Greetings in the name of the one who expresses God’s love to us, Jesus Christ – THE Crucified and Risen Saviour! Another one of those grey mornings, filled with a dampness that infiltrates our being. I trust that you had a good weekend – giving God the praise He deserves within the community of faith and receiving His presence through His collection of saints and knowing the joy of having prayers – small and big – answered. Today I will be praying for you, asking Father to meet you at your point of need – to answer your questions and speak to your doubts.
A funny thing happened on my way to prayer time yesterday…I thought that God was leading me in one direction, and I was good with that! However, He made a “u-turn” and as I am sure you have experienced, it catches you off-guard. I am learning to trust God’s “GPS” directions…more and more all the time – well, most of the time! God seemed to be directing me to two music selections, and I must admit they were good choices…but I really didn’t understand why the change of direction – He even gave instructions as to when they were to be inserted into the worship time before the prayers began.
eo, when there were a few people gathered, I simply started to song – “Covered” (I think I mentioned this song before but ….). Near the end of the song, the chorus is sung 2 or 3 times: “No matter what I’ve done – No matter where I’ve been – No matter how I fall – You pick me up again – You have removed my shame – You take me as I am – You call me justified – Now I am covered by Your grace” – Israel Houghton and Joth Hunt. It seemed that as we sang, God was releasing a healing presence into the room. We were just coming to the end of the song when God whispered into my heart saying, “If you can sing this song for yourself and believe it…I want you to believe it one step further and sing it for those you will be praying for today (on Mondays we pray for the city – the municipal leaders – the lost and lonely and the hurting – the schools and police and fire personnel – government leaders…). So as we finished the song, I backed the music up to the point where we were once again singing the chorus, and I told the folk gathered there what God had just revealed…and I urged them to pray for those they knew who needed the message of being “covered by God’s grace” – and we sang that chorus again and again as God released a new dimension of grace upon us.
Then God directed me to use the next song and as we sang, God seemed to wrap us up in a beautiful moment of “Presence.” The words of the chorus we sang were : “The King is among us – His glory surrounds us – And His fire is falling as we sing – And the Saviour is for us – And His love is victorious – And revival is rising in His name” – Chris Brown/Mack Brock/Matt Redman/Steven Furtick/Wade Joye. What delight and power when God is in control. I am definitely going to put this in my Advent 2014 journal.
Today, allow God to direct…and ‘redirect’ you if necessary, as He might be preparing an “Advent moment” just for you…and for those around you. Please know these two truths: “You are covered by His grace!” … and “The King is among us!” In fact, stop right now and say those two truths to yourself…I am covered by His grace – the King is among us! Now, do one more thing – think of that loved one…family member, friend, neighbour, and say: They are covered by His grace – the King is in their midst! … no matter what they have done – no matter where they’ve been – no matter how they fall – He picks them up – He removes their shame – He takes them as they are – He calls them justified – His grace is able to cover them the moment they turn towards Him.
Be blessed!