A Spring of Joy

Glimpses of our world…

Wednesday Worship: Give Me Jesus

This week has been a week of fatigue, pain and fear for me. I have felt restless and anxious. I have struggled through some of the same “what if…?” moments that plagued me months ago. I have had nowhere else to go but Jesus. To whom else would I run? Who else can give me the comfort I need?

Jeremy Camp revives the old negro spiritual, “Give Me Jesus”, on his album Beyond Measure. I’ve done some research into what era of spirituals this came from, if the author is known, and other miscellaneous information, but could find nothing. The words are simple, but heartfelt. It is acoustic, folksy, and ballad-like with sweet harmonies. And can I just tell you how much I love the cello! Turn that cello up people! I can’t get enough! Go! Go to iTunes right now and download this song! Then sit back, turn it up and make it your cry! Ok, ok… you can miss out if you want to, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

This song has been my prayer all week, and I love how God designed worship as part of relationship with Him. It moves me into His arms. I need my Jesus every moment for every breath. I need Him in the morning when I rise, when I am alone, when I come to die. Give me nothing else, for nothing else will get me through this world, this struggle, this dying. There is no other hope to cling to, because no one else promises the peace, security and freedom. As much as it is a plea for Christ, it is also a song of expectancy. Nothing else will satisfy, and He will be with me as I cry out, “Take the world. I need, I long for, I desire Jesus.”

In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise

Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus.

When I am alone,
When I am alone,
When I am alone,
Give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus.

When I come to die,
When I come to die,
When I come to die,
Give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
You can have all this world,
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus.

May this forever be the cry of my heart, “Give me Jesus!” Amen and amen.

P.S. Can I just tell y’all what a blessing it has been to me to hear and read what y’all are listening to and how the Lord is using it in your lives?! I go and listen to each and every song, and I am so, so blessed. How great our God is to give us music. How great our God is to give us different styles and ways of worshipping Him. How great our God is to create us uniquely in His image with different tastes and likes yet each one of us can still bless the other! I’m getting misty-eyed so I’d better stop now.

angie

April 23, 2008

The Music Conservatory

5 responses to “Wednesday Worship: Give Me Jesus”

Nat

April 23, 2008 at 10:26 am

Prayer for a Friend
by Casting Crowns

Lord I lift my friend to You.
I’ve done all that I know to do.
I lift my friend, to You.
In complicated circumstances
with clouded view.
Lord I lift my friend up to You.

I fear that I won’t have the words
that he needs to hear.
I pray for Your wisdom , oh God.
And a heart that’s sincere.
And Lord I lift my friend up
to You.

Lord I lift my friend to You.
Though he’s my best friend in the
world, I know he means much
more to You.
I want so much to help him, but
this is something he has to do.
Lord I lift my friend up to You.

There’s a way that seems so right to him.
But You know where that leads.
He’s becoming a puppet of the world.
Too blind to see the strain.
And Lord I lift my friend up to You.

Lord I lift my friend to You.
I’ve done all that I know to do.
I lift my friend, to You.

Amen!

LikeLike

Reply
Brooke

April 23, 2008 at 1:35 pm

HEy Angie, I didn’t get to tell you, but I loved seeing you at church on Sunday..you look beautiful!

There’s a simple song we sing in Alianza…in Spanish of course that my kids sing all the time at home. Yesterday we were in the car and Caleb asked me what the words were in English.
The words are the familiar verse:

The Lord says, “When you have faith like a mustard seed, you can move the moutian.”

He just stared out the window looking at the mountians..He thought it was pretty cool that we can move moutians..even though he’s still trying to figure out how that works.

God has really moved mountians in our lives. Thankyou for sharing your mountian with us.

LikeLike

Reply
Monica

April 24, 2008 at 7:49 am

So I was watching the Dove Music Awards last night and they did a tribute to MW Smith. One of the songs they sang was “Secret Ambition” from the I to Eye project. For some reason that song took me back to when you and I were just beginning to listen to “contemporary” Christian music. I remember listening to that tape driving on country roads with you in your old Pontiac and singing at the top of our lungs. We began to understand for the first time the freedom in Christ we had to REALLY worship Him–to get emotional and FEEL the holiness and power and gentleness and love of our great God.

One of my favorite worship songs we sing at church is “I AM.” I know many people sing this, but I love the live Mark Schultz version. You can listen to the free version at http://www.rhapsody.com/markschultz/markschultzliveanightofstoriessongs
When we keep our eyes fixed on all that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are to us everything else falls away.

My heart is singing with yours today, dear friend.

LikeLike

Reply
Chanley

April 24, 2008 at 12:21 pm

I am so sorry & heartbroken that this has been a week of fear, fatique & anxiousness. Those are horrible feelings I know. I have been thinking of you lately. I know that if we all died tomorrow, we could say that the Lord had been good and faithful to us!!! But yet, to get our hearts and minds and EMOTIONS around that stuff is yet another story. I know that cancer is a horrible monster & that it does change your perspective on life & changes your whole life in general. I pray God will take it from you completely & that you can not have another thought of it! God bless you, dear sister!

Here are some verses I came across in my devotions. May they encourage your heart and boost you for God’s glory!

Is. 43:2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overtake you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. (I love that!)

I Pe. 4:12, 13 “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; bu rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.”

Rom. 8:38,39 “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Amen & Amen!

Is. 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Ps. 31:24 “Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”

Now I know if we could just wave the magic wand to “not fear” it would be a piece of cake. God is a God of miracles, though. May you feel His peace and nearness even today!

Love you,
Chanley

LikeLike

Reply
Becky Leung

April 25, 2008 at 2:40 pm

My dearest Angie

Can I tell you what a blessing it is to see how God uses mere words written by others and put into songs to bless people? How great it is to worship God not just in reading His Word, but in daily singing and praise to HIM!

This week has been busy week for me and I’d admit publically that I get overwhelmed easily but find out the hard way the best way to get through the week is by worship! Reading your blog and seeing how God uses Worship in your life is a blessing to me. This week, I’ve been listening to Casting Crown’s song “Beautiful Saviour”

BEAUTIFUL SAVIOR

All my days I will sing the 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

(chorus)
Beautiful Savior, wonderful counselor
Clothed in majesty, Lord of history
You’re the way, the truth and the life
Star of the mornin, glorious in holiness
You’re the risen one, heaven’s champion
And you reign, you reign over all

I will trust in the cross of my Redeemer
I will sing of the LAMB that never fails
Of sins forgiven, of conscience cleared
Of death defeated and life without end

(chorus)
Beautiful, beautiful Savior
Wonderful counselor, beautiful risen one

(chorus)
I long to be where the praise is never ending
Yearn to DWELL where the glory never fades
WITH countless worshippers SING one song
And the voices of the nations
Sing worthy, worthy, worthy
Worthy beautiful, beautiful one
Jesus you are worthy, beautiful, beautiful one
Jesus you’re worthy, beautiful, beautiful one
You are worthy, beautiful, risen one

Our Saviour truely is all those things mentioned! What a relief and a sure sign that we can fully trust in HIM!

I love you!

Becky

LikeLike

Reply