Category: His Eye is on the Sparrow

I Will Carry You

The next entry for my Blog is I Will Carry You, which was written by Benjamin Glover and Ellie Holcombe.  It was first released June 15, 2021.  A link to Ellie Holcombe singing the song is at the bottom of the Blog. 

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I Will Carry You

I know you’re tired, I see it in your eyes
All that anxiety that rules your mind
I’ll be your shield when you don’t feel like
You’ve got strength enough to fight
I’ll stand by your side

I will carry you
Through your darkest night
When you’re terrified
I will carry you
When the waters rise
When your hope runs dry
I will carry you

You are not the sum of your mistakes
You don’t have to hide the parts of you that ache
I choose you as you are a million times
‘Cause I am not ashamed of you
I won’t walk away from you

I will carry you
Through your darkest night
When you’re terrified
I will carry you
When the waters rise
When your hope runs dry
I will carry you

Up and over the mountains
Valley deep as the ocean
When you can’t keep going
I will shoulder your burdens
Up and over the mountains
Valley deep as the ocean
When you can’t keep going
I will shoulder your burdens

I will carry you
Through your darkest night
When you’re terrified
I will carry you (carry you)
When the waters rise
When your hope runs dry
I will carry you

I will carry you, carry you
Through the darkest night (you)
When you’re terrified
(I will shoulder your burdens)
I will carry you, carry you
When the waters rise (you)
I will carry you

I think we all go through times in our lives when we feel as if we just can’t take another step.  You have become so physically tired and emotionally drained that you just want to curl up in bed and stay there.  You have so much going on in your life that you can’t think straight and all of your strength has completely dissipated.  As you lay down and try to relax, your mind just keeps going as you try to resolve your problems, but there seems to be no off switch for your swirling thoughts.  Have you been in this situation before?  Perhaps you are now.  What is so easy to forget in all of this darkness is that we are never truly alone nor are we a lost cause in life.  God is there to stand with us, to lift us up, to carry us, and to help us fight the battle of life.  Psalm 16:8 reminds us of God’s diligence to each of us, “I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.” 

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The chorus of the song tells us that no matter how dark the world around us may become, God will walk with us.  When we are afraid, he is there to comfort us and help us to feel inner peace and strength that only he can give.  Even as we feel as if we are being swallowed or feel as if we have fallen under the raging storm of fear and guilt; he picks us up and carries us.  He is the only true hope for the hopeless, the only strength for the weak, and the only one who can bring sunshine to our personal world of darkness.  I believe this chorus does a wonderful job explaining how God is with us every step of the way and he will never leave our side.

I have heard people say that they are a complete failure.  They will also say they have never succeeded in any aspect of their life.  These people feel as if they are just one big mistake and have nothing to offer in life.  Perhaps we all feel this way at times, especially when we focus on the negatives of the past in lieu of the brightness of the future.  We look at others around us with their happy families, their high paying jobs, their nice homes; and we wonder what we did wrong that would keep us from having these same wonderful things.  We just keep believing it is because we are not good enough or we have just been a complete failure since the day we were born  God does not look at our life and keep score of positives and negatives, God only looks at what we can be.  The world judges us by our successes and failures, God measures us through the eyes of a father who knows that all of his children are special to him.  It is because of him that we even have a life, and he will never give up on us.  He also understands our fears and our failures, but his arms are always outstretched to hold us.  He is never ashamed of what we have done and will never turn his back on us.  He has a plan for each of us, it may not be a smooth journey; but his plan never fails.  We are told this in the book of Jeremiah 28:11-12, “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. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”  If we choose to take God’s son as our personal savior, God forgives and forgets all of the bad things we have done in our lives.  He is only focused on what’s ahead for all of eternity, he has forgiven and forgotten our past.  We are who we become, not who we were in the past.

God is with us always and walks with us every step in our journey through life.  He is there to hold our hand and guide us, to carry us when necessary, to encourage us, and bring us hope.  There is no mountain too high for him to climb, no valley too deep, and no sea bottom beyond his reach.  We are told this in the book of Romans 8:38-39, “ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”   What more can we ask for in our lives?  God has committed to being there for us and since he created the world, there is nothing that he can’t overcome.

If you are struggling with your past and worried about being all you can be in your future, I recommend listening to this song a few times.  I believe it will bring you hope and allow you to look to the future as you gradually walk away from your past.

God will carry you to where you need to be, if you only let him.

Click to Hear Ellie Holcombe Sing I Will Carry You

Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)

The next entry for my Blog is Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone), which was written by Giglio Louie.  It was first released in 2006.  A link to the Chris Tomlin singing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.  The original version of Amazing Grace was written by John Newton in 1772.

Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)

Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I’m found
Was blind, but now I see

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

My chains are gone, I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love
Amazing grace

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures

My chains are gone, I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love
Amazing grace

My chains are gone, I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love
Amazing grace

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, who called me here below
Will be forever mine, will be forever mine
You are forever mine

Think of a word or phrase that carries the most powerful impact on someone’s life.  I know this might be a challenging request, since there are so many great words and phrases that positively impact us in a special or powerful way.  The title of this song doesn’t necessarily stand out as the answer to my request, but when you look at the true meaning of grace; you will hopefully agree that this is one of the most powerful songs ever written.  I believe that, deep inside, we all want to be better people.  We want to be better for ourselves as well as for others.  We want to be liked, loved, and embraced as we greet other people; but what happens when we do things wrong and people can’t seem to get past our mistakes and errors in judgement?  Depending on what we may have said or what we have done, people will not let us into or back into their lives nor will they forgive or forget what we have done.  We put ourselves in a situation where we live in regret and then start trying to avoid others.  We are seemingly stuck with our past and this guilt becomes the chains that hold us back.  We want to be free, but are unsure of how to break through our bondage and move forward in our lives.

Now, let’s look at the title of this song, the word to focus on is grace.  In looking at this through the lens of Christianity, grace is defined as the unmerited favor of God.  More simply put, it is a free gift of forgiveness and mercy regardless of what we have done in our lives.   All God asks of us is to accept his son Jesus Christ as our personal savior, we then receive God’s forgiveness for every mistake we have made in our lives; past, present, and future. God’s grace is immediate.  No matter what we have done in our life, God is willing to forgive us.  People may or may not forgive our flaws, but God is the one who controls our eternity and the one who should be the most important being in our lives.  We all make mistakes, some big and some small, and we may not be leading a good life.  Maybe we got off track with our lives a long time ago and perhaps we consider ourselves as being bad or even wretched, but he loves us anyway and is willing to wrap his arms around even the most evil among us; all he asks is to put our future in his hands.  As we accept God, we start seeing the life he wants us to lead and the person he wants us to become.  We are no longer oblivious to our own wrongs and the wrongs of others around us.  God instills in us the desire to be better and to see what needs to change in our lives.  As we feel his love and his strength, we no longer have the same fear regarding what lies ahead in our lives because we know he is there to lead us, to guide us, to love us, and to pick us up when we fall.

As the chorus tells us, we have been set free from our past and present and now have hope for our future.  We are no longer encumbered by the invisible chains that have held us back from who we can be.  We can now live, love, and dream knowing that we will never be alone again and that we have a guaranteed eternal home.  God sent his only son to die on the cross for us, so we could have the bondage of our past replaced by the promises of God!  It is amazing to me that God gave up his son so each of us could have an eternal life with him.  Jesus paid the price for us with his life, the ultimate sacrifice.  God’s mercy wiped the slate clean of all wrongdoings we have had in our lives and has made us a new creation, with his promise of never-ending love.  It may be a while before people we know overlook our past, but in God’s eyes we have no past, only a future.

God promises eternity for us and that we can have a rewarding life.  It doesn’t mean we will have a perfect life, but we can have a life filled with hope knowing that we ultimately have an eternal heavenly home.  In the book of John 14:1-3, we find this promise given by Jesus as he prepared to die on the cross for us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” 

One day this world, as we know it, will be no more, the writer describes it as the earth melting away like snow.  The bible, in the book of Revelation, also tells us that the world will be replaced by a new world.  The good news is that God has already reserved our space in heaven, once we have accepted his son as our personal savior.  This is grace: the gift of eternal life.

Click to Hear Chris Tomlin Sing Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)

Fear is a Liar

The next entry for my Blog is Fear is a Liar, which was written by Jason Ingram, Jonathan Smith, and Zach Williams.  It was first released January 19, 2018.  A link to the Zach Williams singing the song is at the bottom of the Blog. 

Fear is a Liar

When he told you you’re not good enough
When he told you you’re not right
When he told you you’re not strong enough
To put up a good fight
When he told you you’re not worthy
When he told you you’re not loved
When he told you you’re not beautiful
That you’ll never be enough

Fear, he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear, he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
‘Cause fear he is a liar

When he told you were troubled
You’ll forever be alone
When he told you Cause should run away
You’ll never find a home
When he told you you were dirty
And you should be ashamed
When he told you you could be the one
That grace could never change

Fear, he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear, he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
‘Cause fear he is a liar

Let Your fire fall and cast out all my fears
Let Your fire fall Your love is all I feel

Let Your fire fall and cast out all my fears
Let Your fire fall Your love is all I feel

Let Your fire fall and cast out all my fears
Let Your fire fall Your love is all I feel

Oh, let Your fire fall and cast out all my fears
Let Your fire fall Your love is all I feel

Oh, fear he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
‘Cause fear he is a liar

‘Cause fear he is a liar

Do you ever feel as if you are in a deep dark hole with no way out?  It seems as if there is some sort of roadblock in every direction.  Eventually, we tend to lose our confidence and sometimes withdraw into ourselves and keep everyone else out of our lives.  I believe this song does a good job of describing this situation.  It is as if there is someone else inside our mind or body who is always telling us that we will never succeed in anything we do, we are just a total failure at everything.  Are there times when you have felt as if you are were not good enough?  Maybe you felt as if you were not good enough for someone else to love and are afraid to express your feelings to that special someone.  This special person fell in love with someone else and you never even told them how you felt about them because you were afraid of rejection or ridicule.  Everywhere we turn, we feel rejected and become afraid in every aspect of our lives.  We are not as intelligent as others, we are not as beautiful as others, we begin to wonder why anyone would fall in love with us since we are not worthy of love and respect.  Wow, this is really depressing and may not seem real but it really happens to many people.  Maybe it leads to a life filled with “what ifs” or even worse, results in suicide.

Now that have I painted a gloomy picture; it is time to identify where these feelings come from; they are the results of fear.  Satan, the devil, the evil one; is constantly whispering in our ear and getting into our heads.  Satan’s goal is to disrupt and destroy our lives.  The bible in 1 Peter 5:8 says, “the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”  He can stop us dead in our tracks, he can destroy our confidence, and take away our hopes and dreams.  The bad news is that Satan and his minions are always after us and lie to us about who we are.  The more we listen to him, the deeper into the abyss we fall.  As the chorus tells us, we need to take this fear of gloom and doom that he whispers in our ear and kick him out of our lives.  He is a liar, a cheat, and a failure.  He is the one that was not good enough to defeat the almighty God in the battle for heaven and was banished to this earth.  All of these bad things you are thinking about yourself are a direct result of trusting in these voices as opposed to turning your heart and mind over to God.

The first verse depicts Satan, via fear, attacking our personal qualities.  The next verse is how Satan tries to negate the possible actions of God in our lives.  Not only does our view of our own self-image affect us emotionally, but it also impacts how we interact with other people.  Since we are so afraid to engage with others due to our lack of confidence and self-esteem and fear of rejection, we resign ourselves to the feeling that we will always be alone and lonely.  We wish we could run away from it all, but where can we run when there is no one who is willing to hold us and bring us peace?  Our lives are ruined and worthless and we are convinced that we are sentenced to a life of shame and sadness.  The even worse news is that we have the feeling there is absolutely nothing that even God can do for us; we are too far gone to be brought back to the light of hope.

The writers do a good job depicting how much impact fear and Satan have on our lives and some of you may believe this is your life today.  The good news is that although we all may have many of the feelings portrayed in this song, we have a way out.  The path from this darkness to the bright and shining light is accepting Jesus, the son of God, as your personal savior.  God sent his son to die for all of us and to forgive all of the wrongs in our lives and guarantee us an eternal home with him.  The song references grace; in the Christian bible, grace is defined as getting a gift we don’t deserve.  A word also used frequently with the word grace is the word mercy.  Mercy is not getting the punishment we deserve.  When Jesus died for us, God essentially forgave us for everything we have ever done wrong and there will be no punishment from him.  The only requirement is you must accept his son Jesus as your own personal savior.   We are told this in the book of John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”  As you take this step, all of the wrongs in your life are forgiven by God and you have a father who loves you.  Yes, we will still have our moments where we do things we shouldn’t, but he is always with us to offer us encouragement and forgiveness and to get us back on the right path. 

As you get closer to God and farther away from the great deceiver, your life begins to change.  You start to feel a love and comfort you have never felt before.  Perhaps the greatest thing is the feeling that you are never alone.  God made you as one of his creations and he made each of us as individuals.  He loves us even more than we can even imagine.  There is an old hymn, “In the Garden”, that talks about how God walks with us and talks with us and reminds us of how we belong to him.  It is a song that can bring joy to your heart and reinforces the fact that we are never alone.  As you realize that God is part of your life and that his love can never be taken away, you have a new hope in your life.  It is almost as if you are able to see that bright sunshine on your face whenever you think of him.  Every time you see a rainbow, you will remember that God gave us the rainbow as a promise of his love.  If you are someone who has been losing the battle to the devil and now realize you have God’s power over him; go out and face your new world.  A world filled with love, hope, friendship, and a bright new future.  You will no longer be afraid to open your heart to friends, loved ones, that special someone, and you might start looking at new adventures in your life.  If you have some time available, listen to the song I mentioned above or even take a look at my Blog entry for the song.

The devil and fear are absolutely the best liars, but God is love and offers us eternity and is with always with us.  The book of Joshua 1:9 reminds us of God’s promise of faithfulness, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Click to Hear Zach Williams Sing Fear is a Liar

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

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

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

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
Your heart to beat again
Beat again

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. 17 After 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

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The Gospel

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With Lifted Hands

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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

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
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

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

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

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
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