Tag Archives: Matt Redman

Trusting God’s Love

Immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us.
Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it.
Ephesians 2:4, 5a, 7, 8 MSG*

What amazing love is this, that “where God wants us” is close to Him, in restored relationship! And that in patience and grace He will take the time to train us, heal us and shape us into the potential He’s set within us.

He saved us, He is saving us, He will save us.

The “all we do is trust Him enough to let Him do it” is that simple and that hard. Choosing to trust God’s love, and that He’s shaping us even through the things we don’t like, is a hard obedience. It’s “a long obedience in the same direction.”

God who is Peace, the perfect peace of completeness when we’re in relationship with You, thank You for a love beyond what we can imagine. Thank You for rescue and for renewal. Help us, deep in our spirits, to know and rely on Your love and to trust You enough to let You work in us.

Let Matt Redman’s song, “Never Once,” remind us to trust.

*The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Relentless Gratitude

Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
Proverbs 4:23, NIV*

Last week, the day my Radical Gratitude post came out, I struggled with attitude all day. Shouldn’t have been surprised—after all, how can we learn to apply a lesson if there’s no practice? But practice is work and it’s easier to endure the crankiness and wait for it to go away.

When God finally got my attention and we did some business, I decided what’s needed is resolute gratitude. Even relentless gratitude.

Not just thanking God for His blessings, but thanking Him when everything inside us traitorously whispers self-pity, entitlement, discontent, blaming etc. When things are going wrong. Or when we’re just plain in a bad mood.

What’s the constant no matter how bad our circumstances?

God. He never changes.

For 2012 and forward, I want to learn to relentlessly, resolutely, regularly declare thanks for who He is. No matter what’s going on in and around me. That means not just focusing on the Light instead of the darkness but remembering what I know of Him and getting to know Him even better.

Amazing and unfathomable God, Your character alone gives us a wealth of reasons to thank and praise You. Help us set our hearts and minds on You and choose gratitude. As we trust You, open our eyes to see You more clearly in our lives. Thank You for the difference You make.

Matt Redman’s “Blessed Be Your Name” expresses the intentionality of thanksgiving.

*THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Desiring God

How lovely is your dwelling place,
LORD Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
Psalm 84:1-2, NIV*

This psalm opens with a progression: it’s not just the Temple courts the writer craves, it’s the Presence in that sacred space.

A few of the late April readings in Oswald Chambers’ classic My Utmost for His Highest touch on the danger of desiring the experience of God or the blessings from God instead of desiring God Himself.

A holy hush in the sanctuary, a strong spiritual experience, God’s tangible touch on our lives—these are wonderful gifts we need to receive with praise. But they’re evidence of His glory, they’re not the ultimate desire of our spirits.

If you make a god out of your best moments, you will find that God will fade out of your life… until you have learned not to be obsessed with those exceptional moments He has given you. Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, April 25 

Holy and loving God, because of Jesus Christ our Saviour we can come into Your presence, and Your Holy Spirit dwells in us and makes us His Temple. Give us a thirst for closer relationship with You, a hunger for more than Your blessings—a hunger for You alone.

Matt Redman’s song, “Better is One Day,” echoes this psalm. Not sure who’s singing here.

*New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

God is Still at Work

Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate. He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever.
Psalm 111:2-5, NIV*

The psalmist starts by praising God for what He has done in the past. They he switches to present tense: God provides food, remembers His covenant.

Sometimes I feel that while God’s acts and wonders are recorded and remembered in the Bible, in North America today we live with a sense of “that was then, this is now.”

Is it because the Bible is the “official” written testimony? That doesn’t mean God stopped working when John wrote the final “Amen” to end the book of Revelation. God hasn’t changed, as Christians in other parts of the world know.

I had a real treat the other week when I shared a meal with two Christian friends. Perhaps because we don’t often get together, we opened up to share what God has been doing in our lives, what He’s been teaching us, where He may be leading us.

I long for more of that kind of conversation. It encourages my faith, and it reminds me to keep a sharper eye out for God at work in the little as well as the big. And I think God enjoys hearing that we’ve noticed—and appreciate—His care.

Father, help me remember You are at work whether I see or hear or not. Help me look, help me recognize what You’re doing and return thanks. Give Your people boldness to declare Your work. And forgive us for beginning to believe that if we don’t see it, it’s not happening. How self-absorbed is that?

Let’s join Matt Redman in singing, “You Never Let Go.”

*New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Intentional Worship

Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:19a-20, NIV*

I’m learning that when our congregation is singing a song I dislike (there are a few) I need to remember the song isn’t for me. It’s for God, and He presumably likes it—if it’s sung from worshipping hearts. If I choose to focus on what I don’t like about it, that’s not worship. If I give it my best for His sake, it is.

Sunday morning we were singing songs I appreciate, but I wasn’t feeling as well as usual and just wasn’t connecting. God, being good, helped me see that pushing through to intentionally sing and praise was perhaps a better offering than on a regular Sunday when the praise comes easier.

It’s a declaration that God’s worship-worthiness is constant and doesn’t depend on my fluctuating feelings. I think prayer is the same way. Whatever state we’re in when we come aside to pray, let us take good courage, be firm in our faith, and commit the needs and praises to our God Who is able and who cares for us. It’s about Him, after all.

Father, thank You for Your patient teaching and nurture that draw us closer to Your heart. Teach us to worship in spirit and in truth, with thanksgiving, for Your glory.

Blessed Be Your Name,” by Matt Redman, is a contemporary classic declaration of worship and prayer in the good and in the bad. It’s sung here by Tree63.

*New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

A Heart Set on Pilgrimage

Blessed are those whose strength is in you [God],
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
Psalm 84:5-6, NIV*

Psalm 84 is a homesick heart’s cry to be near to God in His house—the Israelites’ Tabernacle, or maybe the Temple itself. It’s one of those psalms many of us know well.

This time I read it, the word pilgrimage caught my notice. From the context, the psalmist is probably writing of a literal journey.

For me reading it today, it resonates in a different way. Christians, with the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, are told that our bodies are the temple of God. We’re not on pilgrimage to God’s Temple, but we’re on pilgrimage with God through our days.

Yes, “this world is not our home, we’re just passing through,” but we’re to pass through attentively, compassionately. Like Jesus did.

We’re not to ignore our surroundings or our neighbours’ pain, but to spread His blessings to others. On our own, we can’t do much, but God’s strength in and through us can make a difference in the lives around us.

Violet Nesdoly shares more thoughts on pilgrimage at Other Food: Daily Devo’s.

Father, grant us hearts set on pilgrimage with You, knowing we’re bound for Heaven but charged with spreading Your light while we’re here. Help us find our strength in You, and let us leave each day a little better than we found it. Because of Jesus.

Matt Redman’s song, “Better is One Day,” comes from Psalm 84.

*New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Expectations and Complaints

Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea…. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter…. So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”
Exodus 15: 22-24, NIV*

The Israelites were jubilant at what God had done: deliverance from Egyptian slavery, parting the Red Sea to rescue them (neatly eliminating their enemies). They believed He could fulfill the rest of His promise and bring them into the promised land.

After a string of miracles and evidences of His great power, it’s understandable that they’d expect Him to melt all remaining opposition and obstacles in their way.

Then right away they have three waterless days in the desert, only to find water they can’t drink. No wonder they complain!

Moses, on the other hand, is used to setbacks, from his dealings with Pharaoh. He cries out to God.

The people know God can help, but they don’t ask. They expect, and then protest when He doesn’t operate the way they want.

Don’t we do the same?

Father God, mighty to save and wise to teach, You could give us smooth paths. But we seem to learn better when we experience Your help in the rough places. Help us to trust Your leading and to listen, obey, and learn to do life Your way. Help us to be grateful for Your presence.

A good song and prayer for today is Matt and Beth Redman’s “Blessed Be Your Name,” sung here by Matt Redman.

*New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

How to Pass the Test

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?’ He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.”
John 6:5-6, NIV*

God’s tests reveal to us what we’ve already learned, or how successfully we apply it, or they show us we still have some learning to do.

I can imagine Philip looking around and seeing the impossibility of feeding a crowd of 5,000 men plus women and children. He heard Jesus’ question and felt responsible to provide a solution.

To pass the test would have been to turn to Jesus for the solution.

The disciples had already experienced Jesus’ miraculous signs, and this new challenge was an opportunity to extrapolate their faith from what they’d seen into new territory.

Jesus wasn’t into pulling things out of thin air like an entertainer. He worked with the materials on hand, be it water when people needed wine, or a damaged person who needed wholeness.

I’d like to think Andrew passed the test by telling the group about the boy with the loaves and fish, but he finished his sentence with “but how far will they go among so many?” (John 6:8-9, NIV*)

How many times do I do the same thing?

Father, by Your grace I’ve seen You work in my heart and circumstances. I’ve heard the testimonies of other believers. When life throws the next question at me, please help me pass the test. Help me remember You already have in mind what You plan to do. Help me trust you.

Let’s encourage our spirits with Matt Redman’s song, “You Never Let Go”.

*New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Convinced

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39, NIV*

God will never leave us, nor forsake us. He promised. Songs like Matt Redman’s “You Never Let Go” and David Crowder’s “Never Let Go” help us internalize and respond to this amazing truth.

But sometimes, don’t you catch yourself wondering? Circumstances and the enemy of our souls whisper otherwise, and sometimes we listen: not me… not this time… not after what I did…

Our heads know the truth, but our hearts are prone to believe the lie.

Last week for the first time I really heard the lyrics to “Shadows,” from the David Crowder*Band’s Church Music CD, and something clicked in my spirit.

The price was too high for God to ever let us go. Jesus went to the Cross for us and defeated death. He’s not going to give up on us after that, no matter how troublesome we are.

Father, You knew what you were getting in the transaction, how stubborn and slow of heart we are, and You still loved us enough to pay a horrific price to rescue us. You’ve promised never to let go of us, and yet at times we doubt that. Forgive us, and help us to trust You and to stand amazed and secure “in the shadow of the Cross”.

Here  is a very cool video of “Shadows” from David Crowder*Band.  Take time to listen to the lyrics.

*New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Why We Do What We Do

You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.
…so that no one will malign the word of God.
…so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
…so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Saviour attractive.
Titus 2:1, 5b,8b,10b, NIV*

In the book of Titus, the Apostle Paul places a lot of emphasis on teaching Christians to live in a godly manner and to do good. He’s writing to a new church, its people recent converts from paganism and immoral lifestyles, and that may explain why they need so much teaching on how to behave as children of God.

Today we still need this teaching—not only on how to behave, but why.

Paul never forgets that the outward behaviour has a purpose: “so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Saviour attractive.”

Who wants to follow a Way that turns its people rigid, repressed or ranting? Hopeful people, on the other hand, those who can stay strong even in hard times and who radiate  an inner joy… now they have something others might want.

Jesus came to show us what God is really like, and to reconcile us to Him. He charged His disciples (and us down through the centuries) to carry on His work. He kept close to the Father and served in love. We need to do the same.

Father, thank You for saving us, and for changing and equipping us to live in ways that please You. We could never do that on our own. Help us remember why we’re to do good and to live right, that our behaviour isn’t the ultimate end. Help us be living demonstrations of Your love, because we love You.

A good song to keep us in focus is Matt Redman’s “The Heart of Worship.”

*New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.