Worship Songs That Move Me

Sometimes you just need to crank up the tunes and let the music wash over you. That’s how I feel about these five worship songs. They point me to the Truth of Christ and the Gospel when I need it. They remind me of my identity in Him. They echo the hope that God gives us in His Word. Over and over again, these worship songs move me.

We see God’s people singing in the Bible and worshipping Him through song. It’s no accident that we start church on Sunday mornings with worship. Our voices were created to reflect His glory—in our words and in our songs.

So grab your headphones or turn the speaker on loud, and praise God with me.

1. "Fear is a Liar" - Zach Williams

Zach Williams has done it once again with this song. I can almost guarantee the music video will make you cry. In fact, the first probably 10 times I heard this song in the car, I would start crying. I wrestle with fear, anxiety, perfectionism, comparison. I think most of us do. Williams' song cuts to the heart of our fears, reminding us those doubts come straight from Satan. Christ paid our debts by his blood, and He wants a relationship with us. All we have to do is believe in Him. He's made us fully capable, fully courageous, and fully free.

2. "You Say" - Lauren Daigle

Oh this song. It gives me chills. Every. Single. Time.

"I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I'm not enough. Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up... Remind me once again just who I am because I need to know. You say I am loved when I can't feel a thing. You say I am strong when I think I am weak. You said I am held when I am fallen ashore. And when I don't belong, You say I am Yours. And I believe."

I constantly need to be reminded that my identity is in Christ alone. When I feel alone, He is with me. When I feel weak, He has made me strong. No matter what I'm going through—no matter what you are going through—You have an identity that is secure in Jesus.

This week I heard Daigle's song on the top 40 radio station here, and I about started crying all over again. We need the message of the Gospel now more than ever, and even pop radio recognizes it. We need to keep looking up.

3. "King of My Heart" - Steffany Gretzinger, Jeremy Riddle, and Christine Rhee (Bethel Music)

Watch this live music video, and you will feel the depth of God's promises to us. He is good, and He is faithful. He's made a covenant with us for all generations. Jesus died the death we deserve and rose to eternal life, giving us access forever to Him, The Father, Holy Spirit. God never goes back on His promises. He is the very definition of faithful. If you are in a difficult season of life, sing these words over yourself. "You are good, You're good... You're never gonna let me down."

4. "Your Love Defends Me" - Matt Maher

I first heard Matt Maher as a sophomore or junior in high school during youth group. I liked his music back then, but it was until I recently listened to this song that I felt a true sense of worship:

"Surely My God is the strength of my soul. Your love defends me... And when I feel like I'm all alone, Your love defends me."

When Maher launches into the "Hallelujah" part of the song, I can't help but praise God. God, you are my portion and my salvation. You are all I need.

5. "Who You Say I Am" - Hillsong Worship

No matter how lost you might feel, Jesus is for you. He wants to give you a new name as a child of God. We can chase a million things in this world hoping they will finally fulfill us. Dating, marriage, kids. Money. Career success. Beauty, influence, attention. Drugs, alcohol, food, gambling. We can chase it all, but nothing will ever satisfy us. Only Jesus can do that. He's given us a place at the table as his beloved sons and daughters.

"I am chosen, not forsaken. I am who You say I am. You are for me, not against me. I am who You say I am." Let us walk in that freedom, friends!

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If you want to talk more about Jesus Christ and faith and what-the-heck-is-all-this-stuff, shoot me a message. I love meeting new people, whether virtually or in person, and gabbing about life. 

And if you'd like to know more of my story, you can read my testimony here.

Truly, He makes beautiful things.

Steadfast in Every Season

Back in January, I wrote about my word of the year and why I chose "steadfast."

steadfast (adj.)

(1) Firmly fixed in place: immovable.

(2) Firm in belief, determination, or adherence: loyal.  

"I pray God cultivates steadfastness in me like His son, Jesus. This year, I pray my faith is resolutely firm. I want to be devoted to God no matter the situation or season. His love for us is unwavering—I want that kind of love for Him in return. I know I am prone to worry and anxiety. I like to be in control. But God, I give that to You.  

Lord, help me to stand firm in the faith. Guard me against sin and temptation and keep me focused on you. Give me steadfastness. Endurance for the fight and total surrender to the King.

That's the life I want to live in 2018: steadfast and true."

Here we are, 7 months later, and I need that steadfastness in my life.

I have felt my emotions running the gamut these past few weeks. Anger, frustration, impatience, irritability. I have felt like a hormonal teenager all the time, getting annoyed by the slightest things and allowing a cloud of negativity to hang over my usual sunny self.

Charles and I recently moved, and I find myself rooting my emotions in the state of boxes in our apartment. When our home feels disheveled, so do I. I let my emotions carry me away, rather than anchoring myself in the Father above and the truth I know in Him.

God loves feelings. Jesus Himself experienced the depth of feelings while here on this earth. He knows deep joy and love, grief, anxiety, and empathy like no one else. He understands feelings because He is the One who created them.  

So my feelings are not a bad thing. My feelings are not a problem in the eyes of God. Instead, my feelings are meant to show me more of Him. When I am upset about a messy apartment or frustrated that I can't do things exactly my way, what does that say about my heart?  

I think about Joseph in the book of Genesis. Joseph, whom God loved, was put through situation after situation in which his faith was tested. Yet he never wavered. He followed God, and he credited all to God's righteousness. Joseph was thrown into a pit by his brothers and left to die. Then his brothers changed their minds and sold him as a slave to men passing by. Why let him die when they could prosper off his pain?

Joseph ends up serving Potiphar. Potiphar’s wife demands the young and attractive Joseph have an affair with her. He denies her, and Joseph ends up thrown in prison, hated by both Potiphar and his wife.

God still follows him.  

“But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keepers of the prison… And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.”

— Genesis 39

He's respected and given more responsibility than the other prisoners. He helps the chief cupbearer get out of prison—and the cupbearer forgets about Joseph. Two. Whole. Years. Pass.

Finally, the cupbearer remembers Joseph. He gets him out of prison by telling Pharaoh he could interpret his dreams. Joseph explains how Egypt will have 7 years of abundance followed by 7 years of famine, and he helps Egypt prepare for this impending famine. So Pharoah uses Joseph and exalts him to the highest position in his kingdom.

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:58

Throughout his entire story—which spans years—we never see Joseph lose his cool. We don't see him freak out in the prison or complain to God.  

In fact, Joseph is the complete opposite. He is steady, he is faithful, he is true.

God is with him in all that he does. Joseph reflects the steadfastness of God, and he’s a symbol of the Messiah to come. He shows what it truly looks like to have unwavering faith that isn’t disturbed by feelings or situation. His example encourages me in this season where my belief falters. From the pit to the prison to the riches in the house of Pharaoh, Joseph walks with God.

What would it look like for us to walk with God, regardless of circumstance? What if we remembered God walks with us even when we don’t feel His presence? I think our lives would look quite different. Our feelings would become more steady. And our emotions would serve as a way to point us to God, not detract us from Him.

“Lord, give me steadfastness like Joseph, like the Father, like Jesus. Keep me steady, peaceful, grateful. Help me walk with You in every situation and season. I pray all these things in Your name. Amen.”

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If you want to talk more about Jesus Christ and faith and what-the-heck-is-all-this-stuff, shoot me a message. I love meeting new people, whether virtually or in person, and gabbing about life. 

And if you'd like to know more of my story, you can read my testimony here.

Truly, He makes beautiful things.

In Sickness and In Health

Our wedding day was the absolute best day, and everything turned out better than our wildest dreams. But the beautiful photos don’t tell the full story (as social media rarely does).

While at our rehearsal dinner the night before, Charles felt sick. Tired, shaky, weak, dehydrated. He looked pale as we arrived for dinner, and as the evening went on, things only got worse. He couldn’t enjoy his meal, and he kept turning to me to tell me something wasn’t right.

As chocolate lava cakes came around to the tables, Charles got up and went outside. (Chocolate lava cakes are his favorite so I knew something was really wrong.) He sat outside the restaurant, and he told me and his family that he felt more sick than he ever had in his life. That he needed to go to the hospital immediately.

Our pastor came outside, we laid hands on Charles, and we prayed over him. Then we drove him to the ER.

After waiting a while and getting brought to a room by wheelchair, Charles was hooked up to an IV. The doctors diagnosed him with dehydration, hyponatremia, and hypokalemia. Low sodium and low potassium, and if he had kept drinking plain water and losing nutrients as much as he was, he would have been in serious trouble. Charles told me he never felt that sick in his life, and that before he got to the hospital, he thought he was going to die.

We took this photo in the ER around 1:30 am, when doctors told us Charles was almost back to normal and okay to go home. The nurses wished us well and congratulated us on our impending nuptials, just a few hours away. Our brother-in-law said it best: Charles and my wedding was Friday, June 8, with a beautiful ceremony and celebration. But our marriage was built in that hospital room on June 7 (and in the early hours of June 8).

We know Charles is healthy and full of life today because of our Father. Jesus protected him, saved him, and gave us the gift of our wedding. Our marriage is a testament to His Grace. Thank you, Lord! And here’s to many more years by your side, Charles.

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If you want to talk more about Jesus Christ and faith and what-the-heck-is-all-this-stuff, shoot me a message. I love meeting new people, whether virtually or in person, and gabbing about life. 

And if you'd like to know more of my story, you can read my testimony here.

Truly, He makes beautiful things.

Take Heart, Daughter

I've been in a Bible study led by Kristi McClelland for the past 7 weeks on Jesus and women, in the first century and now. My mind has been blown more times than I can count. Reading the Bible in the context in which it was written is life-changing. One lesson—and one passage—has really resonated with me in particular. And when my pastor Robby Gallaty preached on the same message this Sunday, I knew I had to share with y'all.

“But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wing.”

— Malachi 4:2

I've read and heard this verse many times, but I never knew the true meaning until about a month ago. I always pictured this as God offering protection and shelter under His wings like momma bird to its baby. It's a beautiful picture, but it's not the full picture.

Malachi is the final book of the Old Testament. This is one of the last things God says to the prophets before the 400-year intertestamental period.

400 years before Jesus comes on the scene, and God says "the sun of righteousness"—the Messiah—will have healing in its wing. 

To understand what this means, we have to look to the original Hebrew translation. When Jesus spoke, He made sure He could be understood by everyone. Understanding the culture helps us understand the meaning. Well, rabbis in the first century (and many today) wore a prayer shawl called a "tallit." The shawl has tassels on its ends. The corner and end of the tallit is known as "kanaph." Guess what "kanaph" is translated as? That's right: wing.

Jesus, a rabbi, wore a tallit, which had a kanaph. And God told His people 400 years before He sent His son to earth that the Messiah would have healing in its wing. But God doesn't leave the story there.

The first chapter of the New Testament (right after Malachi) is Matthew. Look at Matthew 9. A woman who has been suffering from bleeding for 12 years, isolated and cast out, approaches Jesus as He walks through town. She reaches out to His WING and is immediately healed.

“And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, ‘If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.’ Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And instantly the woman was made well.”

This woman knew her Bible. She loved the Lord, and she reached out to Jesus. When I learned the truth of this story, I cried. I cried because it's not just a Biblical story -- it's a story that still happens today. This is my story. God healed me from anxiety, an eating disorder, depression, guilt, shame. Because He is my helper, I rejoice in the shadow of His wing. (Psalm 63:7)

He saved me like He saved the bleeding woman, and He offers that grace and mercy to every single one of you. 

Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well. 

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If you want to talk more about Jesus Christ and faith and what-the-heck-is-all-this-stuff, shoot me a message. I love meeting new people, whether virtually or in person, and gabbing about life. 

And if you'd like to know more of my story, you can read my testimony here.

Truly, He makes beautiful things.