covid-19 – Song Dive

You Are My Hiding Place

The next entry for my Blog is You Are My Hiding Place by Michael Ledner and first released in 1980. A link to Selah performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

You Are My Hiding Place

You are my hiding place
You always fill my heart
With songs of deliverance
Whenever I am afraid
I will trust in You

I will trust in You
Let the weak say I am strong
In the strength of the Lord

You are my hiding place
You always fill my heart
With songs of deliverance
Whenever I am afraid
I will trust in You

I will trust in You
Let the weak say I am strong
In the strength of the Lord
I will trust in You

You are my hiding place
You always fill my heart
With songs of deliverance
Whenever I am afraid
I will trust in You

I will trust in You
Let the weak say I am strong
In the strength of the Lord
I will trust in You

You are my hiding place (I will trust in You)
You always fill my heart (Let the weak say I am strong)
With songs of deliverance (In the strength of the Lord)
Whenever I am afraid
I will trust in You

When you are trying to escape whatever is going on in your life, where is your go to place or activity? I am talking about times when you need a diversion to get your mind off whatever is weighing you down. Maybe you dive into your go-to comfort foods, you pig out on sweets, perhaps you turn to alcohol, or maybe you just pull up the covers and stay in bed. Be honest, do any of these options last for very long? It is short term gain, but the pain and dread is still there.

As we continue along in the current COVID-19 pandemic that is ravaging the world, most of us are quarantined in our homes and told not to go anywhere except to purchase groceries or go for medical attention. So now we are “stuck” in our homes with our family and/or roommates twenty-four hours a day. I realize that most of us really love our families, but togetherness has its limitations, especially as weeks and months pass by in isolation. We feel as if there is no escape and our patience wears thin after a while and we feel as if we are at wits end with no place to turn. Everyone’s question is, will this pandemic ever end?

There is only one place we can hide successfully and this place is identified in Psalm 32:7, “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” The other escape options I mentioned above are perhaps our first actions, but we eventually end up turning to God for the ultimate hiding place. He is the one who can give us the protection we are seeking, the love we need, and comfort that only he can bring. Not only do we get that secure feeling as he holds us, but we are surrounded with the songs of hope and deliverance, perhaps through the voices of angels. All of this gives us the peace and freedom that we have never felt before. Just think, we can get this incredible peace where we are; he comes to us. If we look to scripture again, we read that God is always there for us when we are afraid, David tells us the following in Psalm 56:3, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.” Here, David is acknowledging that God is his hiding place and that he knows there is no better place to put his trust than in the hands of God. Isn’t it amazing how this song has essentially taken 2 verses from scripture and almost used them verbatim in a song? Every time you sing this song, you are basically singing straight from the word of God.

One of the steps we must take to gain full advantage of what God offers us as our hiding place and his strength, is to acknowledge that we are indeed weak when it comes to facing the obstacles we face every day of our life. We must face the reality that we cannot do it alone and that we certainly can’t win the battles of this world alone. The writer of this song once again went to God’s word for the next line of the song. In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Paul writes, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Paul is telling us that once we understand how weak we truly are, then we are ready to accept how strong God is and what he can do for us. As long as we keep trying to do things on our own, we will remain weak.

This song is basically a repeating chorus, but it has taken scripture straight from the bible and turned it into a song. I believe this is scripture turned into a song we can sing everyday of our lives, and it will continually remind us of the love of God and what he has to offer us. Singing to God using his scriptures helps to make an even more powerful prayer. It is true that we gain eternal life beyond this earthly life by accepting God’s only son as our personal savior, but isn’t it wonderful that he gives us a place of refuge during our time on earth?

Click to Hear Selah Sing You Are My Hiding Place

God Will Make a Way

The next entry for my Blog is God Will Make a Way which was written by Don Moen and was first released in 1999. A link to Don Moen singing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

God Will Make a Way

Oh, God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way, He will make a way

By a roadway in the wilderness, He’ll lead me
And rivers in the desert will I see
Heaven and Earth will fade but His word will still remain
And He will do something new today

There is a rock song from the 60’s titled Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, that was a big hit. The song was telling us how when you are in love, nothing can keep you from getting to the person you are in love with. The lyrics sent a strong message about the power of love. The song was actually released by a second artist in the 70s and went to #1 on the charts. Being in love and having that special person brings so much joy in your life. In this song, the writers are delivering a message that those of us in love are all powerful when it comes to getting to those special people in our lives.

I really like the above song. and will probably have to play it later today, but I wonder how many of us feel about God this way? As we face the mountains and the valleys in our lives, can we honestly say that we completely believe that God will take us over those highest mountains and lowest valleys? It is easy to say this with our lips, but what message is coming from our heart? We ultimately realize that we can’t do it alone and turn to God; but even then, I am not sure that most of us have the faith that he will get us to where we want or need to be. When you get stranded on the road of life, do you sometimes get only halfway up the mountain of life’s challenges or only make it part way through the valley of despair? The mountain or valley all of us are facing as I write this, is the Covid-19 virus. We are wondering when it will ever end and when our lives will get back to normal. The first line in the chorus of the song for this blog entry delivers the most powerful message of all, God will make a way! It doesn’t say might, may, possibly, kinda-sorta, or if; it says he will make a way. God does not need the roads, the paths, or the trails we are forced to take; he chooses his own way and gets us to where we need to be. We may not see his pathway or completely understand why he is taking a specific route; but he knows where he is going. Notice that the writer does not say, God will find a way, but writes God will make a way. God becomes our guide, whenever we let him, and walks side by side with us every step of the way. As he walks with us, he gives us strength and he lets us know we are loved. We are no longer lost, hopeless or alone. He shows us the path of light through what we thought was impenetrable darkness. In Isaiah 40:4, we find the power of God in regards to mountains and valleys, “Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.”

The writer puts us in a different setting in the second verse. Instead of a mountain or deep valley of despair, the scene changes to a desert or a wilderness. I view this as more of a picture of life without hope. As we start wandering across the unmarked desert, we slowly realize that if we do not find water soon or find that right path, that we will perish in agony. But the song reminds us that God will take us down the right path that leads us to the water of life that we need. Ultimately, as we become more dependent on him and put our faith in him, our fears begin to diminish and our eyes and heart are opened to his love. One day our earthly life will end, we will no longer be part of this life; he will have taken us to our eternal home with him. Until that time, we should never doubt what God can do for us and what new path he has prepared for us. In Isaiah 43:19, we find this promise from God: “For I am about to do something new, See, I have already begun! Do you not see it, I will make a pathway through the wilderness? I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”

I know it is not easy to let go and let God, I know it is not easy to say and mean that it is all in God’s hands; but I also know that if we will only give God a chance that he will bring a joy and peace that we never could have imagined. He not only makes a way, he does it in a manner that we never thought possible. Think about the path you are on today and what path you believe God would want you to take.

Click to Hear Don Moen Sing God Will Make a Way

Count Your Blessings

The next entry for my Blog is Count Your Blessings which was written by Johnson Oatman in 1897 with the music written by Edwin O. Excell. It is a staple song in most Christian hymnals. A link to the song being performed is at the bottom of the Blog.

Count Your Blessings

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings—*money cannot buy [*wealth can never buy]
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

As I write this entry in March, 2020; the world is struggling with the COVID-19 virus. We are seeing countries shut their borders, cities confine people to their homes, schools closing, travel being suspended, the stock markets in shambles, and most of us are probably wondering how this will all turn out. Some of our questions are: will I get the virus, when will it all end, how will I ultimately be impacted physically, emotionally, and financially. As I thought about a song that best seems to show an understanding of a life/world filled with troubles and what it looks like on the other side; this song, Count Your Blessings, came to mind. Even though the song was written in 1897, it is still relevant today and the troubles we are facing.

As we listen to the news and surf the internet, we only hear about what could happen as we face this global pandemic. We are definitely in a very tempestuous time filled with fear as well as selfishness. We are frustrated and discouraged as our grocery stores all have empty shelves, as we are all looking for the same life necessities. We see people coming out of the stores with more supplies than they could ever utilize, while we are hoping to get enough to survive for the next few days or a couple of weeks. So, we become extremely frustrated as we come up empty in our search and see others hoarding the things we need. As we become more frustrated, irritated, and discouraged; we start focusing on the what-ifs and fall into the glass is half-empty mindset. What we really need to focus on is how blessed we are and what will ultimately happen to us as believers. As we start to become swallowed up by the worries of life, we need to stop the worrying and start thanking God for what we do have, how he has blessed us, and what eternity looks like. Keep in mind that our life on earth is just a blip in the eternal life Jesus has given to us. Many of us share some of the same blessings, and each of us will have unique blessings. As you count your blessings, think about things such as jobs, housing, food, significant others, children, friends, possessions, health, eternal life, and these are just high-level categories for you to think about as you focus on your blessings. As the song says, I truly think you will be very surprised at what God has done!

Outside of the current time of fear from the pandemic, do you just feel worn down and beaten by the world on a daily basis? I know that each of us face our own challenges every single day in some aspect of our life. These trials ultimately become a burdensome worry that saps our strength, drags us down, and negatively impacts all of those around us. The song refers to these as our cross, the one we end up carrying every day. Jesus also carried a cross, the only difference is that the cross he carried was for each of us. Our cross is basically our challenges in life, whereas the cross of Jesus represented all of our burdens and our sins for every day of our life. He carried that cross long ago so that we could forever give our burdens to him. I realize it is easy to say to give our burdens to Jesus, but isn’t that what he told us to do and isn’t that why he died for each of us who accept him as our Lord and Savior? Consider all that he has done for us and has promised us and it will make the burdens much lighter. In Matthew 11:28 we find God’s promise, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” I do understand this is easier said than done, but we will make a lot more progress by trying than we will by worrying and trying to bear the burdens alone.

As you have thought about your challenges as well as the peace that God offers us, know that God can handle whatever confronts us, whether it is a small challenge or a completely overwhelming challenge. He ultimately overcomes our challenges by giving us the strength, hope, wisdom, and support we need; and many times, he turns those challenges into blessings. In Psalm 103:1-5, we find where David is helping us all to realize who God is and that he is always there to pick us up: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” We serve a mighty God who meets our every need and gives us more blessings than we can ever count; in fact, it would be difficult to count all of the blessings he gives us in a single day. See if you can write down every blessing, large or small, that you have received in the past 24 hours.

In closing this entry for the week, I want to ask you a question. With everything going in the world today, including the pandemic, are you living a life of fear or a life knowing that God is control?

Click to Hear Count Your Blessings