Hey, friends! Just because we can’t share the platform together doesn’t mean that we can’t and shouldn’t stay connected. So to keep our worship dialogue going, here are some thoughts and questions to meditate on during your time with the Lord this week. These come from a song we introduced last weekend in Collide called Springtime by Chris Renzema (link below). I recommend listening to the song first, then reading the thoughts below. Please don’t feel like you need to digest this all at once. Use this as a prompt for the next few days of your personal meditation time. May the Lord speak to you through the words of this song and through His word…
You’re the resurrection that we’ve waited for
All of us, whether we want to admit it or not, are dead in our sin and in need of resurrection. Romans 8:22-24 says “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.”
You buried the night and came with the morning
Christ put death to death. 2 Timothy 1:9-10 says “He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
You’re the King of Heaven, the praise is yours
Jeremy Riddle, co-writer of This Is Amazing Grace, sings in the Bethel version of the song “What other King leaves His throne? What other King leaves His glory to die?” Only Christ.
The longer the quiet the louder the chorus
Isn’t it true that the longer we have to wait for something, the greater our appreciation is at its arrival? While often we are so anxious for a trial to be completed in as short a time as possible, is it possible that in doing so we miss out on the greater payoff at the end? Like the returning of the Ark to Jerusalem after a long absence was met with David’s dancing in celebration, so too the returning of the dawn after a long night of trial should be met with rejoicing!
We will sing a new song ’cause death is dead and gone with the winter
Every new trial in life reveals a new truth. About who God is. About who we are. And as a result, our praise to Him will be new and unique. A new song.
We will sing a new song, let hallelujahs flow like a river
A river always flows from a source. However, once begun it is quickly joined by water converging from other sources. The more sources join the river, the more powerful the river becomes. The greater the impact the river makes. May our praise be like that. As our hallelujahs are joined by the hallelujahs of others, may they come together in an unstoppable force of loving impact on our church community, our Escondido community, and the world.
We’re coming back to life, reaching toward the light
Your love is like springtime
Spring is interesting because it has the appearance of dead things coming to life. However, in that dead-looking winter tree stripped of its leaves, there is life still at work beneath. Such is true in our lives. Even in the times we feel most depressed, most alone, most fearful, most “dead”, the Spirit is always doing its work under the surface. And just as those branches reach upward seeking the light for life, so we must do the same. Always reaching upward to the Light of the World for our life.
You’re the living water, God we thirst for you
In Psalm 42:2, David writes “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” Almost in answer to this request, but centuries later, Jesus says “…but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14
The dry and the barren will flower and bloom
Isaiah 35:1-2 says “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.”
You’re the sun that’s shining, You restore my soul
Psalm 23:1-3 says “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul;”
The deeper you call us, oh the deeper we’ll go
This is both a statement of truth and a challenge. There’s no doubt that God allows us to experience situations that stretch us, challenge us to move and to grow. In Psalm 42:7, David uses this terminology to refer to his personal trials. “Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.” But I also feel it is a challenge for us in our journey with the Lord. Jesus called Peter out onto the water to walk on the waves. Will you respond in faith when He calls you to go deeper?
Come tend the soil, come tend the soil of my soul
And like a garden, and like a garden I will grow
In conclusion, read John 15:1-17. Write down answers to the following questions…
– What challenge is God currently using to help me grow?
– What does it mean to “remain” in Christ?
– What is the fruit that will come from remaining in the vine, and how can I use that fruit to nourish the world around me.
My prayer is that through this unique time and these unique circumstances, you’ll see God in a unique way. More thoughts on worship songs to come in the coming weeks…
Jeremy