Tag Archives: blessing

FreeWorship Lyrics, Worship

All Along The Way

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On New Year’s Eve, on my way to work, my morning was fitting the 2020 mold perfectly.

Traffic was horrible even though many people had the day off.

I hadn’t had breakfast yet, despite being up for a few hours.

I was running later than I wanted to be, which would likely mean staying later at work to get those hours knocked out.

Finally, as I came through the base gate and showed my ID card, I fumbled trying to put it back in its cellphone case sleeve, and it fell somewhere in my car.

I pulled over and searched for a few minutes, but the card was nowhere to be found. I even wondered if maybe there was a hole in the floor I didn’t know about, under some fabric or a mat.

Then I took a long look at the plastic panel between the front seats of my car, where the parking break is located. There’s a small, mostly covered, slot for the adjustable parking break handle, and although it looked like a you’d need a one-in-a-million shot, you could probably slide an ID card into that tiny groove.

I shone light into the groove and–of course–saw the white plastic of my ID card lurking in the inaccessible depths.

The ID card I would need to even sign in on my computer at work.

The ID card that couldn’t be replaced easily, let alone on a holiday.

The panel is held in place by ratchet bolts on both sides, and it seemed like I would have to remove the front seats if I wanted to gain access.

I drove to the store on base, complaining to my wife on the phone, trying to think of options or tools that might help me get the thing free. Purchase (and breakfast) in hand, I drove to work, thinking that at least I could be at work, on the clock, while I sorted this dilemma out.

There’s a panoramic ocean view on the way to my office, as you drive between the base golf course and the flight line. I remember as a young Airman a few years ago (–ok, several years–OK two decades) looking out at the waves and coming to a crucial realization:

The problems occupying and overwhelming my mind on that particular day wouldn’t even matter or be remembered in a week or two.

New Year’s Eve was no different. I would probably be able to get my ID out of its prison. If not, it would suck, but I would be able to get a replacement in a few days… and my Retired ID would let me get on base and do all my usual activities without hassle.

Actually, that day was different in a way…

A bright rainbow filled the sky to the northwest. I saw it when I left for work, and I saw it again as I enjoyed this vantage point with the beach filling the horizon.

(This is actually the north beach of Okuma back in November, but the rainbow was similarly clear in the sky on New Year’s Eve.)

Biblically, of course, the rainbow calls to mind God’s promise of mercy and His faithfulness—a reminder I no doubt needed given the frustrations about my ID.

I prayed and thanked God for the many good things I have in my favor. I have a great job working for an excellent company that allows me to live on this beautiful island. I am healthy and life is pretty stable. My grumpy attitude is unfounded when I take stock of the blessings in my life.

“God,” I said, forcing my heart to admit what my head knew was true, “I know You’ve blessed me all along the way.”

A flash of inspiration hit–the thought of “there’s a song in that phrase.” I started playing with the words and melody as I made my way to work, and jotted down the details for later tweaking.

And the ID card?

A strip of duct tape on the end of a flattened straw fished my ID card out of the deep crevasse with almost anticlimactic lack of effort.

Your hand holds me, I know You’ve told me
You will never leave, never forsake me
Your hand of blessing, it’s overflowing
Still I’m struggling when things don’t go my way

Your hand is comfort on my shoulder
I know You’re with me in my darkest days
When I’ve got no one, Your hand still holds on
God, help me stop looking around and seek Your face
God, help me stop running around
And run straight into Your embrace

How can I say that I trust You, then challenge what You do?
How can I doubt You will rescue after all You’ve brought me through?

When I can’t see it, can’t understand it
Still I know I can say by faith
All I needed, Your hand provided
Lord, You bless me all along the way

When I’ve wandered, when I’ve squandered
Every precious gift of mercy that You gave
You still sustained me on this journey
Yeah, You bless me all along the way

We played it the first Sunday of the new year at our worship service. Forgive us in advance for the sound “quality” of the livestream, then jump to the 15 minute mark to hear “All Along the Way.”

General

Favor Vs Trust

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I saw this on my FB feed, posted by a friend who often shares various positive affirmations from a number of Christian ministers:

Maybe this is true. But it shouldn't be expected or assumed in every situation.
Maybe this is true. But it shouldn’t be expected or assumed in every situation.

The Scripture reference provided is to the passage in Genesis where Joseph begins his painful journey being sold into slavery in Egypt. Through a variety of divine interventions and up-and-down circumstances, Joseph experiences blessings and pain until he ends up second only to Pharaoh in the kingdom.

With the benefit of hindsight, Joseph is able to tell his brothers that what they meant for evil, God meant for good, in order to save his family and the future nation.

Sitting in the pit and sitting in prison (just like sitting in Potiphar’s house and in the palace of Pharaoh), Joseph doesn’t know all that. He might have hope, based on God’s promises when he was young. He might have faith that God’s going to do something. But he has no certainty either way.

Yet Joseph remains faithful, for he trusts that God is also faithful.

When I read the status above, about God’s favor, I am grieved and distressed by the thought that we have missed the point.

We have a great hope that “God will work all things together for good for them that love Him and are called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28). That may give us a warm fuzzy that something good in the future will come out of our present pain.

But we’re called not to count on the favor of God to rescue us. We’re called to live out of trust in God, regardless.

Consider Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3. It’s a great story of how God protected His children in the midst of persecution. It would go very well with the status quoted above. Favor is going into the furnace’s flames, and coming out proclaiming His name. Or something like that.

But there are many Christians, so very many, who suffer and die and never see the manifestation of God’s favor. We may not see a Christian promoted to second-in-command of all of North Korea, or a trio of believers standing up unharmed by the AK-47s of ISIS in Iraq. We might not see God promote us to a position of our dreams or use us to display His power to an entire nation or community.

Do we enjoy His favor any less? Do we remain any less faithful?

Is favor the focus? Was favor ever Joseph’s focus?

I don’t think so. In pit or in palace, in fire or fame, as Christians our eyes must be fixed not on God’s immediate deliverance but on His eternal faithfulness.

17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Daniel 3:17-18 NIV

Scripture commentary

A Mouthful

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Monday Morning Snack

My mouth is filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all day long. Psalm 71:8 NASB

What sort of “snack” are we giving others to eat?

I saw this verse, and the question popped into my mind: “What is my mouth full of?” Maybe it’s because I’m dieting, but I thought of a mouthful of food.

How does that “mouth full” taste to the people around me? How does that “mouth full” taste to me?

Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. Hebrews 13:15 NASB (emphasis mine)

What comes out of our mouths? Is it fruit that will delight our God and satisfy another’s soul? Or is our fruit rotten and withered by pessimism and unbelief, moldy and putrid because of bitterness and anger?

James drives this point home in writing about the power of our words:

8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. 11 Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh. James 3:8-12 NASB

We all slip up and say things we know we ought not to say. All of us can think of a time where we said words we wish we could take back. We may never be perfect in our choice of words, but we must still aim for perfection.

This prayer of David is one of my favorite in the Psalms, and it reminds me to be careful about the “mouth-fulls” I allow:

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14 NASB

So… what’s in your mouth?