Lead Me in the Everlasting Way (revise us again)
I will post something more life-y soon.
I've split it into 10.10.10.10. verses, though I'm not sure if brethren would be more likely to sing 3 doubled verses or 6 half size verses.
O Lord, You search and know my every way;
You know when I rise up and when I fall.
You understand my thought from far away;
Before I speak a word, You know it all.
If I ascend to heaven, You are there.
Or make my bed in Sheol, You are there.
Where could I go beyond Your Spirit’s care?
Where could I flee? For You are everywhere.
If I should rise upon the wings of dawn,
Or dwell in distant reaches of the sea,
No matter where I go, You still lead on;
Your hand will always be there holding me.
If I should say, “My day has turned to night!”
You calm my blinded soul; You lead me through.
When You are with me everything is light,
For even darkness is not dark to You.
You wrote down all the days ordained for me
Before my life’s foundation had been laid.
I give You thanks who brought my life to be,
So fearfully and wonderfully made.
O Lord, here are my thoughts for You to see;
Now search me, try me, know my heart I pray!
Seek out each dark and sinful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.
Additional verses, currently excluded:
You hem me in, behind me and before.
You lay Your hand upon me lovingly.
I know myself, and yet You know me more;
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.
Within my mother’s womb You knitted me;
You formed my inward parts before my birth.
Each secret thing was bare for You to see;
You wove my frame from deep within the earth.
O come and break the wicked with Your rod;
O men of blood, get out! Depart from me!
Do I not hate the ones who hate You, God?
I count them all my greatest enemies.
Thoughts?
I've split it into 10.10.10.10. verses, though I'm not sure if brethren would be more likely to sing 3 doubled verses or 6 half size verses.
O Lord, You search and know my every way;
You know when I rise up and when I fall.
You understand my thought from far away;
Before I speak a word, You know it all.
If I ascend to heaven, You are there.
Or make my bed in Sheol, You are there.
Where could I go beyond Your Spirit’s care?
Where could I flee? For You are everywhere.
If I should rise upon the wings of dawn,
Or dwell in distant reaches of the sea,
No matter where I go, You still lead on;
Your hand will always be there holding me.
If I should say, “My day has turned to night!”
You calm my blinded soul; You lead me through.
When You are with me everything is light,
For even darkness is not dark to You.
You wrote down all the days ordained for me
Before my life’s foundation had been laid.
I give You thanks who brought my life to be,
So fearfully and wonderfully made.
O Lord, here are my thoughts for You to see;
Now search me, try me, know my heart I pray!
Seek out each dark and sinful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.
Additional verses, currently excluded:
You hem me in, behind me and before.
You lay Your hand upon me lovingly.
I know myself, and yet You know me more;
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.
Within my mother’s womb You knitted me;
You formed my inward parts before my birth.
Each secret thing was bare for You to see;
You wove my frame from deep within the earth.
O come and break the wicked with Your rod;
O men of blood, get out! Depart from me!
Do I not hate the ones who hate You, God?
I count them all my greatest enemies.
Thoughts?
-
I think it might work a little better this way. It certainly would be easier to add the additional verses. Personally, I would sing all the verses any time I could, but I do know some people who only do three or four verses most of the time. It depends on the leader. -
When are you coming to Indy to try it out?
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And please let me know when that ^^ happens. I am so there. :) -
I'm afraid the scriptural way of singing it is to only do the first and last verse. -
^^^That was worth a smirk.
We are looking forward to the singing! Thank you for sharing your talent! -
Matt Harber likes this. -
Great!! I like this one! -
I very much like these words. It'd be great to sing it. And I'm all for the extra verses to be included. -
Right! Where would we be without God's patience? :-D
Lead Me in the Everlasting Way
O Lord, You search and know my every way;
You know when I rise up and when I fall.
You understand my thought from far away;
Before I speak a word, You know it all.
You hem me in, behind me and before.
You lay Your hand upon me lovingly.
I know myself, and yet You know me more;
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.
If I ascend to heaven, You are there.
Or make my bed in Sheol, You are there.
Where could I go beyond Your Spirit’s care?
Where could I flee? For You are everywhere.
If I should rise upon the wings of dawn,
Or dwell in distant reaches of the sea,
No matter where I go, You still lead on;
Your hand will always be there holding me.
Within my mother’s womb You knitted me;
You formed my inward parts before my birth.
Each secret thing was bare for You to see;
You wove my frame from deep within the earth.
You wrote down all the days ordained for me
Before my soul had ever lived a day.
I give You thanks who brought my life to be,
So fearfully and wonderfully made.
O come and break the wicked with Your rod;
O men of blood, get out! Depart from me!
Do I not hate the ones who hate You, God?
I count them all my greatest enemies.
O Lord, here are my thoughts for You to see,
Now search me, try me, know my heart I pray!
Seek out each dark and sinful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.
Thoughts?
You know when I rise up and when I fall.
You understand my thought from far away;
Before I speak a word, You know it all.
You hem me in, behind me and before.
You lay Your hand upon me lovingly.
I know myself, and yet You know me more;
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.
If I ascend to heaven, You are there.
Or make my bed in Sheol, You are there.
Where could I go beyond Your Spirit’s care?
Where could I flee? For You are everywhere.
If I should rise upon the wings of dawn,
Or dwell in distant reaches of the sea,
No matter where I go, You still lead on;
Your hand will always be there holding me.
Within my mother’s womb You knitted me;
You formed my inward parts before my birth.
Each secret thing was bare for You to see;
You wove my frame from deep within the earth.
You wrote down all the days ordained for me
Before my soul had ever lived a day.
I give You thanks who brought my life to be,
So fearfully and wonderfully made.
O come and break the wicked with Your rod;
O men of blood, get out! Depart from me!
Do I not hate the ones who hate You, God?
I count them all my greatest enemies.
O Lord, here are my thoughts for You to see,
Now search me, try me, know my heart I pray!
Seek out each dark and sinful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.
Thoughts?
-
I love me some pentameter...it's such a naturally spoken rhythm that the biblical paraphrases seem almost like direct quotations. A few thoughts: If/when this gets set to music, I'll be interested to hear how the strong imprecatory elements of v.4 are received by congregations. Also, this paraphrase's structure and rhyme are good enough that I'd like to see you take it all the way and get rid of the slant rhyme at the end of v.3. Finally, the connection of v.4 to the rest of the hymn was not immediately apparent to me the first couple of times I read through it. The fourth verse itself seems to switch gears somewhat at the halfway point. Overall, though, this is very nice work. Two enthusiastic thumbs up.
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Beautiful!
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I really like how strongly it references passages from the Psalms.
While I'm thinking about it, I'm planning on looking into redoing our supplemental booklet for the congregation here this summer. I was wondering where to go to get some of your hymns for it? We're still at the point of find songs we'd like to put in it, and I'd really like to get some of yours, but I'm not yet which way we'll actually go with this. -
At the moment, I can't seem to remember any literary terms from studying Creative Writing at USF. and so, I will say that I really like the flow of it. Nice incorporation of biblical imagery as well. There's a vivid image of God's hands throughout. I absolutely love that!
I had a dream once that I was on a road, and God was reaching His huge hands down from the clouds and taking my tiny ones into His. That was a dream within a dream. When I woke up, I was in my mother's arms. But when I really woke up, I was in my bed in Florida. It remains one of my most favorite layered dreams. :) -
One of my favorite psalms. I'd love to be able to sing it. Looks great, Stephen.
The Struggles and Advantages of Being Single
God has been teaching me some powerful lessons lately, though many of them have been painful. We live in a society, even among Christians, where the prevailing thought is often “I cannot and will not be happy unless I am in a dating (or whatever you call it) relationship with someone.” This is not right, and this must not be a mindset adopted by children of God.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think a day goes by where I don’t hurt on some level because I am single. It’s lonely sometimes… but not all the time. God has helped me recently to start focusing on some of the advantages I have right now that I may not have later if, by His grace, I am to be married.
I’ll first acknowledge the struggles that have been particularly deep for me, and then look at some advantages that have helped me overcome these struggles.
The Struggles of Being Single
1. Loneliness
This one is obvious. After proclaiming everything to be good in His creation, God Himself observed that “it is not good that the man should be alone…” (Gen 3:18). God created us with a need for relationship, not only with Himself, but with other humans. And God didn’t just leave man alone; in the rest of the verse He said, “…I will make him a helper fit for him.” God gave us a sense of emptiness, and gave us the opportunity to fill that emptiness with something other than ourselves. Personally, I believe God intentionally delayed in creating woman to show man how much he needed her. We are not here for ourselves.
But the child of God, even a single one, should not be characterized by loneliness. Jesus certainly felt this when He was abandoned at the cross as He cried, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mt 27:46). In a real sense, He had been left completely alone to bear the immeasurable burden at Calvary. But Jesus also understood that in the midst of feeling abandoned, He was not alone. In John 16:32 He affirmed, “Behold the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.” David reminds us that “the LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit” (Ps 34:18). We are never truly alone if the Lord is with us.
2. Discontentment
Sometimes as a single guy, I feel like I don’t have much direction. I’m just floating, waiting for something to come along and give me purpose. It’s like I’m still waiting for my life to begin. But in reality, not only has life begun, but I’m at a critical stage of life that must not be wasted longing for the next one. There are some days I start to buy into that singleness-and-happiness-cannot-coexist mindset, and those days are usually the most miserable and unproductive ones. Self-pity is the enemy of the Christian. Can you imagine Christ thinking like that?
Paul wasn’t kidding when he said, “Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world” (1 Tim 6:7). Contentment is something that God expects out of His people. When His sheep become restless in the green pastures, not only do they miss out on just how green their surroundings are, but they scorn the tender and infinitely wise care of the Shepherd that is watching over them. Here’s the way to think: “…for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Php 4:11-13).
3. Jealousy
This is where it gets hard. This is where being single stops being just a self-contained struggle, but starts to erode the unity of the body of Christ. I’ve not been one to think of this as a struggle for me, but recent tests have proven me wrong. I’ll be honest: it’s hard when you attend the weddings of those you’ve previously been really close to—it’s just hard. But there is a calling that we have: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Rom 12:15). When we can learn to honestly, honestly have joy when our brother or sister receives that which we most deeply desire—that, my brethren, is dying to self. That is taking up your cross. And that is what following Christ is all about.
If you haven’t seen them, you should read Gary Henry’s devotionals surrounding this—it’s the June 11 devotional in his book “Reaching Forward.” You can read it here: http://wordpoints.com/reachingforward/gods-people-give-thanks-june-11/ . I’ve been pricked to the heart about this, and I pray that if this is something you’re struggling with, you will take it seriously and make your heart pure before God and your brethren.
Advantages of Being Single
1. Freedom
From what I’ve heard from my married friends, this is one I’ll appreciate a whole lot more from the other side. As an unattached guy, I can make most of my decisions without a lot of consultation with others. Certainly my decisions affect those around me, and I need to tailor my choices to serve others; but for the most part flying solo I get to call the shots. I can decide to take crazy road trips to Bible studies at the last minute. I can drive into the wee hours of the morning as long as I’ve got my Gatorade and peanut butter crackers. I can fill my schedule with serving the church whenever is most convenient for them. There are many areas of service that are most accessible to those not yet married.
Peter lays out this principle in 1 Peter 2:16: “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.” If we have fewer responsibilities to fulfill to a wife or husband, we then have a responsibility to use the time and energy we have to serve the Lord and His people with that zeal. So much energy is wasted wallowing in self-pity and wishing we could hurry up and find someone. How much more effective would we be in the Lord’s service if we saw being single as an opportunity instead of a burden?
2. Focus
There are only so many things we can do at once. If we want to enjoy the wonderful God-given joys of marriage, it’s going to be a huge time investment. To gain one good opportunity, we will have to give up other good opportunities. Paul spoke about these things in 1 Cor 7:32-35. “The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided… I say this… to secure your undivided attention to the Lord.” It is certainly God’s will for husbands and wives to be taking time for each other and investing in that relationship, but that means less time to be doing other good things in the Lord’s service.
Those who are single have an amazing chance to revel in a kind of unbridled zeal in pursuing the things of the Lord. There is a purity to one’s life consisting primarily of one’s self and the Lord. If you have the opportunity to take advantage of that, don’t take it for granted. Study. Pray. Use the extra hours in your schedule to dig deep roots in the character of the Lord Jesus Christ. Learn to “delight yourself in the Lord” (Ps 37:4). You may not get another chance quite like this after you’re married. And especially after you have kids. You don’t just magically become more devoted to God after you get married, so make sure you’re developing into the kind of married person the Lord wants you to be, even while you’re single.
3. Opportunity to Trust
God has created a world in which both pleasures and pains are a tremendous blessing to the Christian. We are directed to “count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (Jas 1:2-3). Each emptiness, each hour of loneliness, each unfulfilled desire is an opportunity to learn to really trust in God. When we are doing well, like Israel, we so easily and thoughtlessly trust in ourselves. But the more we hurt, the harder we lean on God. And that is when we can say, “when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10).
Tommy Peeler recently said, “God's love for us is more intense than that of the best parent for a child (Isa 49:15; Matt 7:11). Therefore, we can rest assured that the things that God prohibits are not forbidden to keep us from enjoying life, but they are given to prevent us destroying ourselves.” I’ve come to realize that the repeated frustrations in my relationship efforts may not be God trying to punish me or just so I can suffer, but to keep me from self-destructing. I don’t know if He’s guided things like this for that specific purpose (He knows I’m not exactly suave when it comes to these things—I’ve brought enough on myself), but I do know that this is an opportunity to learn to wait on the Lord. It is when I completely let go and give Him my heart that I learn to say, “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want,” and really mean it.
I’m putting this up on Valentine’s Day because I know that this is a day of rejoicing for many and a day of misery for others. I feel like I need to put somewhat of a caveat saying: Um, yeah, I still want to get married. But God has blessed me SO much to be where I am in life right now. I feel more content than I have in a very long time, and I wanted to share some of the things God has used to bring me here in hope that it could help my fellow singles. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Cor 1:3-4).
No matter where we are in life, may God help us to completely trust Him!
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think a day goes by where I don’t hurt on some level because I am single. It’s lonely sometimes… but not all the time. God has helped me recently to start focusing on some of the advantages I have right now that I may not have later if, by His grace, I am to be married.
I’ll first acknowledge the struggles that have been particularly deep for me, and then look at some advantages that have helped me overcome these struggles.
The Struggles of Being Single
1. Loneliness
This one is obvious. After proclaiming everything to be good in His creation, God Himself observed that “it is not good that the man should be alone…” (Gen 3:18). God created us with a need for relationship, not only with Himself, but with other humans. And God didn’t just leave man alone; in the rest of the verse He said, “…I will make him a helper fit for him.” God gave us a sense of emptiness, and gave us the opportunity to fill that emptiness with something other than ourselves. Personally, I believe God intentionally delayed in creating woman to show man how much he needed her. We are not here for ourselves.
But the child of God, even a single one, should not be characterized by loneliness. Jesus certainly felt this when He was abandoned at the cross as He cried, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mt 27:46). In a real sense, He had been left completely alone to bear the immeasurable burden at Calvary. But Jesus also understood that in the midst of feeling abandoned, He was not alone. In John 16:32 He affirmed, “Behold the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.” David reminds us that “the LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit” (Ps 34:18). We are never truly alone if the Lord is with us.
2. Discontentment
Sometimes as a single guy, I feel like I don’t have much direction. I’m just floating, waiting for something to come along and give me purpose. It’s like I’m still waiting for my life to begin. But in reality, not only has life begun, but I’m at a critical stage of life that must not be wasted longing for the next one. There are some days I start to buy into that singleness-and-happiness-cannot-coexist mindset, and those days are usually the most miserable and unproductive ones. Self-pity is the enemy of the Christian. Can you imagine Christ thinking like that?
Paul wasn’t kidding when he said, “Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world” (1 Tim 6:7). Contentment is something that God expects out of His people. When His sheep become restless in the green pastures, not only do they miss out on just how green their surroundings are, but they scorn the tender and infinitely wise care of the Shepherd that is watching over them. Here’s the way to think: “…for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Php 4:11-13).
3. Jealousy
This is where it gets hard. This is where being single stops being just a self-contained struggle, but starts to erode the unity of the body of Christ. I’ve not been one to think of this as a struggle for me, but recent tests have proven me wrong. I’ll be honest: it’s hard when you attend the weddings of those you’ve previously been really close to—it’s just hard. But there is a calling that we have: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Rom 12:15). When we can learn to honestly, honestly have joy when our brother or sister receives that which we most deeply desire—that, my brethren, is dying to self. That is taking up your cross. And that is what following Christ is all about.
If you haven’t seen them, you should read Gary Henry’s devotionals surrounding this—it’s the June 11 devotional in his book “Reaching Forward.” You can read it here: http://wordpoints.com/reachingforward/gods-people-give-thanks-june-11/ . I’ve been pricked to the heart about this, and I pray that if this is something you’re struggling with, you will take it seriously and make your heart pure before God and your brethren.
Advantages of Being Single
1. Freedom
From what I’ve heard from my married friends, this is one I’ll appreciate a whole lot more from the other side. As an unattached guy, I can make most of my decisions without a lot of consultation with others. Certainly my decisions affect those around me, and I need to tailor my choices to serve others; but for the most part flying solo I get to call the shots. I can decide to take crazy road trips to Bible studies at the last minute. I can drive into the wee hours of the morning as long as I’ve got my Gatorade and peanut butter crackers. I can fill my schedule with serving the church whenever is most convenient for them. There are many areas of service that are most accessible to those not yet married.
Peter lays out this principle in 1 Peter 2:16: “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.” If we have fewer responsibilities to fulfill to a wife or husband, we then have a responsibility to use the time and energy we have to serve the Lord and His people with that zeal. So much energy is wasted wallowing in self-pity and wishing we could hurry up and find someone. How much more effective would we be in the Lord’s service if we saw being single as an opportunity instead of a burden?
2. Focus
There are only so many things we can do at once. If we want to enjoy the wonderful God-given joys of marriage, it’s going to be a huge time investment. To gain one good opportunity, we will have to give up other good opportunities. Paul spoke about these things in 1 Cor 7:32-35. “The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided… I say this… to secure your undivided attention to the Lord.” It is certainly God’s will for husbands and wives to be taking time for each other and investing in that relationship, but that means less time to be doing other good things in the Lord’s service.
Those who are single have an amazing chance to revel in a kind of unbridled zeal in pursuing the things of the Lord. There is a purity to one’s life consisting primarily of one’s self and the Lord. If you have the opportunity to take advantage of that, don’t take it for granted. Study. Pray. Use the extra hours in your schedule to dig deep roots in the character of the Lord Jesus Christ. Learn to “delight yourself in the Lord” (Ps 37:4). You may not get another chance quite like this after you’re married. And especially after you have kids. You don’t just magically become more devoted to God after you get married, so make sure you’re developing into the kind of married person the Lord wants you to be, even while you’re single.
3. Opportunity to Trust
God has created a world in which both pleasures and pains are a tremendous blessing to the Christian. We are directed to “count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (Jas 1:2-3). Each emptiness, each hour of loneliness, each unfulfilled desire is an opportunity to learn to really trust in God. When we are doing well, like Israel, we so easily and thoughtlessly trust in ourselves. But the more we hurt, the harder we lean on God. And that is when we can say, “when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10).
Tommy Peeler recently said, “God's love for us is more intense than that of the best parent for a child (Isa 49:15; Matt 7:11). Therefore, we can rest assured that the things that God prohibits are not forbidden to keep us from enjoying life, but they are given to prevent us destroying ourselves.” I’ve come to realize that the repeated frustrations in my relationship efforts may not be God trying to punish me or just so I can suffer, but to keep me from self-destructing. I don’t know if He’s guided things like this for that specific purpose (He knows I’m not exactly suave when it comes to these things—I’ve brought enough on myself), but I do know that this is an opportunity to learn to wait on the Lord. It is when I completely let go and give Him my heart that I learn to say, “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want,” and really mean it.
I’m putting this up on Valentine’s Day because I know that this is a day of rejoicing for many and a day of misery for others. I feel like I need to put somewhat of a caveat saying: Um, yeah, I still want to get married. But God has blessed me SO much to be where I am in life right now. I feel more content than I have in a very long time, and I wanted to share some of the things God has used to bring me here in hope that it could help my fellow singles. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Cor 1:3-4).
No matter where we are in life, may God help us to completely trust Him!
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Excellent -- Stephen, this is very well thought out and written. These are the things I have been struggling with, and these are the things that I have been enjoying. Thank you for writing them down. -
Very well done, Stephen. I plan to send many of my friends here to read this!
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Thank you for sharing these excellent thoughts.
When I read your thought about God maybe waiting to make woman so that man would realize how much he needed her, it put me in mind of how God also waited to send Christ, so that we might realize how much we needed Him.
Also, while Jesus said "My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?", it's also a quote from Psalm 22, which conveys the idea of a trust and reliance on God, that God actually hasn't forsaken him though it may seem like it. It's an interesting subtlety. -
Hey Stephen, now I know why you were up til 3! You have done a good job of thinking and growing and expressing this stage of your life.
One funny (funny peculiar) thought that struck me as I read your post, was how much of what you are expressing parallels my thoughts/experiences/feelings as I went to being "not needed" as a mother when my girls reached the truly independent grown stage. That said, as time passed, I have realized the needs of my children for me is still there - just different. But during the lonely and a bit discouraging period I truly wondered, "Ok, now what? Am I good for any real use? What kind of use? What do I do?"
And then there is/was the slow recognition (I'm a slow learner :)) of the blessing of change and appreciation for the opportunities change provides. There has been such a joy in being able to serve my God and Lord in these different ways that were previously not possible.
I'm glad you are treasuring the good things of the time of your life, while acknowledging the difficulties. And I'm very glad you are here to help all of us! -
I thought the exact same thing about the period of child-raising ending, Natalie^^^^^. Alyssa read this aloud to me this morning, Stephen, and I am so impressed with your perfect way of expressing yourself about a sensitive topic. Thank you! You should share this on fb. I would do it, but have no idea how. :) -
It has been FOREVER since I have made use of pleonast. However, I was directed to your post (through pinterest, funny enough) and it definitely warrants a comment. Very helpful comments and verses! It is so comforting to be truly convinced that God looks out for our best. And what peace we can get from verses like these that give us insight into God's mind toward us! Those who genuinely trust in His judgment and timing are truly blessed! Thanks for the reminder of how good God has been to me. -
Great post, Stephen. Sometimes, I feel frustrated that people don't compare/contrast singleness and the married life enough.
Remaining single has both challenges and blessings, but I believe that it is also very true of marriage! -
I've learned a lot of similar lessons. Your directness about your feelings is very selfless, as these personal things can hopefully provide a lot of comfort and hope to others. I pray that God will lead you to a woman, when the time is right, who has your same love for the Lord and determination to serve Him. -
The more posts that you put like this, the more I realize we have a lot in common. I have been taught so many lessons on this subject and wish I could actually understand them more. I really hope that you continue to be strong during this time in your life and I pray I can be just as strong as you are. (:
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Many good lessons to be learned in this for us single people. Thank you for sharing the encouraging thoughts!
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Indeed. =) Hmm. I don't know if I have ever seen that Hymn! I shall have to check it out... =) -
Thanks Stephen! Helped me out a lot.
"Behold, I am making all things new."
There's just something refreshing about newness.
The Scriptures are replete with the idea:
"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." - Lam 3:22-23
"And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." - Luke 22:20
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." - John 13:34
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind" - Rom 12:2
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." - 2 Cor 5:17
"For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation." - Gal 6:15
"to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." - Eph 4:22-24
"Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator." - Col 3:9-10
"...the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh..." - Heb 10:20
"But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells." - 2 Pt 3:13
"And they sang a new song..." - Rev 5:9
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." - Rev 21:1-2
"And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” - Rev 21:5
Interesting contrast: "...there is nothing new under the sun." - Ecc 1:9
One might say: there is nothing new under the sun, but all things are new under the Son.
There is an excitement, a purity, a hope about that which is new. We are made new in Christ. Perfectly new. And unlike our earth-bound possessions, we can continue to be new by the regenerative strength of our God.
That's particularly comforting right about now--it's a new year. A chance to really change. No, really this time. New habits, new goals, a new car, and just a new and refreshed mindset to abound in the work of the Lord.
Thank God that He makes all things new!
Latest hymn effort (going for simplicity this time): Wait in Silence, O My Soul
Wait in silence, O my soul,
Wait for God alone.
Wait, for God is in control,
Wait for God alone.
In the Lord my hope is sure;
He will be my Rock.
My salvation is secure;
He will be my Rock.
Trust in Him at every hour,
Pour out all your heart.
Trust in His almighty pow’r,
Pour out all your heart.
Based on Psalm 62
The Scriptures are replete with the idea:
"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." - Lam 3:22-23
"And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." - Luke 22:20
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." - John 13:34
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind" - Rom 12:2
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." - 2 Cor 5:17
"For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation." - Gal 6:15
"to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." - Eph 4:22-24
"Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator." - Col 3:9-10
"...the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh..." - Heb 10:20
"But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells." - 2 Pt 3:13
"And they sang a new song..." - Rev 5:9
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." - Rev 21:1-2
"And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” - Rev 21:5
Interesting contrast: "...there is nothing new under the sun." - Ecc 1:9
One might say: there is nothing new under the sun, but all things are new under the Son.
There is an excitement, a purity, a hope about that which is new. We are made new in Christ. Perfectly new. And unlike our earth-bound possessions, we can continue to be new by the regenerative strength of our God.
That's particularly comforting right about now--it's a new year. A chance to really change. No, really this time. New habits, new goals, a new car, and just a new and refreshed mindset to abound in the work of the Lord.
Thank God that He makes all things new!
Latest hymn effort (going for simplicity this time): Wait in Silence, O My Soul
Wait in silence, O my soul,
Wait for God alone.
Wait, for God is in control,
Wait for God alone.
In the Lord my hope is sure;
He will be my Rock.
My salvation is secure;
He will be my Rock.
Trust in Him at every hour,
Pour out all your heart.
Trust in His almighty pow’r,
Pour out all your heart.
Based on Psalm 62
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I like that hymn. Waiting is something I don't do very well sometimes. I'm getting better at it.
Here's something I wrote you might appreciate. It was a Facebook status a while back.
"Still my heart, and hold my tongue, I feel my time, my time is come. Let me in. Unlock the door. I never felt this way before." "Truly, my soul silently waits...wait silently for God alone...He only is my rock and my salvation." "Say you'll come and set me free. Just say you'll wait." He'll wait for me. ~May 17, 2010 -
I love Revelation 21:5. This is why New Year's is probably my favorite holiday. Renewal is such a compelling thought. -
I could really get used to this regular update habit your developing again. :) Makes me glad. A new car? Is that literal? Or....? Thanks for this beautiful reminder of the newness of life a new year brings. Real change in myself = very yes. :) Hope you're doing well!
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Lovely!
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I'm going to miss the Chariot... -
^Tell me about it... -
Renewal is a exciting thought. Good little hymn. =)
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yay! a "new" Stephen post! :) and I like it. It reminds me of my new favorite quote that our boss emailed us: "There's only one thing you can't change about yourself; your past."
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Gracias, mi amigo! Gracias a Dios por tu!
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gemma
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naykay
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heythatsgreat
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Mom
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anne
Thanks, Stephen.