Lyrical Friday - Morning Star



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 Yes today is Saturday but I began this post yesterday so Lyrical Friday (Saturday) it is!

This week I experienced one of the coolest flashbacks of the Jesus Movement: Malcolm Wild and Alwyn Wall reunited for a concert at Calvary Chapel Merrit Isalnd and then rocked it at my home church Wednesday night. Morning Star was one of the songs that I could not stop singing and playing in my head. I found them on iTunes (HERE) and have been listening to them since.

Though this song is relevant to us today considering it was written back in the 70s. Both you and I were born into a world of sin and darkness, and naturally we will experience dark seasons in our earthly life. So to have a song that reminds us that Jesus is light and will get us through our darkest hour is completely relevant.

If you are caught in a dark season, feel lost or abandon, I pray you find shelter in the truth of these lyrics. Stop searching avenues for help and start seeking Jesus who is your bright and Morning star who will guide you step by step. He will give you a song that will last you through the day, through the weeks and years and into eternity.

You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness. Psalm 18:28
He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; He snapped their chains Psalm 107:14
but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. Psalm 139:12


Morning Star, Maclolm and Alwyn 

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Morning Star
Now I know who You are
Why did I look so far
When You are who You say You are
And I'm loving You

Morning Star-shine
I'm so glad that You're mine
You're so easy to find
Even for the very blind
Oh, I'm loving You, loving You
Morning Star

When things go wrong
And I'm not strong enough to carry on
You give me a song in my morning
A song to last me through the day
A song to light my way
Up to the Morning Start
You're lovely, You're the Morning Star

And sometimes I'm lonely, I'm really down and out
But I didn't have to call Your name out loud
I just whispered and to my side You came
And that's love - woo - that's love
I know that it's love
And I'm loving You, loving You lovely

Loving You, loving You lovely
Loving You, loving You lovely
Ooo -- I'm loving You Morning Star

Waiting. Delighting.

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Earlier this week I was chatting with a friend. She asked me about my upcoming trip to Haiti. As I shared with her the minor and major details, I found myself saying, “This is different. It’s not something I was anxious about, or waited for. I truly believe that the Lord has seen my delight in Him and is now granting me my heart’s desire.”

Two years ago the desire to go to Haiti was planted in my heart. And though I prayed, I was not consumed by it. In my years of waiting, I could have hustled God, nagged Him, thrown fits, and questioned His purposes, or made attempts to make it happen. But for whatever reason, beyond myself, I did not. Looking back, I delighted in the Lord and now, well now I am about to experience God granting me the desire of my heart.

It seems that we are always waiting for something: a job, a raise, a deal to go through, a spouse, a child, deliverance, a response from Heaven, or, you fill in the blank according to your situation. Basically, we are waiting for life to get better. I do believe that most of the things we are waiting for are not selfish, but God planted desires that will satisfy the “abundant life” that is promised to us in John 10:10. I ask for us to stop and consider this question: How are you waiting?

In considering my waiting for Haiti and my waiting for other desires, I see a difference. I normally wait and wait and wait and continue waiting. Somewhere in between waiting and waiting, a series of happenings begin to unfold:

I over think

I doubt and nagg God

I become anxious

I am led by emotions

I contemplate methods of manipulation

I try to help God and accelerate His purpose

I grow weary, burdened and discouraged

Bitterness kicks in

Hold up! You too?! When we wait and our expectations aren't met within our time frame or in a less favorable manner we can spiral into a series of ugly and rebellious attitudes. Therefore, learning what delighting in the Lord is and it's benefits is instrumental for our waiting season. Delighting cannot happen if we are not in God's word, committed to prayer and active in His service. Delighting removes our constant fixation on the desire and causes us to focus on the Giver of every good and perfect gift. Delighting on the Giver will enable us to wait joyfully and patiently. Delighting through the waiting process will also guard our hearts from losing hope or lacking faith. Lastly, Delighting will change us, for it may be that the very outcome we are waiting for could differ from the outcome God has already chosen for us (which is always the better of the two). 

Whether you have begun to wait or have been waiting for x amount of time, know that God is fully aware of your desires. He has not forgotten you. He loves you and is working all things out for your good, and ultimately for His glory. My encouragement to you as you wait for ____________, is to not delight nor glorify a desire or its outcome, but delight fully and wholly in the Lord (not for what He can do or give, but for who He is). In His perfect timing He will grant you your heart’s desire and give you the abundant life He intended for you to live. 

May we be delightful people with delighting hearts. 

Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. Psalm 37:3-5 

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord! Psalm 37:13-14 

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. 

I'm Single... today

Hi, I'm Raquel and I'm Single. I am no Relationship expert, and the direction of this blog has never been about one or the other. But the Lord has called me to address the season of singleness with those who are single... and think they are ready to mingle! LOL

Let's be real, If you're single, chances are you want to change that status. And so do those around you, those who want to fix this "problem" for you. I am guilty of both. From the beginning of time, looking at the first human ever created, the Bible tells us that it was not good for Adam to be alone. Reading Genesis 2 brings a question to mind, why was it not good to be single?  I'm no theologian or Bible expert, but I can tell you from my experience why being alone is not good, and it comes from Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up." And to this problemo, God has made a solution: God sets the solitary in families- Psalm 68:6. 

In my loneliest moments of being single, I have seen the hand of God shift my sorrow into gladness as He placed me in family-type settings. For example: Bible study groups/small groups, friends, coworker, new family members, ministry opportunities and I'm sure I'm leaving out other family-type groups that have been a three-fold cord in my walk with Jesus. God has shown me that in my season of singleness, I am not alone. Yes, the cliche thing to say would be, "You are not alone; God is with you." But truth is, He is with you AND He also places the solitary in families. We pray for companionship and He does answer our prayers; not necessarily in the form that we want it, but He satisfies our lonely hearts. If you don't have a family-type group, pray for one. Pray for a three-fold cord friendship in your life. It may come in the least expected form, but when it's from the Lord, woah! is it good. (It may just be that ministry opportunity that you are running from).

I don't know your situation, I don't know your season in life or even how long the season will last, but you are in it today, so what are you to do with it? Matthew 6:34 answers this question for us, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." What this means to me is, if I am single today, it's because the Lord wills for me to be single, so today I will be the best single I can be for His glory. My encouragement and challenge to you my single friend: be the best single today. I don't know what the Lord has for us tomorrow. We'll worry about that when it comes. 

Signing out, 

The Single Lily

Follow @whereismyboaz on Twitter 

Lyrical Friday - This Is Our God

Happy Friday to You! 

This is our God by Chris Tomlin is one of those songs... You know what I mean, you hear the first few lines and your heart is overcome with a million emotions. I remember the first time I heard these lyrics, it was as if a vicious wave had picked me right off my feet and tossed me around. It became an anthem of all God had done in my life yet at the same time it hung as a banner for all that He has promised to complete. More than a song, it was a prayer for those who have yet to know the depths of His power and love. By the time the worship band had finished, I was found on the "shore line" almost breathless at the wonders of my God. It is my prayer, as it was that very night, that you would know the depths of His power and love. This is our God.

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This is Our God, Chris Tomlin 


The refuge for the poor
A shelter from the storm
This is our God

He will wipe away your tears 
And return your wasted years
This is our God

So call upon His Name
He is mighty to save
This is our God

A father to the orphan 
A healer to the broken
This is our God

And He brings peace to our madness 
And comfort in our sadness
This is our God
This is our God

So call upon His name
He is mighty to save
This Is Our God

This is/You are the one we have waited for
This is/You are the one we have waited for
This is/You are the one we have waited for
Jesus, Lord and Savior
This is our God

A fountain for the thirsty
A lover for the lonely
This is our God

He brings glory to the humble 
And crowns for the faithful
This is our God

Lyrical Friday - Control

Today's Lyrical Friday post comes from JJ Heller, one of my favorites! Control has ministered to me in a way that I didn't even see coming. I don't struggle with cutting myself, never have but I know girls and guys who do. If that is you dear friend, know that God loves you and He cares for you. Hold on to the hope that is found in Christ! 
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No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 
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He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3
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Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things, 
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:2-5
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If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. John 8:36 
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I would be typing in vain, if I didn't lead you to the one who can free you, that's Jesus. He WILL forgive you, heal you, redeem you, crown you, satisfy you and renew you! He is a mighty comforter and yes, He will bind up your wounds. No need to be ashamed, for we all have scars (even Jesus has scars), different scars but scars none the less. You can have control in Christ, you can do all things through Him who strengthens you.  
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You may never know the depth of anyone's pain, till you listen to them. At times, it will be a silent cry for help or the drip of agony that is poured from a vein... People are hurting and God has placed us in their lives for such a time as this: to be pillars of light, salt to the earth, a holy priesthood, messengers of hope and valiant shepherds. Let's shepherd the flock to Jesus! May we never be to caught up in the affairs of this life or be too distracted doing ministry that we end up overlooking the needs of others.
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Control, JJ Heller 

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The cut is deep, but never deep enough for me
It doesn’t hurt enough to make me forget
One moment of relief is never long enough
To keep the voices in my head from stealing my peace
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Oh, control
It’s time, time to let you go
-
Perfection has a price, but I cannot afford to live that life
It always ends the same; a fight I never win
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Chorus
I’m letting go of the illusion
I’m letting go of the confusion
I can’t carry it another step
I close my eyes and take a breath
I’m letting go …
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There were scars before my scars
Love written on the hands that hung the stars
Hope living in the blood that was spilled for me