Lent Series ~ Footprints in the sand

For this Lent I am focusing on Psalm 139 whichspeaks about "God's faithfulness to us.  I talked about the original poem "Footprints" in THIS POST, a couple of days ago.   A modern interpretation of the poem was written a couple of years ago and was a chart hit for the singer Leona Lewis.  The words she sang are based on the poem.

You walked with me

Footprints in the sand

And helped me understand

Where I'm going

You walked with me

When I was all alone

With so much I no along the way

Then I heard you say

I promise you

I'm always there

When your heart is filled with sorrow and despair

I'll carry you

When you need a friend

You'll find my footprints in the sand

I see my life

Flash across the sky

So many times have I

Been so afraid

And just when I

Have thought I've lost my way

You give me strength to carry on

That's when I heard you say

Chorus

When I'm weary

Well I know you'll be there

And I can feel you

When you say

I promise youI'm always there

When your heart is filled with sorrow and despair

I'll carry you

When you need a friend

You'll find my footprints in the sand

This chorus is so true of Gods attitude to us "I promise you, I'm always there"   ~ "even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast" (v10)
"when my heart is filled with sorrow and dispair" ~Even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day for darkness is as light to you (v12)
"I'll carry you, when you need a friend, you'll find my footsteps in the sand.

Lent Series ~ Even though you know ~ Rebecca St. James

Lent Series ~ Even though you know

Based on Psalm 139, Rebecca St. James' lyric's are very humbling.  Again, they focus on the mask and disguise we often wear.  The person we pretend to be, the attitude we display, but God see's more than that.  He sees right to our very core to the most deep and hidden thoughts.  He see's our hurts, our pain and what we are really like and even though he knows the truth, he loves us just the same.  He doesn't ever distance himself from us, he doesn't ever stop loving us. Imagine that your friends or loved ones could see what God see's in you, would they hang around or still feel the same about you?  There is nothing that we could ever do or think that would make God stop loving you the same as he does now.

You search me
You know me
You see my every move
There's nothing I could ever do
To hide myself from You
You know my thoughts
My fears and hurts
My weaknesses and my pride
You know what I am going through
And how I feel inside
But even though You know
You will always love me
Even though You know
You'll never let me go
I don't deserve Your love
But you give it freely,
You will always love me
Even though You know
You will always love me
Even though you know

lent Series ~ Footprints

lent Series ~ Footprints

Psalm 139 speaks of the fact that
"Where can I go from your spirit, where can I flee from your presence?
It's so often that when people are going through tough times in their lives that they will feel distance from God.  At these times human emotions of anger, dispair and hurt block him out, but during these times, the Psalm reminds us:

"If I go up to the heavens, you are there (when I am happy you are with me)
If I make my bed in the depths, you are there with me (when I am sad you are with me)
Even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast

To many many people, both Christian and non christian, Footprints in the sand is a well know poem. It has graced many a poster, bookmark and card. The words it speaks are comforting as they speak about our walk though life with God. At times when we are coping there are two sets of footprints, ours and Gods, but at times where we go though struggles there is one set. That set belongs to God. That's when he picks us up in his arms and carries us through the tough times.
For many years no one knew the author, although many people tried to claim ownership. In the end the writer was proved to be Mary Stevenson (Zangare).
As a young girl, Mary had hand written copies of the poem to give to friends when they were going through tough times in their lives; It was sometime after this that friends of Mary saw it in print and wondered why she wasn't given credit for writing it. Solicitors told her that it would be very hard to prove her the author since it had been used by many publishers of religious materials and greeting cards. Mary wrote 'Footprints' in 1936 when she was very young and knew nothing of copyrighting. She didn't follow up her claims until in 1984 when clearing out her garage, she found an original copy and with carbon dating and other tests, Mary was officially recognised as the writer.

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed
he was walking along the beach with the LORD.

Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene he noticed two sets of
footprints in the sand: one belonging
to him, and the other to the LORD.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.

He noticed that many times along the path of
his life there was only one set of footprints.

He also noticed that it happened at the very
lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he
questioned the LORD about it:

"LORD, you said that once I decided to follow
you, you'd walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why when
I needed you most you would leave me."

The LORD replied:

"My son, my precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."

Lent Series ~ Your Love ~ Oslo Gospel Choir

Lent Series ~ Your Love

You've examined my heart

and Lord you know me.

It's no use pretending,

you see right through me

You know where I am

You see all I do

Lord you're never sleeping

You know all my words before I speak

You know where I stand

And what I seek

You know if I laugh or if I'm crying

Lord you're never sleeping

There's no place I can hide from your love
I can only survive through your love
Show me somewhere to go, a place you don't know
To cover my soul
On the wings of the dawn I might fly
To the ends of the earth beyond the sky
I could go anywhere, but you'll always be there
Where ever I go.

Lord you know when I sit and when I stand

Each moment I live I'm in your hand

I can't get away from your sweet Spirit.

Lord you're never sleeping

Long before I was born

Your eyes could see me

You knew all my days before they'd ever reached me

So come what may I know you'll be there

Lord you're never sleeping

Chorus

I'm surrounded, I'm surrounded, I'm surrounded

God is never sleeping

Chorus

There is no place I can hide, know where I can go because your love is always with me.  I can turn my back on you, but you never turn your back on me, you don't get bored of waiting, you have patience beyond measure.

You knew me and all I would do long before I was born.  You made me, you knitted me together in my mothers womb,  I am fearfully and wonderfully made with your love.

Help me to receive your love and to show your love to other people.

Lent Series ~ Psalm 139 ~ I cannot Hide from you ~ Clay Crosse

Lent Series ~ I cannot hide from You

This song is taken from Psalm 139 writen by David. It's a Psalm that has very familiar words. "Lord you have searched me and you know me". This will be a recurring theme for my thoughts as we go through Lent.
So often we put on a disguise to go through life.  The mask that hides our true feelings, attitudes and thoughts.  God see's straight through the mask.  He knew us before we were born, he knitted us together in our mothers womb's.  "all the days you ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." how then can we hide anything about ourselves from him .... we can't. 

You have looked into my heart

You know everything about me

You see my deepest thoughts

And every corner of my soul

Each single step I take

And all my words before I speak them

Every place that I have been

And every place that I will go

I cannot hide from You

You know me all too well

There's no story of my life

That Your memory could not tell

I can ride the morning wings

Till I'm completely out of view

But whether in dark or light

I cannot hide from You

Long before I drew first breath

You already knew my secrets

You watched as I was formed

Out of sight from human eyes

Your Spirit is with me

And I am always in Your presence

When I sit and when I stand

When I sleep and when I rise

Turn my heart from wicked ways

Search the whispers of my mind

And lead me on the road

That will take me home

To everlasting life

Take off your mask, be the beautiful person God made you to be.

Who Can Know The Mind Of Our Creator ~ Martin Layzell

Who Can Know The Mind Of Our Creator

Who can know the mind of our Creator?
Who can speak of wonders yet unseen?
Who can reach the heights of understanding,
Or sing the notes of wisdom's melody?

Who has weighed the dust of every mountain?
Who has walked the mysteries of the deep?
Who has laid the earth on its foundations?
And who commands the waves upon the sea?

I stand in awe of You
I stand in awe of You
So glorious and true
I stand in awe, I stand in awe

You have seen the end from the beginning
You have been before the world began
You have reached to me within my darkness
And in the light of mercy now I see
(by Martin Layzell)

Isaiah chapter 40 Is the source fro these thoughts.  It's a beautiful chapter of the bible that speaks of the preparation for the coming of the king.  It starts with some well known verses that predict John The Baptist 

"A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
   the way for the LORD;
make straight in the desert
   a highway for our God.^"

^{but then goes on to speak of the magesty and power of God} 
 

¹² Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
   or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
   or weighed the mountains on the scales
   and the hills in a balance?
¹³ Who can fathom the Spirit of the LORD,
   or instruct the LORD as his counselor?
¹⁴ Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him,
   and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,
   or showed him the path of understanding? 

²¹ Do you not know?
   Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
   Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
²² He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
   and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
   and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
²³ He brings princes to naught
   and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
²⁴ No sooner are they planted,
   no sooner are they sown,
   no sooner do they take root in the ground,
than he blows on them and they wither,
   and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. 

and then finishes with these wonderful, comforting words

²⁸ 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.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
   and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
   and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ 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. 

So that we can say

I stand in awe of You
I stand in awe of You
So glorious and true
I stand in awe, I stand in awe

See what a morning

See What A Morning

 

See What a Morning ~ artwork by Karen Clark

This is another great song from Keith Getty and Stuart Townend.  It's a great Easter anthem that has a very comfortable place in worship, be it modern or traditional.

The lyrics are based on the Easter day story that we find in the bible.  Verse one sets the scene.  It's early morning. The tomb lies empty, the grave clothes folded and Gods perfect plan in action.  Each verse finishes with that statement of Faith, a wonderful Easter Greeting  "For he lives, Christ is risen from the dead

See what a morning gloriously bright 
With the dawning of hope in Jerusalem
Folded the grave-clothes tomb filled with light
As the angels announce Christ is risen
See God's salvation plan
Wrought in love borne in pain paid in sacrifice
Fullfilled in Christ the Man
For He lives Christ is risen from the dead
 See Mary weeping "Where is He laid?"   (On the first day of the week Mary Magdalane, Mary the mother of James and Salome brought spices to annoint the body of Jesus, They were concerned because they felt that none of them would be strong enough to remove the stone from infornt of the tomb.  As they reached the tomb, they saw that the stoe had already been moved)

As in sorrow she turns from the empty tomb (They entered the tomb and found it empty, the clothes were folded up)
Hears a voice speaking calling her name  (Mary Magdalane stood crying, a man said to her "woman, why are you crying?" Thinking it was the gardener, she pleaded,  Tell me where you put him".  Jesus, for that is who the man was, said to her "Mary")
It's the Master the Lord raised to life again ( Instantly Mary recognised him and responded "Teacher")
The voice that spans the years
Speaking life stirring hope bringing peace to us (Jesus calls each one of us by name and offers us peace and love)
Will sound till He appears
For He lives Christ is risen from the dead (again the Easter Greeting)

One with the Father Ancient of Days (Jesus was taken upto heaven to be with his Father)
Through the Spirit who clothes faith with certainty (But left with us his holy spirit)
Honour and blessing glory and praise
To the King crowned with power and authority
And we are raised with Him
Death is dead love has won Christ has conquered (through his death on the cross, he paid the debt for each one our sins.  he bought us back from Hell's claim)
And we shall reign with Him (as he told us)
For He lives Christ is risen from the dead (again that wonderful Easter Greeting)

All to Jesus (I surrender all)

All To Jesus I Surrender

This is a modern adaption of the traditional evangelical hymn which was originally written in 1896 by an American evangelist, although at the time the hymn was written the writer was in the process of coming to the descission whether he should become and evangelist. The lyrics are his prayer to Jesus. I give you everything and ask that you show me and equip me for the way ahead.
This song is as relevant today in our own busy and hectic lives. May we take the time to surrender all our good times and bad times, all the times when we don't know which way to go or what decission to make, to the Lord and trust in him.

All to Jesus, I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

I surrender all,
I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender
Humbly at His feet I bow
Worldly pleasures all forsaken
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

chorus

All to Jesus, I surrender
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine
Let me feel the Holy Spirit
Truly know that Thou art mine.

Chorus

All to Jesus, I surrender
Lord, I give myself to Thee
Fill me with Thy love and power
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

Chorus

All to Jesus I surrender
Now I feel the sacred flame
O the joy of full salvation
Glory, glory, to His Name!

Chorus