Greetings to you…the one He pursues and searches for…in the powerful, healing, and beautiful name of Jesus Christ – THE Risen Savior! Ah – this is the day that the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it. It seems that April showers are arriving early to wash away the dust that is hiding the subtle shades of Spring…just in time for the weekend! I trust that you have had a good week and are looking forward to the weekend. I suppose that one of the lessons of the “new normal” we are in is that it is important to make the most of each day we are given. Today I will be praying for you, asking Father to continue healing you…may He refresh your hope…may He release the joy that gives strength…and may He wrap you in his sheltering love.
I like Fridays…especially “new music Fridays” that bring new songs of hope, healing, and joy. This morning a new album of favorite hymns and Gospel songs was introduced by Carrie Underwood and it is quite good. However, there was song released from an album which will appear in days to come. The song comes from a group called “Here Be Lions” who have a ministry of music focused on those who need healing and restoration. Today’s song is titled – “Peace Over You” and is a song of reflection and prayer. The lyrics that caught my attention were simple and powerful thoughts that we need to remind ourselves of…words we need to speak as we face the challenges: I speak peace, peace to come into this room…I speak life, life to come into this room…I speak hope, hope to come into this room…I speak joy, joy to come into this room. These words are in the chorus and are carried on a melody that will be easy to sing. Hopefully this song will appear in a worship time soon.
One of the reasons that this song caught my attention is because of a thought that came from morning devotions. In the devotion the importance of corporate worship was being shared and alongside of that…the value and necessity of personal, individual worship. There is strength and encouragement and support released in corporate worship…which I knew and treasure. However, worship individually, in moments of aloneness creates the opportunity to get to know ourselves and how we relate to God on an intimate level. I was reminded of why I find myself in the Book of Psalms quite frequently…for many of the Psalms are written in the first person because they reflect the Psalmist discovering who he was and who God was.
I found myself listening to “Peace Over You” a few times and changing the words to “Peace Over Me as I asked for peace and life and hope and joy to come into my room. I cannot speak for you but for me some of the most powerful and transformative moments of worship have happened when it has just been God ad I there. Yes, I have a hunger and thirst for worshipping with the Christian family but there is something, almost magical and mysterious about personal time with God. I think of King David dressed in his “casual clothes” going into God’s presence in he tent and just worshipping.
Something to think about – have a great day and be blessed