I'm not afraid of the big bad...(Fill in the blank)!

Some of you reading this right now are suffering.
How do I know? Because I believe God has brought you to this place for that very reason.

You might be thinking, "Whoa, how can that be possible?" Well it is because I believe in an Almighty and Powerful God who orchestrates life in such a way that there are no coincidences. And while not every single occurrence in this life is deeply and profoundly meaningful, sometimes God, in His great mercy, leads us exactly where we need to be.

Tonight I'm thinking of "the big bad (fill in the blank)." Currently, it's Enterovirus 68, a respiratory illness sweeping across our nation and infecting young children. Yeah, it's a big bad virus...so big and bad that it has led to paralysis and even death. As a mother of young children reading about it is enough to inject heart pounding pure anxiety into my veins. Really.

What's your big bad....fear...illness...suffering?

Back in 2009, I had the biggest baddest "Big C" scare. Oh, it was more than a scare. It was the real deal. Five years later, I am here and healthy by the grace of God. That word "grace" is no small word to throw around. For God truly was heaping grace upon me. A dear friend even told me in prayer, about sensing God pouring grace upon me. I surely needed it. At the time, I felt betrayed by the God who I loved. How could this have happened to me? Why was He not healing me! Why?

Honestly, I'm not sure why, but I do know that God was faithful to me each moment, and showed me His love for me through others. He showed me I could be strong in Him when I felt weak, and I trust He did miraculous things through my weakness.

The message I have for you is this: DO NOT BE AFRAID. As I will tell my daughters, "God is bigger than the boogeyman"--from a popular kids bible story. Do you believe this? Can you believe this? GOD IS BIGGER THAN THE BIG BAD...whatever you are facing right now! Not only that, but He loves you! How do I know? Jesus took on ALL the BIG BAD EVERYTHINGS and He did it for you. He conquered sin and death and rose victorious so we can be victorious! Yes, you can be victorious!

So what about those big bad everythings? "Fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." Isaiah 43: 1-3

A New Song

This morning I have a new song to share with you. In Psalm 33, where I just happened to turn to in my bible, it says, "Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy." All of the songs I have posted were at that time "a new song", songs that spoke deeper than mere words. Like God's word, which is living and active, I have found that God uses worship music to profoundly stir up my faith and fan it into flames.

Wherever you are in your faith journey, I trust that God, who does not make mistakes, led you here for a reason. May you be blessed as you listen.

-Liz

P.S. If you enjoy reading my blog please send me a comment. I would love to hear from you! It helps motivate me to continue writing!

New Beginnings

Today is a momentous day for me. It is the day, I finally finished the journal I started on February 20, 2010. In the past, I could easily fill a journal within about 18 months, but this one was different. The last four years have been rockier with greater periods of struggle and silence, yet, what I would consider, enormous growth and faith. At first, my prayer journal was mostly written prayers. Now my journal is filled with scripture, Words from the Lord, answered prayers, Sermon notes, and lyrics from worship music that God has placed on my heart. My journal is a written evidence of my faith journey and I have referred to it often. Starting a new journal feels like starting a new chapter, and I am hopeful of a new chapter in my life. On that note, I'd love to share with you what I wrote on my first journal entry on February 20, 2010.

"But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD, he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you."

May you blessed as you remember that his eyes are on You. My you place your hope in his unfailing love, for He is your help and shield.

-Liz

For I am Yours and You are mine

Tonight as I meditate on Good Friday, I hesitate to think of the gruesome suffering of Jesus. But unlike Hollywood's renditions of violence for the purpose of entertainment, Jesus' suffering was REAL and it was for you and me. One day we will all stand before our Maker. How would you measure up to the holiness of our God? Would you be good enough? I know I would certainly not be good at all, except for the blood of Jesus covering me. So tonight, as I meditate on my Savior, I remember that his gruesome suffering was for me so that I can say, "For I am Yours and You are mine" for eternity. This is love. 

This song "Oceans" has been on my heart for the past week. May you be blessed by the touch of the Holy Spirit as you listen.

God bless-
Liz

It's been a while...

Hello. It's been a while. So much has happened since my last post so let me sum it up. We moved. We just didn't move in the same city or in the same state or time zone, but we MOVED cross country. And by moved I mean an amazing cross country car trip from frigid New York to always sunny California!

Yep. The deferred dream that I alluded to in one of my prior blogs...well...it came true. Rather, God fulfilled it. You see, I had wanted to make this move for the past ten years, and yearned, wrestled, and prayed that I would happen...and it finally did! Hallelujah!

You know that dream you have in your heart? That dreamed locked up in a treasure chest? Well, God sees it! In the bible it says that we have a good heavenly Father who wants to give us good gifts. He's not gonna pull a bait and switch on you, or withhold the things in your heart because you are not good enough or because He can't or won't. He's not like that. He wants the absolute best for you, which sometimes....okay usually... does not make sense.

One "aha moment" in my faith journey occurred when I realized that I actually do not know what is best for me. You heard me right. I do not know what is best for me. At that time I was young-er and struggling to meet the right Mr. to make me a Mrs. And, honestly, after that "aha moment" and I fully submitted to God's will for me, God brought my Mr. into my life.

Submitting to God's will is choosing to believe that He is greater, stronger... all the omni words: omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present...you get the point. Try kneeling before God. There's no better way of reminding yourself that God is God and you are not. He does know best. He is the Great I AM. So, yes, he knows what is best for you.

The question is: will you choose to trust in His love for you and choose to believe that He knows what is best for you? Please don't doubt His love for you! Jesus did it all--He demonstrated His love for you. Dying for you. Yes YOU.

So keep asking, praying, waiting. Will you choose to trust that His love is bigger and broader and stronger than your wildest dreams?

Today is the day

Today Is the day...

    Do you hear His voice calling you?

                He's knocking.

                             And waiting.


He's been waiting for you since the beginning of time. Waiting for you to see Him and recognize that He's always been with you. Even when you felt so alone. Even then. Even now.

              
                                                         The great I AM.

Calling you.

Come.

Take one step.

I'm knocking, don't you hear me?

I want to embrace you.

I want you to know me.

Don't be afraid.

See what I have already done for you.

My hands.

My side.

My life.

For you.

Yes you.

Help! I'm in a rut!

I've been in a bit of a rut lately to be honest. Not feeling much excitement about seeking God's face or spending time listening. Like a stubborn child I moped. I grumbled. I did things half-heartedly. On Sunday we meditated on Proverbs 3:5-6 and I had some serious soul searching to do, searching my heart to see if it was truly open and available to trust in God. You see I, like you, have hopes and dreams in my heart for certain things, things which I have tucked away in a treasure chest in my heart. Is it wrong to have a treasure chest of hopes and dreams? I don't think so, but I'm pretty sure God wants full access to what's inside the treasure chest. Not only that, He wants full access to our hearts. Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with most of your hopes and dreams, but God wants to be #1. He wants to be the -I will sell everything I've got for Him treasure. The I don't care about anything else treasure. The I will be complete when I have Him treasure. He wants to fill our hearts and push out worry, fear, anger, disappointment, and everything else that is not from His kingdom, and make our paths straight! Amen and Hallelujah!

So what's holding you back from giving God your hopes and dreams?

How your smart phone can help you hear God's voice

Lately, I've felt a hunger to read God's Word. I had become lazy and failed to fill up my spirit with God's Word on a daily basis. Although I had read the entire bible using a daily plan, I feared making a commitment and the constant failings of missed readings and long catchup sessions. Lo and behold----the Bible app! About two weeks ago I signed up for "The Bible in a Year" on You Version, and I have been loving the daily prompts to read the Word and the ease with which I can do it. I can read it anywhere and anytime with just a few taps on my smart phone. Awesome! So, for those of you out there needing to dip into God's Word, why not read along with me? The clearest way to hear God's voice is in His Word!

http://www.a.youversion.com/free-bible-apps

The value of looking to spiritual markers

The other night I started to look through a workbook I borrowed from my in-laws called Experiencing God as Couples by Henry T. Blackaby. In it Henry Blackaby writes, "When God gets ready for you to take a new step or direction in His activity, it will always be in sequence with what He has already been doing in your life." He goes on to talk about looking to spiritual markers in your life to help you discern God's leading. I kinda like to think of spiritual markers as those piles of stones you see on hikes, pointing you in the right direction toward your destination.

For my husband and I, God has used this workbook as a spiritual marker today. Let me explain. About a year and a half ago, a couple that we knew in ministry asked my husband and I for pre-marital counseling. We were shocked and humbled, to say the least, that this godly couple had asked us to help them prepare for marriage. We had no credentials or degrees or experience in doing this...none whatsoever, but we prayerfully lifted this up to God and waited. To our astonishment, He confirmed that He wanted us to do it. So we prayerfully created some topics to discuss with them, and stepped out in faith. Each meeting we prayed that the Holy Spirit would lead and guide our time with them, and all I can say is WOW. God met us each time, revealing His presence, and showed my husband and I how to work as a team. His gifts and my gifts were like a symphony, complementing and working in perfect unity together. We could do nothing but give God the glory for the miraculous ways he moved and worked in us.

After that amazing experience we began to wonder if God has a special ministry to couples in our future. To make a long story short, several months ago we began a major apartment room change and organization project. Living in New York City, our space is extremely tight. We chose to do this to maximize our space for our family and also to make it big enough to host more groups for ministry in our home. Our project included making our master bedroom into our living room, our living room into our dining room, our office into our bedroom, and our hallway into a large office/storage area! If your head is spinning just thinking about it, imagine what it was like for us! We had to sell furniture, including our beloved king size canopy bed, and add a gazillion bookshelves to our walls, but we are now in the final stages of getting our apartment together. Thank God! 

This morning right after I had prayed for guidance in writing this much overdue blog, my husband called and I told him how much I wanted to order the DVD set and go through the Experiencing God as Couples workbook with him. As I looked into buying the set online and thought about the topic of this blog, the spiritual markers suddenly became clear. We  can use our bigger living space and invite other couples to go through the workbook together! Wow, thanks God!

How about you, what are the spiritual markers in your life? Where might God be directing you?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

It's raining today

...and I'm waiting to hear Your voice. The rain is a reminder of your constant provision to water the earth, to cleanse what is dirty, and restore life to that which grows. Mostly I'm annoyed by the rain. I'm annoyed that my clothes get wet, and that the sky is gray. I want sunshine and blue skies always, and never the rain. Yet our planet needs the rain, just as I need a fresh anointing of Your Spirit.

Lord, fill my parched soul with the refreshing rain of Your Spirit. Cleanse my heart. Heal what is broken. Let no crevice in my being remain unfilled by You. Open my eyes to see You, Jesus.

Thank you, Jesus, for Your everlasting love for me demonstrated on the cross. You suffered for my sins, my shortcomings, my bad attitudes, my grumbling, my jealousy, my apathy, my brokenness, my dirtiness, my JUNK. You suffered for the joy of defeating death, defeating sin, and defeating the power of darkness. You died for me and even though I do not deserve it you have proclaimed that I AM YOURS and that YOU ARE MINE!

I pray for all who are reading this. I pray for God's divine anointing on you at this very moment. I pray that the waters of God's healing and forgiveness would wash away the pain, the depression, the anger, the bitterness, the hate, and bring complete healing in Jesus' name. I pray for freedom in Jesus' name! I pray that the eyes of your heart would be opened to know God's great love for you through Jesus. Yes, Lord, come in power. We need you.

Good Morning God

Good morning, God.

This morning I'm thinking of the song I heard on the radio with the lyrics, "Tell me who I am to you."

God, remind me who I am to you.

     (Listen) What do you hear?

     I hear: Beloved daughter, the one I love.


I'm listening, God. Who do you want me to pray for?

     (Listen) What do you hear?

     I hear: Pray for those who don't know me. (Pray)
                Pray for those who are hurting. (Pray)
                Come to me with your own burdens. (Pray)

Water of Life, come fill me up. Show me your face that I might see You. Thank you, Lord.

Amen.

Hearing Together: The Role of Community in Discerning God's Voice

Yesterday during house church, someone asked for prayer to discern where God was sending him in the mission field. He and his wife had visited several different cities abroad and were uncertain about where they should go. While praying on his own he discerned that God was telling him not to go to one particular city. Hearing God clearly speak to him in this way was surprising and he said he didn't know what to do with what he heard. Hearing this, I recommended that we pray as a group and hear from God together.

I've learned from experience that God often speaks through corporate prayer. As concerns are lifted up, God will reveal things through different people using the gifts he has given them. In our group one person has a gift of discernment, another often sees images when praying for others, another has prophetic gifts, another tongues, and I have a gift of intercession.

Praying together with others who use their spiritual gifts is a powerful experience. I am always awed by the way God speaks through each person but in perfect unity, like a perfectly orchestrated symphony. One person may discern, "I sense God will lead you and make this clear to you." Another may say, "I see an open door." Another may pray over unmentioned hardships or struggles. Yes, each voice or petition or discernment is powerful, but together they form the most magnificent symphony.

Are you struggling to hear from God about something? Who can you reach out to in your faith community to help you discern God's voice?

Prayer as peaceful as a deep slumber

Lately, as I have endeavored to listen to the voice of God, I have experienced prayer in a whole new way. Listening has caused me to slow down and, well,... listen. In the past prayer meant closing my eyes, rattling off my prayers, and finishing with a definitive amen. Now I tend to pray more internally and allow my mind to relax. You might be thinking, "But what about the distractions that come to mind?" Well, the best way I can describe this type of prayer is focused listening prayer. I focus on entering God's presence and listening. As thoughts and worries or people come to mind I pray about them or the circumstances surrounding them until I feel a quiet peace about it. Then I wait until something else comes to mind and pray again. If a scripture comes to mind, I accept it as a word from God. If a song comes to mind, I sing it.

You might be wondering, "Well how does this type of prayer work when praying with others?" The other day I experienced the most beautiful time of prayer with my friend Maria. We waited in silence for a few minutes before praying and as one of us was led we began to pray. Holding hands we prayed for each other and waited. I could feel the grasp of her hand in mine as we lifted up our concerns to our heavenly Father. Then after our words had ceased, we sat in the most beautiful silence. It was like being asleep, and I could not feel the grasp of her hand. At some point I realized our prayer would have to end, but I didn't want it to. When the doorbell rang I slowly finished our prayer, before getting up.

When I returned from going to the door, Maria and I discussed what we had just experienced. She, too, said that she did not want our quiet prayer to end, and said, "Liz, did you feel how we could no longer feel our hands? It felt like our hands were gyrating!" God was clearly present.

Sometimes, I think fear drives us to rattle off prayers, whether alone or in a group. Could it be that waiting and listening during prayer causes you anxiety that causes you to fill the space with words? Maybe you're afraid God won't speak to you in the silence or have been taught that this is how you pray. Perhaps you don't truly believe that God wants to speak to you. Whatever your reason, how about giving listening prayer a try? You might find that giving space for God to move is truly rest to your soul.

Friday's here... but Sunday's comin!

The title of this blog is one of my favorites for Easter. I heard Tony Campolo preach more than ten years ago about a "preach off" he had with another minister at an African-American church.  "Friday's here...but Sunday's comin" the other minister said in a deep rumbling voice. Friday's here...hardship, poverty, confusion, war, suffering, pain...but Sunday's comin.

Today as I think about Easter, I find it hard to dwell on the suffering of Christ. My mind tends to gloss over all the horrific details of what he endured and to fast forward to his exultant resurrection. Good Friday comes each year without so much as a few prayers before the details of Easter: the dinner, the egg hunts, and festivities take over. "Christ the Lord is risen today" is sung with joy and exultation, as it should be, but have I really understood the resurrection of our Lord without stopping to consider his crucifixion?

In the same way, I wonder if we actually understand the deep significance of "Sunday's comin" for ourselves. As the preacher preached, whatever you are facing right now, no matter how difficult or painful, belonging to Jesus means that He has a glorious end plan for us. Yes, heaven awaits us, but somehow everything we experience and endure is an important piece in God's plan for us and our world. Did you get that? Your life is an important piece in God's great redemptive plan for the world!

When Jesus suffered and died for us, He bridged the great impenetrable chasm between us and God.  Our lives are connected to the greatest love story ever. Nothing should be glossed over or disconnected, yet we often think in those terms. We think, "God is up there and I'm down here." "God, where are you?". We think and see in small disjointed pieces and we forget the glue: Jesus.

This Easter, my prayer is that you would think about Jesus' suffering as part of your own love story and that you would think about your life as part of God's great love story. It's all one reality. We are connected to the Father, He is in us through His Spirit because of the love of the Son, and Easter is actually your story too.

May you be ever radiant in the knowledge of Jesus' love for you.
Liz

Listening Prayer

Yesterday at 8:15 in the morning I met with some friends to pray. Harried, after dropping off their kids to school and some toting along youngsters, we sat at my kitchen table over mugs of steaming coffee to chit chat and share prayer requests. This morning, the prayer requests were not unusual. There were, what seemed like, constant distractions from late arrivers, the rustling of coats, and a Berenstain Bear's cartoon in the background, but in the midst of this God spoke.

In the last few years I have come to understand the power of praying with others. Have you ever prayed with someone who knew exactly how to pray for you? Have you ever felt the time was anointed in some way? Well, that's exactly what happens when you pray with others who are listening to the voice of God. Some believers may see images, some may hear bible verses, some may speak in tongues, some may feel the burden others carry, some may feel God's heart for others, some may have words of knowledge or wisdom, or some may simply know how to pray. For me, my gift is hearing words to pray. Can I sometimes pray without listening to God's prompting? Sure. But if I stop to listen, I often know exactly what to pray. I simply open my mouth and the words just start flowing out.

I'm grateful for this group of women who strive to listen to the voice of God. I know that whenever I pray with them, God shows up. Are there people in your life who listen to the voice of God when they pray? If you're seeking answers or just plain needing prayer, how about calling together other believers to pray? No matter what distractions surround you, begin with listening, and prepare to be amazed!

Doing what you can with the little you've got

Today I'm thinking about how small things can mean a lot. I'm thinking about how a text message to a friend, a decision to say "Have a nice day!", or a choice to reach out to a neighbor can brighten someone's day. This morning when I dropped off my girls at school, a school safety patrol student opened my car door to let the girls out and said, "Have a nice day." before closing my car door. Just that small gesture made me feel just a bit happier. When I posted on Facebook that I missed the mountains in Utah, my friend Heather took a picture of the mountains outside her living room window and posted it. It still makes me smile just thinking about it.

What makes you smile?

Sometimes when I am praying for someone I will sense that I should send him/her a text message. It takes 10 seconds (depending on how fast you text). Ten seconds to show someone you care and are thinking or praying for him/her. If you're not a texter, how about sending a card? A friend of mine will send cards with little cards inside with words of encouragement. You know the ones... pictures of dogs, cats, or rainbows. Many times they are tracts with pre-printed messages. More often than not, the messages hit me hard and speak a word I desperately need to hear. A dear friend of ours once preached, "You, be the one". Be the one to reach out, smile, lend a helping hand, serve, or say "I'll do it." But being "the one" doesn't have to be something big.

Just think of the boy who had a few loaves and fishes. Think of how many people he helped feed with his small offering. That's the amazing thing about God's Kingdom. God can take small offerings and use them in powerful ways for His Kingdom. How can you "be the one" today?

Finding Stillness In the Hubub of Life

Do you struggle with being still and hearing from God? Today I'd like to share with you how I spent time with God this morning. This exercise requires a little bit of time, so if you are skimming this or in a rush, I recommend that you come back later when you have more time. You might want to read this before you start. Once you're done, I'd love to hear from you.

1) Go to a quiet place.

2) Close your eyes.

2) Sing a worship song that comes to mind.

3) Breathe. Listen. Keep your eyes closed for a few minutes. Allow yourself to relax and be still.

4) Let your mind wander as you sit in silence. Pray as worries and people come to mind. When you're done praying for one person or situation, pray for the next person or situation that comes to mind. Pray trusting prayers. Acknowledge God's goodness, supremacy, and power. Allow the stillness to calm your heart. Release your prayers and your burdens as you pray.

5) Ask God what He wants to tell you today? Listen. Write it down. Don't over think it. Just write what you hear. Thank God for speaking to you.

What did you hear?

Here is what I heard: I love you, Liz. You are my daughter.  I am in the stillness. There is none like me. I am in control. I will carry your burdens. Do not be afraid. I am with you always.

Musings of Wind and Rustling Leaves

This morning I was led in prayer to John 3: 1-8

3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. ² He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^[a]”

⁴ “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[b] gives birth to spirit. ⁷ You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You^[c] must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”^[d]

Nicodemus was a man who came to see Jesus in the cover of darkness. He was compelled by questions. Questions that stirred inside of him into a whirling storm of belief, doubt, and wonder. His heart longed to know who Jesus was. Who was this man that healed the sick, fed thousands, spoke boldly in the temple, and caused such sickening hatred among the Pharisees? Yet, even they knew there was something special about him.

Sometimes I will sit and look out my bedroom window as I still myself to hear from God. As I gaze at the tree outside, I watch as the leaves bounce up and down in the breeze and I often think, "That is how God's Spirit moves." I don't see the breeze coming. I don't see where it ends. I only see the bobbing of leaves and hear the rustling of it's movement as it passes by.

Such is God's Spirit. It is unpredictable. We can't see it, but we can hear it and see the rippling effect as it passes by. Jesus says, "you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. "Did you get that? "you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going." In other words, I cannot know all the answers and see the full picture before I respond. 

It's in allowing to be moved that we can say, "Yes, did you see how God moved!" Sometimes God's voice is a nudge, "Go there. Talk to that person". Sometimes it's a stronger wind, and sometimes it's a full forced tornado. 

The questions is: Are you willing to be pliable to God's nudge? Do you hear him nudging you...do you hear the wind blowing? Are you willing to accept that "you cannot" know all the "whys" or "hows" and respond to His Spirit?

A morning chat with a neighbor

This morning as I was sitting in God's presence and wondering what I would write about, I felt inspired to talk with other believers about how they hear God's voice. I thought of my neighbors downstairs, a renowned theologian and his wife. Since Gordon has written many books about theology, I thought he would be the perfect one to ask. I was eager to hear what he would say.

I prayed, "Lord, do you want me to talk to my neighbor?" and I heard "Yes". As soon as I heard this, all kinds of excuses began to fill my mind, including a desire to simply be lazy, but I could not stop thinking about following this prompting no matter how much I tried. I asked God, again, whether I should go downstairs, and when I heard "Yes" a second time, I got up, descending the stairs, and knocked on my neighbors' door. To my surprise, he was not home, but his wife Maudine was home so, after a moment of indecision, I asked if she had a few minutes to chat. (You might notice that I did not actually ask God if I should speak with Gordon, but with my "neighbor". )

To give a little background, Maudine is a quiet, quick-witted woman, who has deep and insightful perspectives on scripture. Although her husband, Gordon, is the author of many books on theology, she is his trusted "editor" helping him to refine his writing.

When I asked her how she hears God's voice, she shared that she hears God through His Word. She and her husband had just completed reading the bible from cover to cover out-loud. Each day, they would take turns reading the daily scriptures and discussing what they had read.

Maudine also shared how she had once felt God's leading in writing something, but had second guessed herself. As she spoke about her manuscript I immediately saw the value in what she has written about and encouraged her in her writing, requesting to read her manuscript and meet with her again to talk about it. Maudine replied, "You are very encouraging. I'm so glad you came to chat. God must have prompted you to come."

God is my shepherd...

This morning I'm meditating on a new song that was introduced to our group on Sunday, "The House of God, Forever" by Jon Foreman. Have a listen while you're reading the lyrics.

How about closing your eyes and making the words of the Psalm your own? The words are actually quite radical. Can you believe that God is your shepherd? Yes, you! Allow yourself to believe the words and you might find your fears, sorrows, and loneliness comforted and healed by the love of our heavenly Father.

God is my shepherd

I won't be wanting

I won't be wanting

He makes me rest

In fields of green

With quiet streams

Even though I walk

Through the valley

Of death and dying

I will not fear

'Cause you are with me

You are with me

Your shepherd staff

Comforts me

You are my feast

In the presence of enemy

Surely goodness

Follow me

Follow me

In the house of God, forever