Tag: song

Posted in Eternity, joy, Life Inspiration

Is God Singing Your Song?

Written by talk2shari Published Discussion Leave a Comment on Is God Singing Your Song?

I ask myself that this morning after reading Zephaniah 3:17 KJV which says:

[17] The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

We met a man at Chick Fil-A on our trip this week whose name was Roy. I hesitate to call him a “bus boy” although he did bus tables. It’s likely not politically correct, and he was not a boy. If I were guessing he was in his 70’s. A small in stature, black man, with with a wild silver afro that stuck out from his ahead more than a few inches. And a personality to match. I say that just so you can get a visual. And you can understand that he caught my attention. When he realized that he did catch my attention, he and I immediately started a conversation. We talked music and church and just overall had a pleasant experience.

One would think that cleaning off tables and dumping the trash would not be a very glamorous job. But this was not his attitude. He made the experience a joy for those he served. He asked questions about their lives, where they were from, why had they come to Lancaster, were they enjoying their stay? He had a genuine concern for the people he spoke to. It was such a sweet experience because he joyed in them, you could see it! This morning I thought how God joys in His people and desires sweet fellowship.

I love a verse that breaks down into a point by point lesson for me to learn from God’s word.

He is here and He is Mighty!

“The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty;” Can we possibly understand what it means when we’re in the presence of God at every given moment of every given day? And the power for which that brings us? As I sit here in my recliner with Izadora the chihuahua snuggled up by my side, and God viewing my life through the lens of my heart, I’m overwhelmed at the thought. He is here. My great God and Savior is setting with me in my humble house watching me search His word, speaking to my soul sweet thoughts that I pen on the page… well technically type. But what a privilege to know that as the world around me falls apart, my God has my life planned out for His glory. Nothing catches Him off guard that is coming my way today.

He is here and He will Save!

I met with a group of friends yesterday who are planing an event in hopes of seeing souls saved in our community, something that only God can do but He allows us to be apart of the search and rescue. As the wife of a firefighter I have see the adrenaline rush that David and a his fellow fire fighters have when they’re a hero to someone in trouble. It’s an exciting experience. But in the scope of an eternal Hell, God’s rescue provides so much more. While the earthly rescue will allow someone to liver another day, a rescue by God allows us to live eternally.

He is here and He Rejoices!

He rejoices in His people as He sees them serve, fellowship and study His word. He knows the desires of our hearts and minds, and for me this morning, my desire is to understand His word and apply it to my life in a way that makes me productive for the Kingdom and makes my God rejoice! God blessed me with a mini vacation that allowed me to renew my body and mind and really get refocused on things back home that had begun to overwhelm me. And that is why in reading this scripture this morning I especially love that…

He is here and He rests in His love!

Without any variation or change, nothing will separate us from the love of God. He Himself receives satisfaction from loving His creation and being a part of our lives. To think that the time that I spend with God, the time He spends with me and the gifts of life that He gives to me brings contentment to HIS heart. It’s as if I’m a small child and I’ve crayoned a drawing and my Dad puts it on the refrigerator in pride. What I have to offer God seems so very little, and yet it creates joy and pride in Him. Isn’t that an amazing thought?’

He is here and He is Singing my Song

…he will joy over thee with singing.

I’ve never thought of God singing. Angel’s singing yes, but God? But that’s what scripture says. That He joys over me with singing. It causes me to wonder what song God sings when He’s thinking about me? That brings such joy to my life, because I know the joy that comes from singing. it causes dance in the soul and often in the feet. Does God dance when He sings? I don’t know… but He created His creation to dance, so quite possibly He does.

What I know from this small study is the Lord is as complex as the universe is expanse. With their new telescope, NASA discovered new worlds this past week. With the word of God, I discovered new things about the Creator of the Universe. It’s just amazing to be a child of the King!

Posted in Christian Service, Easter, Life Inspiration

He’s Singin’ Our Song!

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Isaiah 49:1-6
The Servants Song – a Holy Week Message

 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God.  And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.  And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

He’s Singin’ our Song!

When Jesus sings you a song, you really should come to the concert! This is the second of four servant songs in the book of Isaiah. You’ll find the others in 42:1–9; 50:4–11; 52:13–53:12). It struck a chord in my heart because it’s sung to me specifically. “Listen, O isles” refers to the Gentiles. That’s us! We were called the isles of the gentiles in Genesis 10:5 ~  By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations. So here in the book of Isaiah we find God singing us a song of redemption because even then He knew that the Jews, His chosen, would reject Him (Then I said, I have laboured in vain,). How heart wrenching a statement if that were the end of the story. But the end of the story didn’t come until Calvary when He became a light to the Gentiles and His servant’s song is continually sung through the Church that we now serve.

He Saved us to Serve

Here we are in the midst of Holy Week, the week that changed the world forever and I see so many unchanged. I’m even guilty myself. We’re called to be the light of Christ for the world but deed there are times that I don’t feel much brighter than a small candle flame in a dark house. I fail God daily and most churches are far from lighting the path to Calvary, but rather they illuminate the rights of Christians, focusing far more on the fact that our sins are covered than on Whose blood it was that covered our sins. We’ve also forgotten that we’re called to serve.

From the womb Jesus knew He was God, and the purpose for which He was being born was to die in our place. And I fully believe that in the recesses of our minds is our own calling from the time we are conceived. Jeremiah 1:5 (one of my favorite verses) says ~ Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

You can choose to ignore Jesus’ song and His reminder that you’re called to serve, or you can experience the greatest opportunity in life which is to light the pathway for souls to Heaven. Have a blessed week!

Posted in Christian Service, Life Inspiration, salvation

Winter Jam Tour 2014, pain killers and the Road to Jesus… let’s talk.

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Last night I traveled to Charleston, West Virginia to see “Winter Jam.” A Christian rock concert; and before those of you who don’t believe children should listen to Christian rock turn me off, tune in for just a minute. For years I’ve advised youth to be wary of Christian rock music in their worship for a couple of reasons. Number one, because I was taught to… and number two because I would ask the kids what a certain lyric said, and they couldn’t tell me. Therefore how can you say you’re spreading the gospel, when the words are not understood?

So why did I go to Winterjam? Because I love my youth group and because I didn’t believe I could effectively teach against something I had not experienced. And before anyone screams “You don’t have to lie down with the pigs to know they stink,” – yes that’s true, but my kids weren’t in a sinful place, they were in a place that “they had said they experienced God.” I needed to see for myself. So I laid down my southern gospel, bluegrass frame of mind, and went. (With a bottle of Aleve, ear plugs, and a pass for a pre-concert interview with the artists.) If I was going to do it, I wanted to do it right.

So… did I convert to a rocker? What do you think? Of course not. But… I did experience God in that place, because I looked for Him. He wasn’t always obvious to me, and in truth that bothered me. When a heavy metal group was on the stage… oh my stars. I didn’t see God, I seen the flesh at its finest. If you want me to be real, I have to say that because that’s how I felt. If something makes babies cry (and it did) makes your head ache, the lyrics are verbal confusion and the noise causes you to want to flee from the room… God’s not in that, just saying.

1 Corinthians 14:33

For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

I would be hard pressed to believe that God was in it. Am I saying the artist was unsaved? No. God is their judge, not me. I’m just saying it appeared to me to be a performance, not a ministry.

So what about the times that I did see God. One, that really surprised me was a rapper named Lacrae. Again… I didn’t care for his music style, but his testimony was spot on, his love for the Lord obvious, his influence on the kids was very positive. He preached as he sang and when he stopped rapping and began singing my initial thought was, “You’re not doing God justice with your talent.” He sang great! But the kids liked the rap. And although I couldn’t always understand it, he would slow back down and talk Jesus, and I had to believe that the gospel was going out. There were other bands that I felt the same way about, God’s moving was evident in their ministry and I’m not arguing that with anyone. Who am I to say that I have the only “right” way of ministering to souls?

So what did I learn on my field trip? I was drawn to the story of Samson this morning.

The story of Samson brings more to my mind the story of rebellion and Delilah, but long before Delilah came into the picture, Samson was chosen by God as a servant to Israel and as a young man Judges 13:25 says “And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.” The evidence of God’s hand on him was there from a youth. The problem came when he began dabbling in the world. There has got to be a line in the sand that we won’t cross.

My personal belief is some of those musicians crossed the line last night. But not all. During the preaching hundreds of kids stood making a profession that they wanted a deeper relationship with the Lord, it is my prayer that they found the road there last night.

I’m short on time this morning, I overslept because of the late night. I may or may not tackle this subject again. If the response is great, I’ll chit chat more. If it’s not…I’ll let sleepin’ dogs lie