anyone?

devotion

by marty sampson (hillsong united)

i’ve been running

trying to be one who sees
i’ve been working salvation out on my knees
there is nothing better than knowing
we are redeemed

i’m believing
trusting in creative hands
i am praying
for our world to bow to Your plan
and this one thought is unmistakable
take up my cross and follow You, Lord

when You stand
the tall trees and mountains bow
when You speak
the fiercest of oceans is stilled
and I see
the sinner seek devotion
the lost become chosen
and I fall to my knees

i’m forgiven
by a Saviour who did not deserve death
He was blameless
i was lost in shamefulness
i’m delivered, but it doesn’t seem right
unless I keep my eyes focused
on the Saviour who gave His life

in the middle of a world that denies it believes
it is breaking apart at the very seams
there is one thing
to be alive for
and it’s to take up my cross and follow You, Lord

when You stand

the tall trees and mountains bow

when You speak

the fiercest of oceans is stilled

and I see

the sinner seek devotion

the lost become chosen

and I fall to my knees

i will take up my cross and follow,
Lord, where You lead me
i will take up my cross and follow
wherever You go

so my middle schoolers made me eat an onion last night...
and i can't get the stink out!!!

something?

so today is a day of nostalgia. i think that days like that are pretty hard... looking back and realizing how much has changed. and i don't do change well. which is really pretty bad, because the Hope of the world involves change--big change.

i was reading in nehemiah this morning, when the israelites had returned to jerusalem and finished rebuilding the wall of the city. after they had, ezra the scribe stood up before all the people and started reading the book of the law... and it was a powerful experience for the people, because over the centuries, they had wandered far from their god and had been taken far from their inheritance... the law of their god was in many ways unknown to them, and so when it was read it was a powerful, "oh, man" time. but anyway, so they threw a festival like they had been instructed in the law, for the first time in HUNDREDS of years... they went all out, totally went for it...
and it says in neh. 8:17:

"The whole company that had returned from exile built booths and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great."

and something about that really just caught me.
"their joy was very great."
and what were they doing? they were aligning themselves with the law of the lord... they were celebrating even in the manner god had commanded them. in some ways, they hadn't even known how far away from god's law they had been until that time, and in their corporate response of obedience (why do people think obedience is such a bad thing?) and celebration (why do people think celebration is such a bad thing? maybe they don't...), the joy of the Lord fell upon them... and their joy was very great.

isn't that awesome? no matter how far they may have been, just to turn back to the Lord... there He is, waiting to pour out his joy on his people...

i think this world needs some of this very great joy...
i can't wait...