My Heart will Sing, No Other Name... Jesus!

As I wake this morning, to face a busy day, the song running through my mind is, "My heart will sing, no other name, Jesus.  Jesus."  So, I looked up the rest of the lyrics and was reminded of the qualities of Jesus and the God we serve.  He is good.  He is love.  He is light and hope.  He is truth, life, peace, and joy.

The song even goes on to say that He is "more than my words could ever say."  Have you recently stopped and tried to describe Jesus?  It reminds me of that sermon (that you can find on YouTube) titled "That's My King" where the pastor says he doesn't know how to describe Him and then goes on for the next five minutes with truths about and titles for Jesus pausing every once in a while to say "and that's MY King!"  But, in the five minutes, that's pretty much the only thing that he repeats as he goes on to list the qualities and titles for our saviour.

So, the chorus to this morning's song says:

"Oh, I'm running to your arms, I'm running to your arms.

The riches of your love will always be enough.

Nothing compares to your embrace.

Light of the world forever reign.

My heart will sing, no other name...

Jesus, Jesus"

My dad has an old birthday card that says that love is when we run into his arms even when his hands are empty.  Although that's so true (of both my earthly dad and my heavenly father), Jesus has so much to give and isn't it refreshing to know that at the end of this busy day... at the end of serving Him... we can run into His arms and feel the warmth of His embrace?

The next time you bow your head in prayer, imagine yourself sitting on Jesus lap as a child, with his arms around you listening to every word you have to say and enjoy the time spent with Him.

He'll go With Me All the Way

Earlier this year, my husband and I read "Grace Walk" by Steve McVey.  So, in light of what we learned through the reading of that book and thinking more of the song running through my head on Saturday, something hit me this morning... following Jesus doesn't mean walking 10 paces behind my master and it doesn't mean being a messenger who merely goes where I'm sent while God stays behind watching from afar.

Did you notice the last verse of the song?:

"He will give me grace and glory,... And go with me, with me all the way."

Here are a few scriptures that go along with what I'm thinking...

Rom. 8:14-15 - For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.  For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba!  Father!"

1 Cor. 10:13 - "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

Matt. 28:19-20 - Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

So, what do these scriptures have in common?  God is with us... He won't leave us stranded.  He has given us instructions through His Word and will send us out but He doesn't just send us, He goes with us.

Out in the highways and byways of life,

many are weary and sad.  Carry the sonshine where darkness is rife, 

making the sorrowing glad.

Make me a blessing, Make me a blessing,

Out of my life, may Jesus shine;

Make me a blessing, O Savior I pray,

Make me a blessing to someone today."

Spread some SONshine today.  Remember, if you are a child of the King, He will be with you always.

Where He Leads Me I will Follow

The other day, I was asked how God has been working in my life lately.  Wow, that's a tough one because, actually, I've been struggling.  

Don't get me wrong, I know I've been blessed... I feel that God has answered my every prayer... He has blessed me with 8 (soon to be 9) beautiful grandchildren, children that live for Christ, a husband that is sold out to Christ and who loves me so much, we don't have to worry about every penny when we go to the store and we have plenty of clothes to wear in any given situation, we have a solid roof over our heads and a warm/cool (depending on the need) house to sit comfortably in while we fellowship with friends.... but when I'm asked, "how has God been working in your life?" I know it's not about the blessings.  

And the reason I've been struggling lately is because I don't feel as close to God as I once was.  Here's the thing, I still have my daily devotions and I occasionally read extra scriptures outside the ones in the daily devotional, I pay attention and take notes on Sundays and then, again, during our life group studies but I still don't know what to say.

I've felt this coming on for a while now.  And, it's strange because I started noticing it about the same time that my husband's walk started getting stronger.  I know that I conscientiously backed off because I enjoyed the excitement in his eyes when he shared something "new" from the Bible so, did I back off too much?  I slowed down for him to catch up so that he could be the spiritual leader of our home... something I've prayed for all my life but now that he is that strong man of God, am I still the follower that I once was?

I used to know that peace that is talked about in Phil. 4:7... the peace that supplies inner joy.  Not just happiness, but peace that would cause my heart to sing even when there was chaos and calamity all around.  But was that just a fleeting emotion or was it God's peace and am I no longer feeling it because I've not been following as closely as I once was?

So, then the question led me to think of other things as well... do I not "feel" God working because I haven't been asking Him to work?  I want to follow Him but have I been asking Him to lead me?  This morning, as I pondered these questions, this song started flowing through my memory...

<center>"I can hear my Savior calling,... 'Take thy cross and follow, follow me.'

I'll go with Him thro' the garden, ... I'll go with him, with him all the way.

I'll go with him thro' the judgment, ... I'll go with him, with him all the way.

He will give me grace and glory,... and go with me, with me all the way.

Where He leads me I will follow, Where He leads me I will follow,

Where He leads me I will follow, I'll go with Him, with Him all the way."</center> 

Lord, let me know you as I used to know you.  Work in my life today.  I want to follow You but have not been listening to Your gentle words of guidance.  Open my ears once again and fill my heart with your joy as You have in the past.