I caught this song on the radio once. It took me a while to find it but I downloaded it as soon as I could. I keep listening to it over and over. The line below is the line that is repeated. This is what my soul longs for and what my heart seems to sing on it's own when my mind is wondering in a million different directions. I want to rest in the Lord. I desire to love and worship and rest... in the Lord.
There’s a rest in the fight, There’s a place of abiding in the vine
The song is called "There's a Rest" by Sean Feucht w/ Kristene DiMarco
Lyrics: (shortened - it reapeats a bit) There's a rest in the fight There's a place of abiding in the vine Teach us how to abide oh I will wait Teach us how to abide I'm gonna rest my weary soul oh I will wait Teach us how, teach us how, teach us how oh I will wait Here I will stay Here I will wait Here I will see Your face Here I will stay Here I will wait Here I will stay with You 'Cause there's a rest in the fight There's a place of abiding in the vine Abiding in the vine I know that There's a rest in the fight There's a place of abiding in the vine Abiding the vine Here I will stay Here I will wait Here I will stay with You I give You room I give You room I give You room Gonna lay these burdens down There's still waters and green pastures
A letter to the church from one of my pastors. Joy is treasure. Joy is being in the presence of God. Joy cannot be taken. Even a sliver of joy is enough to cause me to rejoice. These words are a reminder I want to hang on to.
Sent February 21, 2013
Church Family -
Can you believe that February is almost over! The days on the couch watching football have sadly passed. Work seems to pile up and the excitement of the new year has already begun to fade. Worry creeps into zeal’s abandoned dwelling.
It is precisely in these times that we, of all people, rejoice! For to follow in the steps of our Savior is to look past our current troubles and be content in the knowledge that our God is good to His children. I read this Scripture this week and wanted to share it with you.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7)
One thing we can draw from this passage is that there is no situation given to God’s people in which they cannot find some sliver of joy. We can now see the world in the light of Jesus. As Matt helped us see this Sunday, as the sun gives forth its own light, so also the Son of Man radiates that His people can see the fullness of God’s character. And He shines with a grand purpose. For the more of Christ we see, the more like Him we become. Even in the darkest hour, or the dullest moment, we can see Christ and be confident in God’s work in our lives. For this reason we have joy, always.
And so I’ll say it again, rejoice in our Lord. When it’s exciting, rejoice! When it’s dull, rejoice! When it’s busy, rejoice! Look at the face of Christ and be strengthened. When anxiety seems the only sensible response, instead trust in the kindness of God. He has you in His hold. Let His truth sink in and bring you peace. He is for you, He is for us. Let us continue to worship our God with full hearts.
I once heard Pastor John Piper say something similar. It struck a chord in my heart. I thought of the numerous times I, filled with self doubt, have wondered if I am pleasing, lovable, or worth pursuing.
Most of my life I was raised by my step-dad. Bert (as I call him) still to this day spends at least every other sentence telling me how much he loves my mom and how much he loves me. Sometimes I think to myself, "yes yes I know" but at the core of it all, I am so grateful that he reassures me. I am so thankful for a father who understands my heart's cry as a woman and makes sure I know good and well that I am loved. This encouragement is specific to husbands and wives but is also great advice for how mothers can encourage sons and fathers can encourage daughters...
“Let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” Ephesians 5:33
God made Adam first and put him in the Garden with a job to do, a mission to fulfill. In the heart of every fallen man is the self-doubt that wonders, “Am I man enough to climb this mountain God has called me to? Can I fulfill my destiny?” A wise wife will understand that question at the center of her husband’s heart. And she will spend her life answering it, communicating to him in various ways, “Honey, I believe in your call. I know you can do this, by God’s power. Go for it.” In this way, she will breathe life into her man.
God made Eve from Adam, for Adam, to help him follow the call. In the heart of every fallen woman is the self-doubt that wonders, “Do I please you? Am I what you wanted?” A wise husband will understand that question at the center of his wife’s heart. And he will spend his life answering it, communicating to her in various ways, “Darling, you are the one I need. I cherish you. Let me hold you close.” In this way, he will breathe life into his wife.
Ray Ortlund
Pastor of Immanuel Church in Nashville, TN
I listen to this song quite often but one day the words gripped my heart and caused tears to burst forth from my eyes as if it was the first time I had ever discovered that God loves me. When she sings
"Would you leave to look for me? Forfeit glory to come after 'til I only dwell in Thee?"
A wave of truth came rushing over me because He did just that! He left perfect peace, perfect harmony and fellowship with God Almighty for…us? Yes! He forfeited glory and bore the pain and paid the price of my sin that day on the cross. Jesus paid it all for the whole world for all time…and then conquered death rising again so that we could dwell IN Christ… living a life full of joy – in the presence, in the protection, and in the salvation of God Himself. How can you NOT be moved by that truth?
If to distant lands I scatter If I sail to farthest seas Would you find and firm and gather 'til I only dwell in Thee? If I flee from greenest pastures Would you leave to look for me? Forfeit glory to come after 'Til I only dwell in Thee
If my heart has one ambition If my soul one goal to seek This my solitary vision 'til I only dwell in Thee That I only dwell in Thee 'Til I only dwell in Thee
It has probably been years since I have heard, sung, thought about or worshiped with the hymn "My Jesus I Love Thee". I mean, I am sure I have sung it some time recently in church in the past year but it did not resonate with me then the way it has the past couple days.
Usually my sleep pattern is likened to that of someone in a comma. I rarely wake in the middle of the night and I sleep like a hibernating bear... but a few nights ago I was uncharacteristically restless. I was not sleepy at my normal "bed time" so I stayed up searching for articles and pictures of Guatemala on the computer. Finally I resolved to trying to sleep but I kept waking up. Every 30 minutes to an hour I was wide awake, tossing and turning. Finally around 4am I woke singing "...if ever I loved thee my Jesus 'tis now". Kid you not. How did that song get stuck in my head? I hadn't even been asleep long enough to dream.
I felt like Samuel when the LORD first spoke to him. 1 Samuel chapter 3 the boy, Samuel, goes to sleep and is awakened several times by a voice calling his name. He mistakenly thinks it is Eli who finally tells him that the LORD is trying to call him and to say to the voice "Speak, your servant is listening". Was God trying to speak to me? I didn't know how to listen. As silly as it sounds I sat up in bed with the only light visible, which was the glow from my digital clock and I listened. -nothing- I hummed the hymn and couldn't stop thinking about it and kept singing it in my head and now in my heart. I grabbed my trusty iPhone and searched for the hymn in iTunes so I could hear the words. I looked up the lyrics and read them out loud.
My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine; For Thee all the follies of sin I resign. My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou; If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
I love Thee because Thou has first loved me, And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree. I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow; If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death, And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath; And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow, If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
In mansions of glory and endless delight, I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright; I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow; If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
Why did I awake with this song in my head? I still have no idea. In fact, I was whistling it this morning and my roommate surprised asked me how I got that song stuck in my head. I don't know but it made me realize how often I DON'T wake with a song of praise in my heart. I realized how almost every day I wake - maybe take a moment to think about God or what I can do that day to glorify him but I rarely spend time to truly meditate on the power of what that could mean in my life on a daily basis.
After looking up the song and hearing it several times I still couldn't sleep. So... I turned on my lamp, grabbed my bible, opened to the book of Acts a book that teaches the people how to be the church serving the body of Christ and how to love one another well. I began reading and maybe made it through the entire 2nd chapter when my eye lids began to get heavy. My body nestled into a comfortable spot in my bed and I was out like a light. I didn't wake until nearly 9am.
I suppose the main thing I received from this episode was that when I tried with all my might to find rest, I couldn't. When I immersed myself in the Word of God, I found rest.
I asked myself the other day "does the way I live my life and how I love people bring the world closer to understanding the joy of the gospel?"
This is a tough and convicting question to meditate on. Do I actually behave like the gospel is the greatest news I have ever received? But I grew up hearing the gospel. My parents were missionaries and Sunday school teachers... my whole life I have heard that Jesus loves me... how can I perceive it as news when I have heard it all my life?
The gospel, as it applied to my life, was misunderstood... for so long. I tell my junior high girls that the older I get, the more chances I have to make poor choices. The older I get the more chances I have to make mistakes. I love the Lord. I desire to have a ministry that points to Him and I make mistakes. I miss the mark and I choose me more often than I'd like to admit.
BUT - here's the good news. God loves me. God chooses me. God gave up His crown and perfect community so that my mistakes and poor choices wouldn't take over my life. He pursued and pursues me even when I am running in the wrong direction. He guides me, He comforts me... not because of what I "do" or because of who I am (by status or popularity) but because He is my Father and I am His child. The good news is that He chose my life and saved it.
God is exactly who He is and I cannot change Him, or manipulate Him, or pick and choose His characteristics. God exists because He is "the great I AM" and little me is not in charge of 'creating' Him to fit my needs. He loves me not because of what I do but simply because He does.
There is one God, creator of the Universe and redeemer of my soul and nothing I do can ensure my salvation and life eternal and full of joy - in fact I do nothing to 'deserve' it and yet it is still freely given to me and freely I receive it... knowing that nothing can take that joy away. Nothing can rip me from the secure grip of God Himself.
Moments take up my time. Moments in the day where my mind begins to wander and wonder about my life's purpose and joy.
What is my joy? What is my joy grounded in? What keeps me from resting in pure joy?
My heart, mind, and soul came to this conclusion: my joy is found in the presence of greatness... in the presence of the one truth that surpasses all things and wraps my heart in peace... my joy is found in the presence of the Lord and the Truth that He loves me simply because He does. I did and do nothing to earn His constant comfort. I wish I had enough time and words to share my heart to it's fullest. When those moments capture my thoughts in the day (usually when I'm driving or daydreaming when I'm supposed to be working) a rush, an overflow of the realization of my life's joys and blessings become a delightful reality to me. What if that happiness was taken away... what if those things that this earth provides... that give me comfort... what if they were taken away? What happened when they were taken away?
What keeps me from joy?
Fear and doubt.
Where does fear and doubt come from?
Lies.
If I know love and God is love... then what have I to fear? Why have I reason to doubt? My JOY is grounded in TRUTH. So much more than the truth that God loves me but that God simply LOVES... Blessed be the name of the Lord. When the sun is shining down on me and when the world is all as it should be... and most especially when the road is marked with suffering and when there is pain in the offering, Blessed be the Name of The Lord. THAT is where my joy comes from. My joy cannot be taken.
Music comforts my heart when I have no words. These belong to Jeremy Camp
---------- You want to be real, you want to be empty inside. You want to be someone laying down your pride. You want to be someone someday then lay it all down before the king. You want to be whole, you want to have purpose inside. You want to have virtue and purify your mind. You want to be set free today. Then lay it all down before the king
This is my desire, this is my return. This is my desire to be used by You
I know my heart is to feel you near and I know my life it's to do your will.
All my life I have seen where you've taken me beyond all I have hoped and there's more left unseen. There's not much I can do to repay all you've done So I give my hands to use--------
