A Spring of Joy

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Wednesday Worship: Everlasting God

Hello there my bloggy friends. It’s that time again, and I truly need today to collect my thoughts and focus even more on worship and how my heart has ached for my Lord this week. It has been a tumultuous and painful week for me, and I have needed to cling to God as my deliverer. I am realizing more and more how worship is a daily discipline. It is such an integral part of my life and my daily relationship with God.

I have been listening to Chris Tomlin sing “Everlasting God” over and over and over. Written by Benton Brown during a time when he and his wife had both been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, it is simple lyrically but has a powerful promise to it. (There are three versions of this song out there. Lincoln Brewster, Benton Brown and Chris Tomlin all sing it, and all three do it differently. All three can also be found on iTunes or Amazon.com MP3 downloads.)

I am in a place of waiting. A place of weakness. A place of deficiency. God is my strong deliverer. He is my hope. My comforter. And as I wait upon the Lord, I will rise up with wings like eagles. I love how the truth of Scripture is interwoven in the simple lyrics of this song. It is a declaration of Who God is and how intensely I need Him in my life. And as I wait on my God, I know He will come. I know He will deliver.

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
(Isaiah 40:28-31)

Friends, our God reigns forever. This song has led me to rejoice not only in His power, but in His gentleness. He is the everlasting God, yet He comes to me, delivers me, and meets me where I am. And where I am is in daily desperate dependence.

Everlasting God

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer

You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won’t grow weary
You’re the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles
(Benton Brown and Ken Riley – 2005 Thank You Music)

Amen and amen!

What about you? What Scripture or song is God using to lead you to worship Him this week?

angie

April 15, 2008

The Music Conservatory

5 responses to “Wednesday Worship: Everlasting God”

Monica

April 16, 2008 at 8:22 am

“As you wait upon the Lord, you learn to see things from His perspective, move at His pace, and function under His directives. Waiting times are growing times and learning times. As you quiet your heart, you enter His peace; as you sense your weakness you receive His strength; as you lay down your will, you hear His calling. When you mount up, you are being lifted by the wind of His Spirit; When you move ahead, you are sensitive to His timing; when you act, you give yourself only to the thing He has asked you to do.”
-Roy Lessin

I have had this quote on my bulletin board for years and as I rotate verses and other quotes, this one has yellowed with age, and I cannot remove it.

Delaney said to me last week as I tucked her in, “Mom, do you know we won’t need to sleep in Heaven?” Oh how I long for that day when we won’t need to rest but will have endless energy to worship our great God! I’ll see you there, sweet friend! Until then, we WAIT.

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Natalie

April 16, 2008 at 9:28 am

Here’s a song we sang in InterVarsity at JMU and just heard again and remembered how powerful it is. The line: “sin has lost it’s power, death has lost it’s sting” gets me every time. Songs called, “Marvelous light” by Charlie Hall. It’s just a thought provoking and uplifting song…Also, I think of how Audrey would dance to the bridge of the song.

I once was fatherless,
a stranger with no hope;
Your kindness wakened me,
Awakened me, from my sleep

Verse 2
Your love it beckons deeply,
a call to come and die.
By grace now I will come
And take this life, take your life.

Pre-chorus
Sin has lost it’s power,
death has lost it’s sting.
From the grave you’ve risen
VICTORIOUSLY!

Chorus
Into marvelous light I’m running,
Out of darkness, out of shame.
By the cross you are the truth,
You are the life, you are the way

Verse 3
My dead heart now is beating,
My deepest stains now clean.
Your breath fills up my lungs.
Now I’m free. now I’m free!

Bridge
Lift my hands and spin around,
See the light that i have found.
Oh the marvelous light
Marvelous light

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Rochelle

April 16, 2008 at 3:49 pm

I love to read this little book my mom and dad gave me for Christmas 1999! I keep it in a basket my bathroom, as it is the best way for me to pick it up and read the short, but uplifting page for each day first thing in the morning before I wake Avery for school. I love this page:

The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?–John 18:11

Every sorrow, every smart,
That the Eternal Father’s heart
Hath appointed me of yore,
Or hath yet for me in store,
As my life flows on, I’ll take
Calmly, gladly, for His sake,
No more faithless murmurs make.
Paul Gerhardt

The very least and the very greatest sorrows that God ever allows befall you, proceed from the depths of His unspeakable love. Such great love is better for you than the highest and best gifts that He has given you, or ever could give you, if you could but see it in this light. So that if your little finger aches, if you are cold, if you are hungry or thirsty, if others irritate you by their words or deeds, or whatever happens to you that causes you distress or pain, it will help to fit you for a more noble and blessed state. John Tauler

I needed this reminder today! Our Saviour endured so much for us, may we watch and wait expectantly, joyfully for His return! Our God is good, ALL THE TIME! Love ya, Rochelle

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Judie Young

April 16, 2008 at 7:49 pm

My precious Angie,

The Lord is sustaining you. He has given you the childlike faith, a very special grace. He has started a work in you and will complete it till Jesus comes.

May this hymn fill you with peace. This is one of my very favorites and fills my heart with praise to Him.

Blessed assurance Jesus is mine. Oh, what a fore taste of glory divine. Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Saviour all the day long; This is my story, this is my song Praising my Savour all the day long.

Perfect submission perfect delight, visions of rapture now burst on my sight’ Angels descending, bring from above echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Chorus

Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my Saviour are happy and blest; watching and waiting; looking above, filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Chorus

If you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking those things that are above where you new life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, you will appear with Him in glory.

In His grace we are what we are.
Judie

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Chanley

April 21, 2008 at 7:07 am

Ang-This is a song we sang last Sunday and is beautiful in words and music. Thought you would like it, too & maybe have sung it yourself!

All my days I will sing this song of gladness, give my praise to the Fountain of delights;
For in my helplessness You heard my cry, and waves of mercy poured down on my life.
Beautiful Savior, Wonderful Counselor, clothed in majesty, Lord of history,

You’re the Way, the Truth the Life.
Star of the Morning, glorious in holiness, You’re the Risen One,
Heaven’s Champion, and You reign, You reign over all!

2. I will trust in the cross of my Redeemer; I will sing of the blood that never fails,
Of sins forgiven, of conscience cleansed, of death defeated and life without end.
Beautiful Savior, Wonderful Counselor, clothed in majesty, Lord of history,
You’re the Way, the Truth the Life.
Star of the Morning, glorious in holiness, You’re the Risen One,
Heaven’s Champion, and You reign, You reign over all!

3. I long to be where the praise is never ending; Yearn to dwell where the glory never fades,
Where countless worshipers will share one song, and cries of ‘Worthy’ will honor the Lamb!
Beautiful Savior, Wonderful Counselor, clothed in majesty, Lord of history,
You’re the Way, the Truth the Life.
Star of the Morning, glorious in holiness, You’re the Risen One,
Heaven’s Champion, and You reign, You reign over all!

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