My love is deeper than the holler. Stronger than the river.Higher than the pine trees growin' tall upon the hill.My love is purer than the snowflakes,That fall in late December.And honest as a Robin on a springtime window sill.And longer than the song of a whippoorwill.
Last night I came across a televised special of the Joy event at Disney World. Apparently it's an event where awesome Christian artists come to play. Anyways here's a taste of what I heard last night.
God never ceases to amaze me. He keeps reminding me of Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Tonight he showed me Isaiah chapter 59...
Sin, Confession and Redemption
59 Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. 3 For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken falsely, and your tongue mutters wicked things. 4 No one calls for justice; no one pleads a case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil. 5 They hatch the eggs of vipers and spin a spider’s web. Whoever eats their eggs will die, and when one is broken, an adder is hatched. 6 Their cobwebs are useless for clothing; they cannot cover themselves with what they make. Their deeds are evil deeds, and acts of violence are in their hands. 7 Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. They pursue evil schemes; acts of violence mark their ways. 8 The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks along them will know peace.
9 So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows. 10 Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like people without eyes. At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead. 11 We all growl like bears; we moan mournfully like doves. We look for justice, but find none; for deliverance, but it is far away.
12 For our offenses are many in your sight, and our sins testify against us. Our offenses are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities: 13 rebellion and treachery against the Lord, turning our backs on our God, inciting revolt and oppression, uttering lies our hearts have conceived. 14 So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. 15 Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.
The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. 16 He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm achieved salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. 17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. 18 According to what they have done, so will he repay wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes; he will repay the islands their due. 19 From the west, people will fear the name of the Lord, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the Lord drives along.[a]
20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the Lord.
21 “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth
will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the
lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the Lord.
Every time I read the first verse of this passage I am reminded that no matter my iniquities, God's arm can always reach me. It is so comforting and encouraging for me to know that I can never go so far down that God can't pull me back up again. When I compare myself to the greatness and holiness of God I am immediately humbled. I love this passage because it is a demonstration of what God does on a daily basis. He saves us from self destruction. When are hands are yet stained with blood, Jesus still redeems. My favorite part of this passage is verse twenty one when God promises to be with those who repent of their sins. He says "My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you... from this time on and forever"
I read on to Isaiah 60 which continues the story with rejoicing, "“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you."
These past couple of days have been really cool. God has just been revealing small things to me. Last night I went to a worship service put on by the Worship Arts majors here at school. At the service the speaker talked about how we as college students know God's will. He also talked about how Christians are called to minister to the hurting and broken of the world. This really related to me as a social work major. I felt God asking me to give up my future in order for Him to make way in my life. So that's what I'm doing. My future is in God's hands. My plans are His. I want to go where he is sending me and do what he has sent me to do. I have no idea what is going to happen, I only know that it is going to be amazing. I am eager to reach the broken, poor, and needy.
One of the songs we worshiped with last night was Follow you in to the world. So here is the video for you, enjoy. :)
Tonight God revealed a special message to me. Lately I've been singing "Don't laugh at me" by Mark Wills. Then as I was spending time with God tonight he reminded me that I am his creation. I am beautiful, smart, capable, and loved by God. We all are. There is nothing different about my or your being that makes us disqualified from the love of God. In fact, we can't get away from it even if we wanted to. We were created by Him, our entire existence is in His image.
Please visit my friends blog for a lesson about God.
Mint Chocolate Chip Moments.: Blessings.: "This song, makes my heart so full every time i listen to it. This week i have been learning that no matter what God is always right here. No..."
John 17:24 Caught my attention in the video. God loves us so much! He prayed for us.
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Tonight I witnessed what it is like to feel like you have nothing left. When your home is taken from you and you can't feed yourself or your baby. All that you have left is tears and a shoulder to cry on. Sometimes there is absolutely nothing we can do to help but pray and be a listening ear. For me this is hard because all I want to do is wrap them in my arms and tell them it is going to be okay but you can't really do that when you know it isn't going to be okay. At least we can promise to be by their side through it all. I came across this beautiful hymn tonight standing at my piano. It is our only hope when there is nothing left, because even when everything is gone God's love remains.
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell.
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled
And pardoned from his sin.
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints' and angels' song.
When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall;
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call;
God's love, so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam's race—
The saints' and angels' song.
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
Wow, today has been a big day! My third post! Check out this song - it is by my friend Devan and it is beautiful, it's called "Father, Father" Check it out! "Father, Father" P.S you have to find it under audio.
