August 11th, 2020
Lani Cole, Director of Worship
Troubles surround me
Chaos abounding
My soul will rest in You
I will not fear the war
I will not fear the storm
My help is on the way
My help is on the way
I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord
Kristian Stanfill wrote the above praise song, “Always” based off of Psalm 121 which is a Song of Ascents or a traveling song. Pilgrims sung these songs while traveling to Jerusalem for the three great festivals: Passover, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles. It’s often thought that David wrote this Psalm while at camp before battle, although there is no mention of war or fighting.
Psalm 121 - A song of ascents.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
2020 has been a year of disruption, chaos, change, uncertainty. Life as we know it has turned upside down. Friends have suddenly lost loved ones and were unable to properly grieve or attend funerals. We turn on the news each day to hear of a divided country riddled with hatred and racism. Co-workers have lost their jobs and are struggling to make ends meet. Storms have ripped through our country and locally where property has been destroyed and, unfortunately, life has been lost. So many difficult and trying circumstances are coming at us from every direction.
Who are you turning to during these difficult times?
I can honestly share with you that it is easier to say that I am trusting God will see us through all of this. My head agrees with me, but my heart has a hard time keeping up. Maybe that is just the human side of me? It is something I consistently work on. I know what I have read in scripture and that through my faith and beliefs, we have a God that loves us unconditionally and will show up when needed most. God is with us even in the darkest of times and when we feel as though we have no place to turn…God is there.
I’ve found that I’ve been able to face each day with 2 different approaches:
Yesterday, Eddie posed a question at the end of his message that I believe we all need to take a moment to revisit; “Do you need to re-encounter Jesus Christ?”
I encourage you this week to truly reflect upon that question. Go back to the moment in your life where you first met Jesus. Remember all the questions and emotions that you were flooded with? Journal about that experience and pray over it.
For those of you reading this who may be just encountering Jesus for the first time, I’m sure you have many questions and are feeling many different things. Again, journal and pray about your thoughts and feelings. I encourage you to explore them, to dig deeper. If you need to speak with someone, please reach out to us at St. John’s. We are here for you.
See, I believe that when faced with difficulty in our lives, if we simply take a moment in the stillness and quiet and engage or re-engage with Christ, all of our fears, our worries, and our anxieties will cease in some capacity.
Lift your eyes up, friends. Your help comes from the Lord. Eyes on the horizon, Feet where you are, Navigating what’s in between with courage, hope, authenticity, and Jesus. - Bob Goff @bobgoff Twitter 7/26/2020
Troubles surround me
Chaos abounding
My soul will rest in You
I will not fear the war
I will not fear the storm
My help is on the way
My help is on the way
I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord
Kristian Stanfill wrote the above praise song, “Always” based off of Psalm 121 which is a Song of Ascents or a traveling song. Pilgrims sung these songs while traveling to Jerusalem for the three great festivals: Passover, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles. It’s often thought that David wrote this Psalm while at camp before battle, although there is no mention of war or fighting.
Psalm 121 - A song of ascents.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
2020 has been a year of disruption, chaos, change, uncertainty. Life as we know it has turned upside down. Friends have suddenly lost loved ones and were unable to properly grieve or attend funerals. We turn on the news each day to hear of a divided country riddled with hatred and racism. Co-workers have lost their jobs and are struggling to make ends meet. Storms have ripped through our country and locally where property has been destroyed and, unfortunately, life has been lost. So many difficult and trying circumstances are coming at us from every direction.
Who are you turning to during these difficult times?
I can honestly share with you that it is easier to say that I am trusting God will see us through all of this. My head agrees with me, but my heart has a hard time keeping up. Maybe that is just the human side of me? It is something I consistently work on. I know what I have read in scripture and that through my faith and beliefs, we have a God that loves us unconditionally and will show up when needed most. God is with us even in the darkest of times and when we feel as though we have no place to turn…God is there.
I’ve found that I’ve been able to face each day with 2 different approaches:
- Remembering that God is with me, no matter what, and that he is bigger than all of this and I can fully trust him to show up.
- Accepting change and embracing it during these times has enabled me to see the bigger picture.
Yesterday, Eddie posed a question at the end of his message that I believe we all need to take a moment to revisit; “Do you need to re-encounter Jesus Christ?”
I encourage you this week to truly reflect upon that question. Go back to the moment in your life where you first met Jesus. Remember all the questions and emotions that you were flooded with? Journal about that experience and pray over it.
For those of you reading this who may be just encountering Jesus for the first time, I’m sure you have many questions and are feeling many different things. Again, journal and pray about your thoughts and feelings. I encourage you to explore them, to dig deeper. If you need to speak with someone, please reach out to us at St. John’s. We are here for you.
See, I believe that when faced with difficulty in our lives, if we simply take a moment in the stillness and quiet and engage or re-engage with Christ, all of our fears, our worries, and our anxieties will cease in some capacity.
Lift your eyes up, friends. Your help comes from the Lord. Eyes on the horizon, Feet where you are, Navigating what’s in between with courage, hope, authenticity, and Jesus. - Bob Goff @bobgoff Twitter 7/26/2020
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