Thankful for the Hope of Heaven

It’s been a really tough year, as you can guess from many of the posts here. But this Thanksgiving I am reminded that I have so many things for which to be thankful. God has blessed me with a wonderful family, and some good friends. But mostly I am thankful that this world is not all we have to look forward to. I am thankful that Jesus has taken my sin and given me his righteousness. I am thankful that God has given us a love that knows no bounds!

I was just listening to this song by Rich Mullins today, and it made me feel very thankful for God’s unfailing love.

A Love that Knows No Bounds
by Rich Mullins

Deep calls to deep
And all that we need
Has been lost in what we’ve found
And all we shall be
Is growing by leaps
In a love that knows no bounds

And we will rise on spirit wings
When we wake from earthen dreams

Time ticks away
Night after day
‘Til the clock comes unwound
With all we shall be
Still growing by leaps
In a love that knows no bounds

And we will wake from earthen dreams
To rise on spirit wings

Slap the Face . . .

Recently listening to the lyrics of an older rock band that has been one of my favorites for many years, the 77’s. From the “Sticks and Stones” album, the song, “Days to Come has been particularly meaningful the last few days.

Something tells me that we’ll come out of this
With a healing compassion or a scarring bitterness
Don’t revive painful times, let them rest
Don’t drag a net through the sea of forgetfulness

 

The cut was deep, the blood was warm
I can’t deny what it’s done
But if we don’t release the past
We’ll slap the face of the days to come

 

There’s a hand at the door refusing to leave
Its pulse is throbbing, its heart on its sleeve
It’s a new tomorrow waiting to be received
By somebody ready and willing to believe

 

The cut was deep, the blood was warm
I can’t deny what it’s done
But if we don’t release the past
We’ll slap the face of the days to come

 

Remember this melody
Don’t ever let it go away
Sing it to your heart
Day after day after day

 

The cut was deep, the blood was warm
I can’t deny what it’s done
But if we don’t release the past
We’ll slap the face of the days to come

Psalm 51

Ps 51:1-4
Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me.
Against You, You only, I have sinned
And done what is evil in Your sight,
So that You are justified when You speak
And blameless when You judge.

I was meditating on this passage the other day. I was drawn to these words, “the greatness of Your compassion” and they brought the image of a tsunami like wave of compassion moving toward me, but when it hit, rather than leaving destruction, it cleansed and washed away my sin.

Being Understood

I don’t think I have ever felt so understood in my whole life! Of course, there are plenty of things I don’t understand. Nevertheless, right now, I feel like there are some very special people who have given me the wonderful gift of believing enough in me to listen and patience to understand me. First of all my wife, my sister and two good friends.  I can’t express my appreciation enough!

Telling Myself Good News

In our reading through Galatians, we were asked to say to ourselves the “gospel” that Paul is reminding the Galatians of. Here is what I told myself from Galatians 1:3,4:

“Grace and Peace! Grace which is a blessing to your spirit and Peace . . . soul peace. Grace that comes through Jesus, who gave himself willingly for you. Grace! Jesus gave himself willingly for you . . . to buy you! To buy you back! To rescue you from darkness, to save you from being condemned, from being condemned before the Father, from being condemned before those whom you hurt, from being guilty before the one who would devour your soul.

This grace that brings you peace with God. Peace within yourself, peace with those around you! Peace! In your soul.”

Put in me . . .

This has been a long time favorite of mine. It is currently the most relevant song for me these days and as such is my constant prayer!

Put in me . . .

Oh, Mercy, fall on me like a warm blanket…on my cold, cold heart
Clean me with Your blood that turns me white on the inside
I’m on my knees again ’cause I’m breaking Your heart

Put in me…what I cannot buy with gold
Put in me, oh God…come restore my broken soul
Put in me…what I cannot give myself
Put in me…a clean heart

I know all my broken places like the back of my hand
That slapped your face again
Wash me in your love and hold me tight like a baby
Till I have no memory of ever breaking Your heart

And in the joy when you restore me I will stand and walk again
I will run into this world I will call them to come in
But I will not point my finger or grow that wicked skin
That cannot remember what I will not forget
How I broke you, or how I’m broken

by Waterdeep and 100 Portraits from the album, Enter the Worship Circle

Surrounded by Grace

This morning the clouds are lifted. There is hope and a hint of joy for what the future could hold. I am thankful for a new day.

It is a powerful force this thing called grace. It reaches deep into the soul to heal. And I am thankful! So thankful!

Yet, I am filled with regret knowing it comes with a price. For those who are extending grace to me, it costs something to forgive me. And there is the cost of consequence which asks for more grace. I know that the price is paid willingly, and I am thankful, eternally thankful!

What once was hurt
What once was friction
What left a mark
No longer stings
Because Grace makes beauty
Out of ugly things

Grace makes beauty out of ugly things

from U2, Grace

Make this soul sing

Thanks to my friend, Casey at “Faraway, So Close” for posting this video. The song seems particularly meaningful to me at this moment in my life. I feel the weight of my inability to be all that I need to be. I need to “fit”, I need to be made “clean”, and I need to feel my “soul sing”

“Take this soul
Stranded in some skin and bones
Take this soul
And make it sing”

I hopy you will enjoy the video as I did. It’s U2 performing the song Yahweh in Chicago.

Yahweh lyrics

Take these shoes
Click clacking down some dead end street
Take these shoes
And make them fit
Take this shirt
Polyester white trash made in nowhere
Take this shirt
And make it clean, clean
Take this soul
Stranded in some skin and bones
Take this soul
And make it sing

Yahweh, Yahweh
Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, Yahweh
Still I’m waiting for the dawn

Take these hands
Teach them what to carry
Take these hands
Don’t make a fist
Take this mouth
So quick to criticise
Take this mouth
Give it a kiss

Yahweh, Yahweh
Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, Yahweh
Still I’m waiting for the dawn

Still waiting for the dawn, the sun is coming up
The sun is coming up on the ocean
This love is like a drop in the ocean
This love is like a drop in the ocean

Yahweh, Yahweh
Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, tell me now
Why the dark before the dawn?

Take this city
A city should be shining on a hill
Take this city
If it be your will
What no man can own, no man can take
Take this heart
Take this heart
Take this heart
And make it break

Sand Paper Eyes

I love the word pictures in this song.

Today, I am particularly feeling “these sandpaper eyes and the way they rub the luster from what is seen.”

O, that I might see a glimpse of your glory!

“WORRY TOO MUCH”
by Mark Heard.

It’s the demolition derby
It’s the sport of the hunt
Proud tribe in full war-dance
It’s the slow smile that the bully gives the runt
It’s the force of inertia
It’s the lack of constraint
It’s the children out playing in the rock garden
All dolled-up in black hats and war paint

Sometimes it feels like bars of steel
I cannot bend with my hands
Oh-I worry too much
Somebody told me that I worry too much

It’s these sandpaper eyes
It’s the way they rub the lustre from what is seen
It’s the way we tell ourselves that all these things are normal
Till we can’t remember what we mean
It’s the flicker of our flames
It’s the friction born of living
It’s the way we beat a hot retreat
And heave our smoking guns into the river

Sometimes it feels like bars of steel
I cannot bend with my hands
Oh-I worry too much
Somebody told me that I worry too much

It’s the quick-step march of history
The vanity of nations
It’s the way there’ll be no muffled drums
To mark the passage of my generation
It’s the children of my children
It’s the lambs born in innocence
It’s wondering if the good I know
Will last to be seen by the eyes of the little ones

Sometimes it feels like bars of steel
I cannot bend with my hands
Oh-I worry too much
Somebody told me that I worry too much

Stand on . . .

When we stand before God do we stand on our own faith? I hope not, because, if you’re like me there are days when you just don’t have the answers and there is doubt. And I just can’t make my belief cover my short comings. So when I stand before God if I stand at all it will be on His grace . . .

Shifting Sand by Caedmon’s Call

Sometimes I believe all the lies
So I can do the things I should despise
And every day I am swayed
By whatever is on my mind

I hear it all depends on my faith
So I’m feeling precarious
The only problem I have with these mysteries
Is they’re so mysterious

And like a consumer I’ve been thinking
If I could just get a bit more
More than my 15 minutes of faith,
Then I’d be secure

My faith is like shifting sand
Changed by every wave
My faith is like shifting sand
So I stand on grace

I’ve begged you for some proof
For my Thomas eyes to see
A slithering staff, a leperous hand
And lions resting lazily

A glimpse of your back-side glory
And this soaked altar going ablaze
But you know I’ve seen so much
I explained it away

Waters rose as my doubts reigned
My sand-castle faith, it slipped away
Found myself standing on your grace
It’d been there all the time

Stand on grace