Great Are You, Lord

This song from All Sons & Daughters has been playing over and over in my head today.

You give life. You are love. You give hope. You restore. Great are you, Lord.

Pain. Sadness. Sickness. Uncertainty. I am struggling. I need to give it up. Let God take it. All of it.

The words of this song remind me that He is the one that gives life. He is love. He restores. God, help me see you as the loving God you are. My heart is breaking and you will mend it. You will fill those places that are open and raw. Perfect my faith.

photo credit: lauradake

You give life, You are love
You bring light to the darkness
You give hope, You restore
Every heart that is broken
Great are You, Lord

It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
We pour out our praise
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise to You only

You give life, You are love
You bring light to the darkness
You give hope, You restore
Every heart that is broken
Great are You, Lord

All the earth will shout Your praise
Our hearts will cry, these bones will sing
Great are You, Lord

Great Are You, Lord | All Sons & Daughters

Amazing Grace

I was reading my devotions yesterday from Darlene Zschech's devotional book, Revealing Jesus. It was titled Amazing Grace.

The fourth stanza says:

 The Lord has promised good to me.

His word my hope secures.

He will my shield and portion be,

as long as life endures.

I haven't seen these words before so I looked for The Salvation Army songbook (our hymnal.) I was right. A different verse was published. I was confused. Are these Darlene's words? She is a song writer after all. My next step, Google!

I discovered those are the words of the fourth stanza written by John Newton. In fact, there are six verses. The stanza that is familiar to us, when we've been there ten thousand years...was written by an anonymous author and is often inserted as the fourth verse.

Confirmation. Words I needed to hear. God's promises. His word my secure hope!

When The Waters Are At Flood Stage

I opened Facebook this morning and my friend, Wendy had posted a picture of this verse from Isaiah as encouragement.  

With everything that has been going on in our life, there are days when I feel the waters are at flood stage. The water is up around my ears, it gets harder and harder to breathe, panic sets in and soon you have lost control.  

Even though I have these feelings, I am reminded in God's word, that He promises that He will be with me and I will not drown.

photo: laurajdake | stone mountain

Faith Is Taking The First Step

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

Martin Luther King

Lamentations 3 says:

But there’s one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:

God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out, his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.

They’re created new every morning.

How great your faithfulness!

I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over).

He’s all I’ve got left.

God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,

to the woman who diligently seeks.

It’s a good thing to quietly hope,

quietly hope for help from God.

I am desperately looking for confirmation that God is hearing the prayers of his people. I want to feel his presence. I don't understand why cancer has invaded my brother's body. I struggle everyday wondering why...God you are the creator of the universe, creator of man and the God of healing. Why are you not choosing to heal his body?

Claiming hope was a big undertaking and maybe I wasn't truly ready to live that out. God help me to claim hope and that requires me to seek you diligently! To remember you are faithful and your mercies are new every morning. 

Source: Photo from Pinterest