when the tears fall

i've had questions, without answers
i've known sorrow, i have known pain
but theres one thing, that i'll cling to
You are faithful, Jesus Your true

when hope is lost, i'll call You Savior
when pain surrounds, i'll call You Healer
when silence falls, You'll be the song within my heart

in the lone hour, of my sorrow
through the darkest night of my soul
You surround me, and sustain me
my Defender, forever more

when hope is lost, i'll call You Savior
when pain surrounds, i'll call You Healer
when silence falls, You'll be the song within my heart

i will praise You, i will praise You
when the tears fall, still i will sing to You
i will praise You, Jesus praise You
through the suffering still i will sing

when the laughter fails to comfort
when my heart aches, Lord are You there?
when confusion is all around
and the darkness is my closest friend
still I will praise You, Jesus praise You

--Tim Hughes

A God of Exactness.

I love how God gives us always… exactly what we need exactly in the moment we need it. I’ve had a lot on my mind lately, and I went before Him today with tears already filling my eyes. When I got to my Bible study book today, Beth Moore had written “This lesson is one I begin with tears stinging my eyes.” My heart just sank. I knew I was about to get a load, but then again such a burden taken off my shoulders also.

FAITH. Why is it that saving faith is typically simple? Then we get to the daily walk, and it gets scary? I read Romans 4 today, and I was sitting there with my head spinning. “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” We have one simple step in life—believe Him. He takes care of everything. It’s knowledge, but I want it to be lived out, daily truth in my life. Walking, moving faith. Our faith is what God credits as righteousness. This is monumental for me because I have such unrighteousness in my past. But I have to believe what He says about me now. I’ve asked that I might not ever forget my past for the sake of edifying the body of Christ hopefully through it, but I don’t want to ever dwell on it either. It’s finding a balance of realizing I am a sinner, being humble, but then seeing myself through Christ’s eyes. He definitely sees me completely different than I look at myself. Every day the Cross, whispers that to my soul. He takes my ashes and trades them for His beauty.

So it’s all about our hearts. Our faith. Not legalism. Not our acts of righteousness. Isaiah says they are like filthy rags. That’s why Christ has done a complete trade… taking on our unrighteous so we could be given His righteousness. 1Peter 1:7 says that our faith is worth more than gold. So it all comes down to faith. It’s been a major reoccurring theme since September, but God has definitely been bringing it to the forefront lately. I love how He says that He who started a good work in us… will finish it. So I know if He is dealing with me about my “present-active-participle” faith… He’s going to perfect and complete it.

Oh You Bring

I love how nothing we do surprises or scares our Savior. There is nothing He can not take care of. There’s nothing He can’t fix. There’s nothing He can’t change. There’s nothing He can’t redeem. And there’s nothing that His blood doesn’t cover. He knew before time our family. He knew before time our circumstances. He knew before time our choices. He knew before time our hearts. He knows our fears. He knows our desires. He knew before time the life He has for us. Nothing ever stops His story for His glory. He knows all of this. He knows what we are lacking. And since He knows… He becomes more than that for us. Hillsong wrote “Oh You Bring,” and I love it because it speaks just that—He is everything we need. He fills every void…
no matter who or what left it.

Oh You bring hope to the hopeless
And Light to those in the darkness
And death to Life—now I’m alive
Oh You give Peace to the restless
And Joy to homes that are broken
I see you now; in You I’m found
And you open the door for me
And you lay down your life to set me free
All that I am will serve you Lord
Oh you fill those who are empty
And rescue those in the valley
And through it all You calm my storm
Oh now You find me in my weakness
And heal the wounds of my heartache
I worship You in Spirit and Truth
And You open the door for me
And You lay down Your Life to set me free
All that I am will serve You Lord, You Lord
And You open my eyes to see all the wonder and all of Christ in me
Jesus you’re everything I need
It’s You I need
You’re all I need
You’re everything
All honor
All glory
All praise to You

I had a boy once tell me that basically I wasn’t complete because I didn’t grow up with a father. But an earthly father doesn’t complete you. He doesn’t make you who you are whether he is there or whether he is lacking. God knew. He wasn’t troubled by it. I believe He saw it as all the more of an opportunity to be Father to me. He says we will be lacking nothing. I’m grateful because He has taught me who He is as Father, and my reliance on Him is different than a girl with a godly father. I have God THE Father. Yes there are hurts in our life when our family life doesn’t look like God intended, but we don’t choose our family. Those things can’t be helped except for allowing Christ to be all. He heals those hurts. Sin breaks things up and things fall apart, and life doesn’t look like it did in the Garden. But God redeems anything and everything by the power of His blood through death. We have to believe Him.