Monday, August 9, 2010

Come Break The Chains...

"Come break the chains, the chains that hinder love.
All that remains of yester years.

Let Your fire burn, consuming me.
Let Your jealous flame come take away everything.
Let Your fire burn, consuming me.
Let Your jealous flame come take away everything.

Write Your Word upon my heart,
Till all that remains is the Light of Your countenance.
And I will be satisfied when I awaken as a lover of You."

-Misty Edwards (Come Break The Chains)


Saturday, August 7, 2010

It's Just Me...

Here I find myself with no words to say.
For the more I see You, the more I see I do not know You.
For how vast are Your seas and how deep are Your wells.
You say, "Just be."
Yet, I strive with all my might to be what You want me to be.
You say, "Just be and that's okay with Me."
Yet, I strive with all my might to get all the answers right.
You say, "Just be and soon you will see that if you just be it's okay with Me."
Therefore, I give up.
I let go.
I give in.
In all my mess,
In all my failures,
In all my strengths.
Here I am.
Here I come.
Here I stand.
No words to say, no right answers to give.
It's just me and that's okay with You.

Friday, August 6, 2010

I Will Return...

"I have been hedged in by thorns on every side.
I have been burned by Your jealous flame.
I've been tested by Your fire.
I've chased my other lovers and I've been turned away,
But as I ache with desire, I will stand and say:

I will return to my first Love.
I will return to the One who loves me.
I will return to my True love.
I will return to the One who loves me.

I have been wounded by Your perfect love.
I have been slain in the desert place.
I've been pursued and overcome.
I've chased my other lovers and I've been turned away,
But as I ache with desire, I will stand and say:

I will return."

-Misty Edwards from the song, "I Will Return"

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Beauty In The Wilderness...

Sufferings, trials, and testings. Sometimes, life is just hard. Some seasons require you to ask the Lord for extra strength to walk through. This is what makes this life a journey. This is what makes healing a process. Yet, Paul says, "Count it all joy" for the sake of knowing Christ and sharing with Him in His sufferings.

There is something about suffering that brings us closer to Him. Intimacy can be forged in every season, but even in suffering, a beautiful story can be formed. He is the Author and He is the most amazing Story Teller. He can create the most incredible stories we could never have imagined even if we tried.

Often times, we see a journey of suffering and waiting to be healed as disdainful. It's hard for us to look upon it for what it is. Yet, God sees it as something beautiful. This journey, no matter what it looks like to us, captivates His heart. Therefore, we should ask for His perspective.

When I was in Israel, I saw many mountains, gardens, terrains, and cities, but one place that struck me the most, was the desert. It was the wilderness where Moses led his people that I discovered a beauty. I discovered life in that place. It surprised me because I didn't think life could grow in a barren land. Yet, some of the most beautiful flowers and plants rested in that place.

You would be walking and, all of a sudden, the most beautiful springs of water would lay before you. You would see an animal drinking from the streams like the deer panted for water. In some places, it seemed desolate, but then you would see the most fertile places in the midst of what we would call a desert. It was the most intriguing discovery to me. There is a beauty which can only be found in the wilderness. There is life there.

This discovery led me to think about my own season of this wilderness where I remain as of now. I thought I was out until recently. I was quite distraught about it until I went there myself and found out that Jesus loved the wilderness. He cherished it. John the Baptist lived and thrived in the wilderness.

Amazing things can happen in one's heart in the wilderness. You can see God in a way you never could if you were on the mountain top. You can experience an intimacy that doesn't make sense in any other place.

This beauty can only be found in that place. Therefore, I will remain here until the Lord leads me out. However, when I do come out, I will be found leaning on One who has my heart. I will be found leaning on the One who has been with me till now and will be with me till the end. It is Jesus I want. It is Jesus I long for and I will wait upon Him until He comes.