymous with salvation, he alone can offer salvation to all. He carries the might of God and was strong enough to conquer the grave as well as any obstacle thrown in his way by the evils of this world. Zephaniah 3:17 reminds us of the power of our God, “For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

The best news is that he takes us just as we are at this moment in time. He doesn’t care about our past, our failures, or our imperfections. He never gave up on us and never will; he is here to breathe hope into our lives every single day; no matter how many times we fail him. He is here so we can feel love at all times and know we are never alone. All we need to do is surrender our lives to him to gain this eternal love, peace, and hope. As a result of accepting Christ as our savior, we should feel his love deep inside of us, and we should be sharing his love with others. Those around us should see his light shining through us. The world should see that we are different by our actions, our words, and our compassion and love for others. Our desire should be to have his love in our hearts and his word on our lips as we share his message and sing songs of praise.

Jesus is the light of the world and he expects, no commands us to share his unconditional love with others; just as he shared his love for us and died for us. Matthew 5:14 reminds us of our responsibility as Christians, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

Is there someone you know who needs that message, that love, and that forgiveness? Who is going to share this with them if not you? I don’t think this is an easy task for any of us; but neither was dying on a cross in the midst of people who hated you.

Click to Hear Hillsong Perform Mighty to Save.

The River

The next entry for my Blog is The River, which was written by Colby Wedgeworth, Jordan Feliz, and Josh Silverber. The song was initially released in 2015. A link to Jordan Feliz performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

The River

I know a place where we can go
To lay the troubles down eating your soul
I know a place where mercy flows
Take the stains make you whiter than snow

Like a tide, it is rising up deep inside
A current that moves and makes it come alive
Living water that brings the dead to life, oh-oh-oh-oh
We’re going down to the river
Down to the river, down to the river to pray
Let’s get washed by the water
Washed by the water and rise up in amazing grace
Let’s go down, down, down to the river (You will leave changed)
Let’s go down, down, down to the river (Never the same)

I’ve seen it move in my own life
Took me from dusty roads into paradise
All of my dirt, all of my shame
Drowned in the streams that’ve made me born again

Like a tide, it is rising up deep inside a
Current that moves and makes it come alive
Living water that brings the dead to life, oh-oh-oh-oh
We’re going down to the river
Down to the river, down to the river to pray
Let’s get washed by the water
Washed by the water and rise up in amazing grace
Let’s go down, down, down to the river (You will leave changed)
Let’s go down, down, down to the river (Never the same)
Let’s go down
We’re going down to the river
Down to the river, down to the river to pray
Let’s get washed by the water
Washed by the water and rise up in amazing grace
Let’s go down, down, down to the river (You will leave changed)
Let’s go down, down, down to the river (Never the same)
Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go down in amazing grace

Where do you go or what do you do when you just want to escape from everything, to a place of solitude? Sometimes life is just too difficult and we look for that special place or activity that brings us peace and allows us to get away, even for just a short time. This song tells us the best place to go to find the peace we are looking for and need. It is a place to bare our souls without being judged or ridiculed. It allows us to share our deepest darkest secrets and confess our wrongdoings without any retribution. It is a refuge where there is only peace, love, and comfort. What is really awesome about our special place of escape is that we can block out the misery of the world for just a bit, and then walk away feeling as if the dirt and grime from a sinful world has been taken out of our soul and washed our body clean. As we enter our area of solitude, we can almost feel the immediate impact of being there and feeling the only power that can cleanse away the darkness in our soul. The song says we are going Down to the River, but the river is not the water flowing somewhere under a bridge; it is the living water that only Jesus Christ can provide. This is the only water than can makes us whole again and cleanse our soul. The same living water that Jesus spoke of in the book of John, chapter 4.

Once you have experienced the living water, you will never be the same; your life is changed forever. When you open your heart to Jesus and accept him into your life, you always have that living water available and flowing inside of you. The challenge each of us face is that we must take the time to pray and actively engage that living water of peace inside of us. I know that Jesus is always available and always there, but it is in our court to listen to him and engage him; he is always ready and reaching out to us. I believe the primary obstacle we must overcome is making time for him, listening to him, and allowing his love to flow through us. When we go down to the River, we are essentially focusing on Jesus and not on the world around us. I am not sure how anyone really survives without having the River, for it is the only place where there is total forgiveness and no shame or guilt. It is the only place we can go for unconditional love and grace, and be who we really are.

We all have our struggles and our failures. I know I have said things I shouldn’t have said, done things I shouldn’t have done; but I also know that I haven’t always spoken up when I should have or taken action when I should have. We can dwell on the woulda, coulda, shoulda things in our lives or we can take the time to pray and ask Christ for not only his forgiveness, but also for his guidance and direction in our lives. Philippians 4:6 reminds us of what God does for us, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” The day he died on the cross, he forgave us for every sin we have committed as well as all future sins. He wants us to come to him through prayer and just talk with him about what is going on in our lives. It is through this open communication that we feel his love, his forgiveness, and his power. If we do not take the time to pray and feel his arms around us, we will never have hope and we will never have peace; we will continue to be overcome by the influence of the world around us. Because of his amazing grace, we are forgiven and that we are worthy to hold his hand and walk with him. He starts the tide of cleanliness rising up inside of us every time we come to the River, our time of prayer and fellowship.

Hopefully you spend time every day just communicating and visiting with God. It doesn’t take special language or special words; you can talk to him like as a best friend or like a father. How long has it been since you experienced the power and love of Jesus Christ coursing through your veins and felt the peace that only he can bring? I thank him for being the River that washes the sin of the world off of me every time I come to him. The River is waiting for you.

Click to Hear Jordan Feliz Sing The River.

You’ll Never Walk Alone

The next entry for my Blog is You’ll Never Walk Alone which was written by Oscar Hammerstein II and composed by Richard Rodgers for the musical Carousel, which was initially released in 1945. A link to David Phelps performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog. This song has a special meaning to me. I had a Sunday School teacher at a church in Birmingham, AL who died in a plane crash and left a wife and three young children behind. I was in a youth choir at the time and we sang this song at the church after his passing. I selected the performance of the song by David Phelps, because I felt it needed the emotion he provides in his version.

You’ll Never Walk Alone

When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark
At the end of a storm
There’s a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone

We all face difficult times in our lives. I had been fortunate in that, up until a few years ago, I had not faced some of the challenges so many people face. My storms of life started in 2016 when I lost my dad and this was just the beginning. In 2017 I lost my sister, 2018 I lost my mom, and in 2019 I came within a few hours of death as a result of contracting an almost fatal illness after a missions trip to India. My wife had severe back problems in 2019 and my daughter had an eye stroke in each eye. Most of you have probably had experiences similar to the above or even worse. God never promised us a life filled with roses and rainbows, but he did promise us two very important things we should never forget. The first is the promise of eternal life upon acceptance of his son, and the second is that he will never leave us.

As we stumble through these storms of life, we see only the darkness and we doubt whether or not we can even take another step; wondering where that next step will take us. We try to push forward and we do so with our heads down and feel we have completely lost our way. I believe that people who take their own lives reach this point, because they believe they have no hope; they can’t fight the pain or loneliness any longer. For those of us who have accepted Christ and believe his promises, we should never reach this point; we must try to remember that we are never alone. We should hold our head up and know that God will take us through this latest challenge. Even though it seems as if we are encountering the darkest of days, God is there to bring his light that can pierce any darkness. I can’t help but remember the lines from the Footprints in the Sand poem, which is scripture based, when the Lord said “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you, never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”

As we take God’s hand, he will lead us through the storm and we will see the bright and shining sun that lights our sky and hear the beautiful songs of the birds that he created. He does this to not only fulfill his promise, but to show us that every storm will pass and the sun will eventually overcome the darkness. As we face the howling winds and the pouring rain that bring us to a point of desperation, we must remember to not give up on our hopes and dreams of tomorrow as well as what eternity has in store for us. God is faithful and he will fulfill all of his promises. If we face the gloom ahead with hope, taking God’s hand, and hold our heads up; we will never walk alone. Romans 8:38-39 tells us we will never be alone, 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.

Next time you feel alone in the darkness, take God’s hand which is always reaching out to you.

Click to See David Phelps Perform You’ll Never Walk Alone

You Are My All in All

The next entry for my Blog is You Are My All in All by Dennis Jernigan and first released in 2000. A link to Nicole Nordeman performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

You Are My All in All

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all

Seeking You as a precious jewel
Lord to give up I’d be a fool
You are my all in all

Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name
Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name

Taking my sin my cross my shame
Rising again I bless your name
You are my all in all
When I fall down you pick me up
When I am dry You fill my cup
You are my all in all

Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name
Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name
Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name
Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name
Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name
Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name
Worthy is Your name
Worthy is Your name

When people talk about strengths and weaknesses, they could be referring to physical, emotional, or spiritual. It is easy to understand the physical aspect, there are times when I feel as if I cannot take another step or drive another nail in my shop; I have reached a point of physical exhaustion. There are also times when I am so emotionally drained that I feel as if there are no more tears to shed and that I want to just go to bed and essentially close out the world. I believe all, if not most of us, encounter both of these situations multiple times in our lives. We can also reach points in our lives when we have a spiritual let down, this happens when we lose touch with God. Life happens, and the physical and emotional demands of our day to day lives overwhelm us and there just doesn’t seem to be enough to time or focus to talk to God.

What is amazing about the above is that God is the only one who can give us the physical and emotional strength we need; yet we don’t turn to him first. He will carry us when we need to walk a little farther, he will wipe away the tears of sadness, and he will bring us the spiritual strength we need to conquer the world and the fears it brings. Matthew 19:26 states, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Christ alone has the strength we seek. His love is like a treasure that provides us with everything we need and more than we could ever hope for; he is truly the treasure we should be seeking to overcome the challenges life throws at us.

Jesus is the source of eternal life, the source of hope, the source of peace; that bright and shining jewel of light that encompasses us and protects us. We should look for his light every day of our lives and seek him first instead of last. It doesn’t mean we won’t have challenges or disappointments or heartaches; but, with him, we will never face these events alone. I suppose the writer is correct in that we truly are fools if we think we can go through life without him.

Because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross; we no longer have any sin and we have no shame in the eyes of God. We achieved perfection in the eyes of God once Christ laid down his life for us. To help strengthen our belief, Jesus rose from the dead so we could see him and touch him. He knew, that as humans, we needed this proof that he could conquer death. Everyone thought he was dead and he would never be heard from again, but he knew he needed to prove everyone wrong since our faith is so weak. He could just as easily have told us he was now leaving to prepare a place for us and expect us to remember his promise, but he took the extra step of rising from the dead to show his power and to strengthen our faith in his promises.

Every day, more likely every hour, we fall down in our faith and step back onto the paths of sin. We continue to march once again down this road of despair until we just fall flat on our face again, but Jesus is always there to pick us up; he never gives up on us. No matter where we are physically or emotionally, his hand is always extended to pull us back up and his arms are then open wide for that great big hug that brings us peace and love. As he picks us up, he re-energizes our spirit, our hope, and our love for him. We no longer have an empty cup of loneliness and helplessness; he has filled that cup with love and peace to the point of overflowing.

Christ is the sacrificial lamb, he died for us so we could have an eternal home with him and the father. Without him, we would never be worthy enough to enter heaven; he alone is worthy of our love. Because of him, we can look to an eternity of joy and happiness. He alone is worthy and we were made worthy because of his love and sacrifice.

What else can be more important than seeking the Lamb of God?

Click to Hear Nicole Nordeman Sing You Are My All in All

Not for a Moment

The next song for my Blog was written by Jacob Sooter, Mia Fieldes, and Meredith Andrews and was first released in 2012. A link to Meredith Andrews performing the song is at the bottom of this Blog entry.

Not for a Moment

You were reaching through the storm
Walking on the water
Even when I could not see
In the middle of it all
When I thought You were a thousand miles away
Not for a moment did You forsake me
Not for a moment did You forsake me

After all You are constant
After all You are only good
After all You are sovereign
Not for a moment will You forsake me

You were singing in the dark
Whispering Your promise
Even when I could not hear
I was held in Your arms
Carried for a thousand miles to show
Not for a moment did You forsake me

After all You are constant
After all You are only good
After all You are sovereign
Not for a moment will You forsake me
Not for a moment will You forsake me

And every step every breath you are there
Every tear every cry every prayer
In my hurt at my worst
When my world falls down
Not for a moment will You forsake me
Even in the dark
Even when it’s hard
You will never leave me
After all

After all You are constant
After all You are only good
After all You are sovereign
Not for a moment will You forsake me
Not for a moment will You forsake me
Not for a moment will You forsake me

There are times in our life, when we wander completely away from where we wanted to be in our life. Maybe we are taken off course due to family issues, marital issues, health issues, job issues, financial issues, or relationship issues. The emotional and physical pressure from these issues make us want to escape from everyone and everything and we start a downward spiral into deep uncontrollable despair. We look around and see nothing but darkness and loneliness and reach a point where we have lost all hope. We no longer even know who we are and we don’t even know who to turn to in order to give us hope as we fall deeper into the pit of despair. We ask ourselves, will I ever be the same again or is this the new normal for me? As we flounder on this uncharted path, we get farther and farther away from God and become completely overcome by the storms of life that seem to be destroying who we are and everything we have known.
All of a sudden, we see his hand reaching out to us through the storm and he is walking across the water as if it were dry ground. We couldn’t see him coming because we had briefly lost our faith in him as well as his power. Even though we were thinking he was thousands of miles away out of the rain, he was there with us all of the time. Regardless of our negative thoughts about him and our lack of faith, he was there. Deuteronomy 31:8 tells us, “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed”. So even when we think God is thousands of miles away, he is really right by our side.

The fact that God is unchanging is a difficult concept for many of us to grasp. Everything in our world changes every day, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse; but God is unchanged in his expectations nor is he going to go back on his promises. He is the only source of truth we can depend upon and he is the almighty king. People may fail us, our dreams may not come true, our life may not have turned out the way we wanted it to; but God will keep his promise to watch over us, be there for us, and have our eternal home in heaven ready for us. We just need to remember that he said he would never ever forsake us or go back on his promises.

Not only is God there when we need him, he gives us peace and calm. When we realize he is there, that song of joy fills our hearts and we remember his promises of faithfulness that lasts for all eternity. A song of love is always on his lips even when we are not listening. He picks us up and carries us in the darkest periods of our life and will bring the light and joy back into our life, we just need to fall into his arms to experience the peace and comfort that only he can bring.

When Jesus left this earth, he left us with the Holy Spirit who dwells inside of us and is there to remind us of God’s promises and of his presence. Everywhere we go, every step that we take, God is there with us. Whenever we hurt, whenever we shed a tear, he is there to help us heal and wipe away our tears. All of this doesn’t mean we will not have the hard times, the dark days, or the feeling of the world crumbling around us; but what we do know is that God promised he would never leave us or forsake us. He left his twenty-four hour a day comforter with us and has our eternal home waiting for us. Until we arrive in our forever home, we each need to realize that we will never be alone or forgotten, not for a moment.
I believe the best scripture to close out his blog entry is Psalm 23, please take the time to read it and let the power of the word sink into your soul.
We are never alone, not for a moment.

Click to See Meredith Andrews Perform Not for a Moment

Click to See Meredith Andrews Perform Not for a Momen