It seems that many of my small revelations are brought on by music. This is an observation I made today and so I'd like to give some kudos to all of the singers/songwriters/musicians/etc. (and there are many so I won't list them) who have been instrumental (no pun intended...I don't think) in how the Lord reaches me. :o)
That said, tonight's revelation is brought to you by Matt Maher. :P
So I was playing some Frontierville and listening to the aforementioned artist when the first few lines of one of his songs resonated with me (eventually the whole song, but we'll get to that later).
I flirt with the world
It steals my love for You
My fear grips my faith
And I am left unmoved
Most of the summer I had been in kind of a slump spiritually. I was allowing other things to take precedence. Filling up my schedule and not really leaving time to spend with my Lord. It's frustrating for me when my faith operates on a Sunday/Wednesday schedule instead of living like my life depends on it (which it does).
So when I heard the first line of this song I tuned right in and immediately felt convicted (hallelujah!). As I thought about the past couple of months and the drifting I had been doing, I remembered a very familiar verse:
"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." ~2 Cor. 12:9
At first, I wasn't sure why this verse was brought to mind because I had always kind of thought of it as Christ's power being made perfect in my weakness in relation to my witness to others. I reflected for a little bit and then I realized that it also means that Christ's power is made perfect in my weakness in regard to my own personal growth.
All the striving I do, the work I put into my faith because I feel like if I can conquer my weaknesses myself I'll somehow be closer to God, it doesn't help. Not that I shouldn't actively pursue God and spend time in the Word, I definitely need to do that. However, I spend so much time recognizing where I'm weak and trying to overcome it by myself before approaching the throne. That's why I get tired and end up floundering for awhile.
The first part of the verse says that His grace is sufficient...His grace is literally enough. If I accept His grace, which requires admitting I can't do this on my own and I need Him to cover me, then He will do the work needed on me. Where I am helpless, He is able. Where I am deficient, He is ample. Where I am weak, He is strong.
These are all things that aren't particularly new to me, but for some reason, I finally got it tonight. Jesus completes me...moves me...upholds me...is in me...around me...I could go on because He is everything. It is so refreshing to be back in a place of wanting to not only pursue Him, but to be pursued by Him (not that the pursuit ever ended on God's end...I just wasn't noticing). It's freeing to know that I still need Him to be my strength. I may fall away, but it just proves that I will never be able to do this on my own.
I said earlier that I'd get to the rest of the song later, so here it is. Only the first stanza really deals with the drifting, the rest of the song is about the deep love of Jesus and how it draws us back time and again and the praise that can't help but escape our lips in response. It's beautiful. :o)
I flirt with the world
It steals my love for You
My fear grips my faith
And I am left unmoved
Your gaze stops my heart
Your voice fills the dark
Your love is the spark that lights this life
So we rise
Out of the depths you cry
Come and be satisfied
Father, You sing
Father, You sing over Your children
You quiet the storm
Inside my shipwrecked soul
Your spirit will lead
It calls the wayward home
At the sound of Your name
Our sin is washed away
In Christ we're crucified
In You we die, in You we rise
Out of the depths you cry
Come and be satisfied
Father, You sing
Father, You sing over Your children
Let us see through Your eyes
We are Your great delight
Father You sing
Father, You sing over Your children
And we're singing along
Your daughters and sons
We're singing Your song
We are Your children
Out of the depths you cry
Come and be satisfied
Father, You sing
Father, You sing over Your children
Let us see through Your eyes
We are Your great delight
Father, You sing
Father, You sing over Your children
~"Sing Over Your Children" by Matt Maher
