Yesterday was not quite what it could've been
As were most of all the days before
But I swear today, with every breath I'm breathing in
I'll be trying to make it so much more
'Cause it seems I get so hung up on the history of what's gone wrong
And the hope of a new day is sometimes hard to see
But I'm finally catching on to it, yeah, the past is just a conduit
And the light, there at the end is where I'll be
'Cause I'm on the up and up, I'm on the up and up
And I haven't given up, given up on what I know I'm capable of
Yeah, I'm on the up and up and yeah, there's nothing left to prove
'Cause I'm just trying to be a better version of me for you
A better version of me for you
To be prosperous would not require much of me
You see, contentment is the one thing it entails
To be content with where I am and getting where I need to be
And moving past the past where I have failed
Never cease to supply me with what I need for a good life
So when I'm down, I'll hold my head up high
'Cause you're the reason why, yeah, you're why
Up and Up – Relient K
Here’s another secular song that I’d like to “analyze”. First off, I love this song. The sound is great, it’s acoustical guitar with some other instruments and it simply sounds amazing in my opinion. If you care that much you can look it up yourself and, well, decide for yourself.
Yesterday was not quite what it could've been
As were most of all the days before
But I swear today, with every breath I'm breathing in
I'll be trying to make it so much more
So, this guy is yearning to start anew. The first two lines show his disappointment in his life, and what he’s done. The second two lines then show what he’s going to do about it. “I’ll be trying to make it so much more.” He’s going to start over again and get back on track with his life. This is a great feat to begin on, after all, I’ve had to do it for a while now too, and it should be done when someone finally realizes his or her foolishness. The question is, what is he wanting to get back on track with?
'Cause it seems I get so hung up on the history of what's gone wrong
And the hope of a new day is sometimes hard to see
But I'm finally catching on to it, yeah, the past is just a conduit
And the light, there at the end is where I'll be
He obviously knows that it’s not going to be easy, whatever it is that he wants to change into. He says that he’s finally got it; he knows what his mission is. And, he knows that the journey will be long for he uses a different form of the old phrase, “The light at the end of the tunnel”.
'Cause I'm on the up and up, I'm on the up and up
And I haven't given up, given up on what I know I'm capable of
Yeah, I'm on the up and up and yeah, there's nothing left to prove
'Cause I'm just trying to be a better version of me for you
A better version of me for you
Ahhh... now we have it don’t we? The first three lines sound great. He’s on the up and up, he’s going to in the right direction now. He’s not going to give it up either, he’s going to persevere. He also says that there’s nothing left to prove. Meaning, he doesn’t have to show off anymore, he doesn’t have to prove himself. What about the last two lines? “I’m just trying to be a better version of me for you,” So... who is he trying to be better for? His girlfriend. We all knew of course that he wasn’t talking to God in this song, but think about it, doesn’t this fact make this song useless now? He doesn’t want to change so that he can be a better person, or a respectable person, he wants to change so that his girlfriend will like him more.
To be prosperous would not require much of me
You see, contentment is the one thing it entails
To be content with where I am and getting where I need to be
And moving past the past where I have failed
Goodness gracious, wouldn’t this song be great if he were talking to God? The truth is that we must be content; God has called us to be content!
Philippians 4:11 “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.”
Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”
He is totally right with this part of the song. We must be content with where we are, and at the same time work harder to move away from past mistakes where we’ve failed, and set our eyes on the goal. But once again, is he really right when he says this? If his true goal is to make his girlfriend love him more not really change the way God calls us to, he’s wrong isn’t he? Or is he?
Never cease to supply me with what I need for a good life
So when I'm down, I'll hold my head up high
'Cause you're the reason why, yeah, you're why
If he were talking about God I would agree, but he isn’t. He is turning his girlfriend into an idol. Saying that she’s the only reason why he’s living. Not only this but he’s telling her to keep giving him what he needs for a “good” life. Can she give him that? She can give him things that will make him feel good for a while, but only God can bring the true peace, and a true life.
I wanted to talk about this simple song for this reason: I would like to encourage you to look at your life. Do you have idols? God says we mustn’t, but I feel that this generation seems to think that the idols he was talking about were statues. Well, they aren’t my friends. An idol can be something in your life that distracts you from God. No matter what it is, whether it does happen to be a young man or woman, or a video game, another book even. Please, examine your life, and ask yourself, “Do I have any idols in my life that are tearing me away from God?” If you happen to find one, which I’m thinking you might, then talk to your parents, or talk to God. Do both if you must and see what you can do to either get rid of the idol, or but it in the background so that God is at the forefront of your life.
Once again, if you want to answer any questions I posed, or if you want to share anything having to do with this you can e-mail me at justin.knopp@gmail.com or just comment! I would love to hear from you.
God bless, and stay strong!
-JK
P.S.
Psa 25:1 Of David. To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
Psa 25:2 O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me.
Psa 25:3 Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
Psa 25:4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.
Psa 25:5 Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.
Psa 25:6 Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
Psa 25:7 Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!
Psa 25:8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
Psa 25:9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
Psa 25:10 All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
Psa 25:11 For your name's sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great.
Psa 25:12 Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
Psa 25:13 His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land.
Psa 25:14 The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.
Psa 25:15 My eyes are ever toward the LORD, for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
Psa 25:16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.
Psa 25:17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses.
Psa 25:18 Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.
Psa 25:19 Consider how many are my foes, and with what violent hatred they hate me.
Psa 25:20 Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
Psa 25:21 May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you.
Psa 25:22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
God's Great Mercy......
I've been thinking lately about God's mercy and grace. This post will be about His mercy, and one in the future will be about His grace.
Allow me to begin with this obvious question, what is mercy? It says in Psalms 136:1 “O give thanks unto the Lord: for He is good, for His mercy endureth forever” This puts mercy as a certain quality in God's being. I love Webster's dictionary definition of mercy. (If you don't know Webster's 1828 dictionary is the best one there is.)
“An act or exercise of mercy or favor. Pity; compassion manifested towards a person in distress. Clemency and bounty. Charity, or the duties of charity and benevolence. Grace; favor. The act of sparing, or the forbearance of a violent act expected.”
This is pretty much saying that mercy is a pardon, or a show of compassion on someone or something. So, if God has mercy towards me then He is showing me compassion, He is showing benevolence towards me for whatever evil I have done.
Rev. D. H. Kuiper once wrote -
“The mercy of God, as a precious gem, has many facets. It is eternal. The mercy of God is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, so that there never was a time when God did not burn with desire to deliver and bless His children! The mercy of God is great! It is above the heavens; it is abundant. How great that mercy must be when we consider the depths out of which it has taken us and the heights to which it has raised us. The mercy of God is sovereign and free. Mercy does not come to man, or to a particular man, because of something he has done, but it is due only to God.”
I love this quote so much! It's full of the truth that we were, maybe still are deep into sin, yet God will take us to the heights. God will save us, and He will extend His awesome mercy to us. God's mercy is eternal, He will always be merciful. God wants to show us His mercy, and when He does show that mercy to us it is great. We were nothing, yet God showed us mercy by giving us another path to take.
Arthur Pink who is you don't know was a Christian evangelist and Biblical scholar, Pink begins with a verse from Psalms 136:1, “'O give thanks unto the Lord: for He is good, for His mercy endureth forever' For this perfection” he says, “of the Divine character God is greatly to be praised. Three times over in as many verses does the Psalmist here call upon the saints to give thanks unto the Lord for this adorable attribute. And surely this is the least that can be asked for from those who have been such bounteous gainers by it. When we contemplate the characteristics of this Divine excellency, we cannot do otherwise than bless God for it. His mercy is "great", "plenteous", "tender", "abundant"; it is "from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him" (Ps. 103:17). Well may we say with the Psalmist, "I will sing aloud of Thy mercy" (59:16).”
1Kings 3:6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shown unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
Psalm 86:5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
(Plenteous in mercy! What is plenteous, defined it means this, “Of or pertaining to plenty, abundance” So this also shows that God's mercy as stated earlier is eternal, for it is plenteous, and abundant.)
I believe that there are many people who do know that God is merciful. But, I also believe that the majority of those people do not know how amazing that mercy is. How blessed we are for receiving it, and how we simply do not deserve it.
Pastor John Piper once wrote, “O that we had eyes to see the mercies of God in our lives! How we would thank him, and trust him with our future. Especially if we knew the price he paid in the death of Jesus to take away our guilt and make it just for him to give everlasting mercies to sinners who trust him.”
We simply must trust in God! For God is the only truth, and light. And if you do not fully have your trust in God, and have faith that God is really there, then you should go to Him, and ask Him for that saving grace. Ask Him for mercy.
I love this other quote from Arthur Pink.
“But let our final thought be of God’s spiritual mercies unto His own people. "Thy mercy is great unto the heavens". The riches thereof transcend our loftiest thought. "For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him". None can measure it. The elect are designated "vessels of mercy". It is mercy that quickened them when they were dead in sins. It is mercy that saves them. It is His abundant mercy which begat them unto an eternal inheritance. Time would fail us to tell of His preserving, sustaining, pardoning, supplying mercy. Unto His own, God is "the Father of mercies"
I hope that I have given you some idea of how amazing God's mercy is. Also, how we don't deserve it, yet, God has freely given it to us. I would encourage you to think about these verses, and quotes and see if this week you can allow yourself to be blessed by the mercy of God. I haven't come near to covering this huge topic, so if you have any input, ideas, or questions do say them! I would love some conversation on this topic, and the next one of grace.
Once again, thank you for reading. And God bless you!
-JK
P.S. I hope you haven't minded the brevity of this post compared to the last few. :-)
Allow me to begin with this obvious question, what is mercy? It says in Psalms 136:1 “O give thanks unto the Lord: for He is good, for His mercy endureth forever” This puts mercy as a certain quality in God's being. I love Webster's dictionary definition of mercy. (If you don't know Webster's 1828 dictionary is the best one there is.)
“An act or exercise of mercy or favor. Pity; compassion manifested towards a person in distress. Clemency and bounty. Charity, or the duties of charity and benevolence. Grace; favor. The act of sparing, or the forbearance of a violent act expected.”
This is pretty much saying that mercy is a pardon, or a show of compassion on someone or something. So, if God has mercy towards me then He is showing me compassion, He is showing benevolence towards me for whatever evil I have done.
Rev. D. H. Kuiper once wrote -
“The mercy of God, as a precious gem, has many facets. It is eternal. The mercy of God is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, so that there never was a time when God did not burn with desire to deliver and bless His children! The mercy of God is great! It is above the heavens; it is abundant. How great that mercy must be when we consider the depths out of which it has taken us and the heights to which it has raised us. The mercy of God is sovereign and free. Mercy does not come to man, or to a particular man, because of something he has done, but it is due only to God.”
I love this quote so much! It's full of the truth that we were, maybe still are deep into sin, yet God will take us to the heights. God will save us, and He will extend His awesome mercy to us. God's mercy is eternal, He will always be merciful. God wants to show us His mercy, and when He does show that mercy to us it is great. We were nothing, yet God showed us mercy by giving us another path to take.
Arthur Pink who is you don't know was a Christian evangelist and Biblical scholar, Pink begins with a verse from Psalms 136:1, “'O give thanks unto the Lord: for He is good, for His mercy endureth forever' For this perfection” he says, “of the Divine character God is greatly to be praised. Three times over in as many verses does the Psalmist here call upon the saints to give thanks unto the Lord for this adorable attribute. And surely this is the least that can be asked for from those who have been such bounteous gainers by it. When we contemplate the characteristics of this Divine excellency, we cannot do otherwise than bless God for it. His mercy is "great", "plenteous", "tender", "abundant"; it is "from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him" (Ps. 103:17). Well may we say with the Psalmist, "I will sing aloud of Thy mercy" (59:16).”
1Kings 3:6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shown unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
Psalm 86:5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
(Plenteous in mercy! What is plenteous, defined it means this, “Of or pertaining to plenty, abundance” So this also shows that God's mercy as stated earlier is eternal, for it is plenteous, and abundant.)
I believe that there are many people who do know that God is merciful. But, I also believe that the majority of those people do not know how amazing that mercy is. How blessed we are for receiving it, and how we simply do not deserve it.
Pastor John Piper once wrote, “O that we had eyes to see the mercies of God in our lives! How we would thank him, and trust him with our future. Especially if we knew the price he paid in the death of Jesus to take away our guilt and make it just for him to give everlasting mercies to sinners who trust him.”
We simply must trust in God! For God is the only truth, and light. And if you do not fully have your trust in God, and have faith that God is really there, then you should go to Him, and ask Him for that saving grace. Ask Him for mercy.
I love this other quote from Arthur Pink.
“But let our final thought be of God’s spiritual mercies unto His own people. "Thy mercy is great unto the heavens". The riches thereof transcend our loftiest thought. "For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him". None can measure it. The elect are designated "vessels of mercy". It is mercy that quickened them when they were dead in sins. It is mercy that saves them. It is His abundant mercy which begat them unto an eternal inheritance. Time would fail us to tell of His preserving, sustaining, pardoning, supplying mercy. Unto His own, God is "the Father of mercies"
I hope that I have given you some idea of how amazing God's mercy is. Also, how we don't deserve it, yet, God has freely given it to us. I would encourage you to think about these verses, and quotes and see if this week you can allow yourself to be blessed by the mercy of God. I haven't come near to covering this huge topic, so if you have any input, ideas, or questions do say them! I would love some conversation on this topic, and the next one of grace.
Once again, thank you for reading. And God bless you!
-JK
P.S. I hope you haven't minded the brevity of this post compared to the last few. :-)
Monday, March 23, 2009
The Truth Behind the Music......
How can you see into my eyes
Like open doors?
Leading you down into my core,
Where I've become so numb.
Without a soul,
My spirit's sleeping somewhere cold,
Until you find it there and lead it back home.
(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside.
(I can’t wake up)
Wake me up inside.
(Save me)
Call my name and save me from the dark.
(Wake me up)
Bid my blood to run.
(I can’t wake up)
Before I come undone.
(Save me)
Save me from the nothing I've become.
Now that I know what I'm without,
You can't just leave me.
Breath into me and make me real.
Bring me to life.
(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside.
(I can’t wake up)
Wake me up inside.
(Save me)
Call my name and save me from the dark.
(Wake me up)
Bid my blood to run.
(I can’t wake up)
Before I come undone.
(Save me)
Save me from the nothing I've become.
Bring me to life.
(I've been living a lie.
There's nothing inside)
Bring me to life.
Frozen inside without your touch,
Without your love, darling.
Only you are the life among the dead.
(All of this sight,
I can't believe I couldn't see
Kept in the dark
but you were there in front of me)
I've been sleeping a 1000 years it seems.
I've got to open my eyes to everything.
(Without a thought
Without a voice
Without a soul
Don't let me die here.
There must be something more).
Bring me to life.
(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside.
(I can’t wake up)
Wake me up inside.
(Save me)
Call my name and save me from the dark.
(Wake me up)
Bid my blood to run.
(I can’t wake up)
Before I come undone.
(Save me)
Save me from the nothing I've become.
Bring me to life.
(I've been living a lie. There's nothing inside)
Bring me to life
Did you catch it? Did you see the truth behind the music? Sounds pretty Christian, save me from the nothing I've become. Wake me up inside and save me. What about the third verse?
Frozen inside without your touch,
Without your love, darling.
Only you are the life among the dead.
Ahhh yes, I've felt frozen inside, quite literally actually. I felt that I couldn't move because of how deep into sin I had become. But wait... What's that word? Darling? Wait a minute. People don't call God their darling do they? No... indeed, this happens to be a “Gothic rock/pop band”. Sounds Christian enough until that part doesn't it? The first time I heard this song, I didn't know that it was Wake Me Up Inside by Evanescence. Had I known that, and had I heard that one little word “darling” put in there I would have thought it to be a Christian-based song. I listened to it and though, “Wow, what amazing lyrics! Wake me up inside, save me from the nothing I've become.” BUT, what is it truly saying? Let's see...
How can you see into my eyes
Like open doors?
Leading you down into my core,
Where I've become so numb.
It's a question I've asked God. How can God see the true me? How can He get so deep into m soul without me “allowing Him to”? What is the singer saying though? Something more along the lines of, how can this boyfriend of mine, my “lover” see so deeply into me, why do I open up to him so easily. She's a foolish women with no Christian intent. First let me clear something up, I think the song's pretty cool, and no, I'm not trying to dis it, what I want to make clear in this post is how dangerous some pop music can be, and how Christian pop music has gone so far to the extreme that one can't tell the difference between the two.
Without a soul,
My spirit's sleeping somewhere cold,
Until you find it there and lead it back home.
Had this been a Christian song that home would have been God, heaven, something having to do with Jesus leading us back to the cross. But now what is it? Simply a person living in darkness, and wanting to get even deeper into darkness, not out of it. She's looking the wrong way for help.
(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside.
(I can’t wake up)
Wake me up inside.
(Save me)
Call my name and save me from the dark.
(Wake me up)
Bid my blood to run.
(I can’t wake up)
Before I come undone.
(Save me)
Save me from the nothing I've become.
Christian meaning: I need my soul to be saved. I can't wake up from this utter darkness, this despair that I'm in, I'm completely lost. Jesus, call my name, please, come and save me. Save me before I'm completely lost.
Secular meaning: He(boyfriend) needs to come save me. Show me some love that will supposedly “help” her to get away from her darkness.
Now that I know what I'm without,
You can't just leave me.
Breath into me and make me real.
Bring me to life.
There is this ideology in the Christian community that God will allow a person to be “reborn” it's the idea of being “born again”. This line, “Breath into me and make me real. Bring me to life.” It seems to flow right along with that idea doesn't it? What would this mean than if this song is a secular one? (Which it is.) As it says, “Now that I know what I'm without, you can't just leave me.” Meaning, she knows what dumb stuff she's done, and because you know too you can't leave me. The guy can't just ditch this girl now. Sadly, it tends to happen.
Bring me to life.
(I've been living a lie.
There's nothing inside)
Bring me to life.
Here, once again, it seems to evoke Christian ideology. “I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside.” Some people (myself included) would equate spiritual death with having nothing left inside. Not only this but as I was not to long ago I was living a lie. The same words I've used many time. And once again that thought of, “Bring me to life.” At the same time, this has nothing to do with God! How sad is that? She wants a man, I would go so far as to say a fool, to bring her back to life. What can a foolish man do other than harm to her?
Frozen inside without your touch,
Without your love, darling.
Only you are the life among the dead.
What happens when you replace that one word? Try it, replace darling, with, say, Jesus.
Frozen inside without Your touch,
Without Your love, Jesus.
Only You are the life among the dead.
See how real that is? See how truthful that is? God truly is the only Being that can save us. Yet, this young woman is asking something other than God to bring her back. Something other than God to love her as allow her to have life among the dead. Just to show how shockingly close to Christian pop music this song is let's look at lines from another song.
Set Me Free by Casting Crowns has this line -
Now I live among the dead
Fighting voices in my head
Same use of dead people. People who are not truly dead of course, but rather spiritually dead, or dying. People who have no hope, no faith, no trust. They are truly dead in their hearts. Wake Me Up Inside however does not mean this. I would say, that if this young lady is as deep in sin as she is singing about then what she really means is that there aren't those fleshly desires that she longs for. Her “savior” is really the devil himself.
(All of this sight,
I can't believe I couldn't see
Kept in the dark
but you were there in front of me)
I've been sleeping a 1000 years it seems.
I've got to open my eyes to everything.
(Without a thought
Without a voice
Without a soul
Don't let me die here.
There must be something more).
Bring me to life.
“I can't believe I couldn't see.” Have any of you been so deep into your own desires that you couldn't see the truth? Or, you believed that your sin was fine, and you were so lost that you couldn't see how evil it really was? Had this been a Christian song these words would truly be powerful. “Don't let me die here.” It would seem she meant, don't let me die in sin. But no... This isn't what she means. There is most likely more to the meaning of this song than I even want to step in. As the only saying goes, “Ignorance is bliss...”
All I want to point out with what I have said today is that we, as young Christians need to be careful. We must examine what we listen to, and not mistake things for what they aren't. I believe that the devil himself can use music just as easily as God can. Just with a different purpose in mind. We can't be controlled by the evil one through listening to the wrong type of music, or, by truly believing what that music has to offer. I understand liberty garden issues, and I'm not trying to persuade any of you to listen to one type of music, all I want is to caution you, that you make sure you know what you're listening to. If you're in a hard situation, and you are laying in bed crying over something that has happened to you. Please, don't listen to this type of music, the type that says true life can come from fleshly desires, rather, listen to hymns, praise music, bands like Casting Crowns and Tim Hughes. Don't allow your self to get lost in your sadness but rather allow God to be in you and with you through your hard times.
Would love any ideas that you have! And thanks for reading.
-JK
Like open doors?
Leading you down into my core,
Where I've become so numb.
Without a soul,
My spirit's sleeping somewhere cold,
Until you find it there and lead it back home.
(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside.
(I can’t wake up)
Wake me up inside.
(Save me)
Call my name and save me from the dark.
(Wake me up)
Bid my blood to run.
(I can’t wake up)
Before I come undone.
(Save me)
Save me from the nothing I've become.
Now that I know what I'm without,
You can't just leave me.
Breath into me and make me real.
Bring me to life.
(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside.
(I can’t wake up)
Wake me up inside.
(Save me)
Call my name and save me from the dark.
(Wake me up)
Bid my blood to run.
(I can’t wake up)
Before I come undone.
(Save me)
Save me from the nothing I've become.
Bring me to life.
(I've been living a lie.
There's nothing inside)
Bring me to life.
Frozen inside without your touch,
Without your love, darling.
Only you are the life among the dead.
(All of this sight,
I can't believe I couldn't see
Kept in the dark
but you were there in front of me)
I've been sleeping a 1000 years it seems.
I've got to open my eyes to everything.
(Without a thought
Without a voice
Without a soul
Don't let me die here.
There must be something more).
Bring me to life.
(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside.
(I can’t wake up)
Wake me up inside.
(Save me)
Call my name and save me from the dark.
(Wake me up)
Bid my blood to run.
(I can’t wake up)
Before I come undone.
(Save me)
Save me from the nothing I've become.
Bring me to life.
(I've been living a lie. There's nothing inside)
Bring me to life
Did you catch it? Did you see the truth behind the music? Sounds pretty Christian, save me from the nothing I've become. Wake me up inside and save me. What about the third verse?
Frozen inside without your touch,
Without your love, darling.
Only you are the life among the dead.
Ahhh yes, I've felt frozen inside, quite literally actually. I felt that I couldn't move because of how deep into sin I had become. But wait... What's that word? Darling? Wait a minute. People don't call God their darling do they? No... indeed, this happens to be a “Gothic rock/pop band”. Sounds Christian enough until that part doesn't it? The first time I heard this song, I didn't know that it was Wake Me Up Inside by Evanescence. Had I known that, and had I heard that one little word “darling” put in there I would have thought it to be a Christian-based song. I listened to it and though, “Wow, what amazing lyrics! Wake me up inside, save me from the nothing I've become.” BUT, what is it truly saying? Let's see...
How can you see into my eyes
Like open doors?
Leading you down into my core,
Where I've become so numb.
It's a question I've asked God. How can God see the true me? How can He get so deep into m soul without me “allowing Him to”? What is the singer saying though? Something more along the lines of, how can this boyfriend of mine, my “lover” see so deeply into me, why do I open up to him so easily. She's a foolish women with no Christian intent. First let me clear something up, I think the song's pretty cool, and no, I'm not trying to dis it, what I want to make clear in this post is how dangerous some pop music can be, and how Christian pop music has gone so far to the extreme that one can't tell the difference between the two.
Without a soul,
My spirit's sleeping somewhere cold,
Until you find it there and lead it back home.
Had this been a Christian song that home would have been God, heaven, something having to do with Jesus leading us back to the cross. But now what is it? Simply a person living in darkness, and wanting to get even deeper into darkness, not out of it. She's looking the wrong way for help.
(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside.
(I can’t wake up)
Wake me up inside.
(Save me)
Call my name and save me from the dark.
(Wake me up)
Bid my blood to run.
(I can’t wake up)
Before I come undone.
(Save me)
Save me from the nothing I've become.
Christian meaning: I need my soul to be saved. I can't wake up from this utter darkness, this despair that I'm in, I'm completely lost. Jesus, call my name, please, come and save me. Save me before I'm completely lost.
Secular meaning: He(boyfriend) needs to come save me. Show me some love that will supposedly “help” her to get away from her darkness.
Now that I know what I'm without,
You can't just leave me.
Breath into me and make me real.
Bring me to life.
There is this ideology in the Christian community that God will allow a person to be “reborn” it's the idea of being “born again”. This line, “Breath into me and make me real. Bring me to life.” It seems to flow right along with that idea doesn't it? What would this mean than if this song is a secular one? (Which it is.) As it says, “Now that I know what I'm without, you can't just leave me.” Meaning, she knows what dumb stuff she's done, and because you know too you can't leave me. The guy can't just ditch this girl now. Sadly, it tends to happen.
Bring me to life.
(I've been living a lie.
There's nothing inside)
Bring me to life.
Here, once again, it seems to evoke Christian ideology. “I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside.” Some people (myself included) would equate spiritual death with having nothing left inside. Not only this but as I was not to long ago I was living a lie. The same words I've used many time. And once again that thought of, “Bring me to life.” At the same time, this has nothing to do with God! How sad is that? She wants a man, I would go so far as to say a fool, to bring her back to life. What can a foolish man do other than harm to her?
Frozen inside without your touch,
Without your love, darling.
Only you are the life among the dead.
What happens when you replace that one word? Try it, replace darling, with, say, Jesus.
Frozen inside without Your touch,
Without Your love, Jesus.
Only You are the life among the dead.
See how real that is? See how truthful that is? God truly is the only Being that can save us. Yet, this young woman is asking something other than God to bring her back. Something other than God to love her as allow her to have life among the dead. Just to show how shockingly close to Christian pop music this song is let's look at lines from another song.
Set Me Free by Casting Crowns has this line -
Now I live among the dead
Fighting voices in my head
Same use of dead people. People who are not truly dead of course, but rather spiritually dead, or dying. People who have no hope, no faith, no trust. They are truly dead in their hearts. Wake Me Up Inside however does not mean this. I would say, that if this young lady is as deep in sin as she is singing about then what she really means is that there aren't those fleshly desires that she longs for. Her “savior” is really the devil himself.
(All of this sight,
I can't believe I couldn't see
Kept in the dark
but you were there in front of me)
I've been sleeping a 1000 years it seems.
I've got to open my eyes to everything.
(Without a thought
Without a voice
Without a soul
Don't let me die here.
There must be something more).
Bring me to life.
“I can't believe I couldn't see.” Have any of you been so deep into your own desires that you couldn't see the truth? Or, you believed that your sin was fine, and you were so lost that you couldn't see how evil it really was? Had this been a Christian song these words would truly be powerful. “Don't let me die here.” It would seem she meant, don't let me die in sin. But no... This isn't what she means. There is most likely more to the meaning of this song than I even want to step in. As the only saying goes, “Ignorance is bliss...”
All I want to point out with what I have said today is that we, as young Christians need to be careful. We must examine what we listen to, and not mistake things for what they aren't. I believe that the devil himself can use music just as easily as God can. Just with a different purpose in mind. We can't be controlled by the evil one through listening to the wrong type of music, or, by truly believing what that music has to offer. I understand liberty garden issues, and I'm not trying to persuade any of you to listen to one type of music, all I want is to caution you, that you make sure you know what you're listening to. If you're in a hard situation, and you are laying in bed crying over something that has happened to you. Please, don't listen to this type of music, the type that says true life can come from fleshly desires, rather, listen to hymns, praise music, bands like Casting Crowns and Tim Hughes. Don't allow your self to get lost in your sadness but rather allow God to be in you and with you through your hard times.
Would love any ideas that you have! And thanks for reading.
-JK
The Path of Life......
I stand there, not knowing what to expect. I have friends and family around me. Three of my brothers, Josh, Eric and David, plus four friends of mine that will remain nameless. We all wait in anticipation as we gear up and get ready to head out on the snowy path. Then the phone rings and I'm put back into my home and grab the phone off the hook, “Hello?”
“Hola, this is...” Oh yes, one of my students. I knew it was before he even said his name because he always answers the same way, with “hola”. I don't listen to a thing he's saying because I'm scared out of my mind about what I'm going to do pretty soon. I hang up after he's done speaking and forget all about it. I go up to my brother Eric and ask, “Are we gonna leave yet?” Then the phone rings again. He picks it up, and hands it to me, I say hi and find that it's the mother of one of the friends. She wants to know where her daughter is. I tell her she's still on her trip but should be home shortly, then tell her that her son is with us and having a good time.
Finally, we're leaving, it took ages to get out of here. We're thrown into another world where we find ourselves in a cavernous cave tunnel. Water rushing around and we must fight for survival. Josh yells out, “Mind the gap!” He says this just in time for the other seven of us to fall through this huge hole in the path with water running down it in torrents. I hold on for dear life as I feel my fingers slipping away. Two sets of hands pull me up and I'm safe... for now. We keep going, each of us in turn falling down a hole, or slipping into some slimy puddle.
After a while we find that the water level has decreased quite a bit. We seem at a safe height at the moment. Then, a friend of mine leading the group steps down on the earth and it begins to crumble. We all being to fall, screaming, we grab onto each other, and the ledge that's left. One friend didn't fall, he was safe, and helped us back up as we continued on down this seemingly endless tunnel. I look down, there's the water. It's rushing at fast speeds below me, I feel sick.
“Guys, we got ourselves a problem!” calls out another friend. All I can think is, “What next?” I look and the ground all around us is falling to pieces, there's a leap that we must all take in order to get to the next safe place, one of them is already over it. I start to feel even more sick as I look down the hundreds of feet drop to the water below. Then, as I look to my right I see something, I don't know how I missed it before, but it's a huge, rectangular block. If I just climb up the two feet high of it to the top, I can easily walk across it to safety! I call to the others and we all realize how easy that is. The first person gets up on it and it too begins to fall apart, he runs across and is safe but time is too short to allow us all to do the same. So we jump.
We then walk across some boards with biting sea animals beneath us snapping at the few ropes that hold them together. Finally, it's over. We walk into a lighted room with four chairs, and some odd looking robotic cars driving around. I see three of my friends disappear into the light and I wait, noticing something, I say, “Where's Josh!” (not my brother). Eric turns to me and says, “He didn't make it man... he didn't make it. I begin to cry, as I sit down on one of the chairs. My brothers join me, facing the place that we came from. I look down, see tears fall into my lap. But, as I look up the darkness is gone, the water, the cave, the creatures, their all gone! Oddly though, what's left is a school room, the type you find in a public school, only bigger. There are many kids sitting there, talking, laughing, then they stop, and on a stage there's a violinist playing a concert, it's happy, light, fun, safe...
I am sure that you are all thoroughly confused now. You may think that I just made that up, but I really didn't. That just happened to be a dream I had last night. As most dreams go it didn't make much sense, was twisted, confused, partially annoying. As I woke up this morning I thought of that dream, it seems to have lasted the entire night. I didn't think much of it besides the fact that I don't want to have it again. Then I began to think, “Wait, I don't usually have dreams with much meaning, but there's a meaning to that one!” All I could think of was that God put that twisted dream into my head so that I could share it with you. Let me ask you this, what does that dream sound like? I don't know about you but it sounds to me like life! We all have friends, and when we fall those true friends will pick us up. When we slip those friends will give us a hand. Life is like that cave. There are dangers, snares, sometimes it seems that there are things attacking us, big leaps of faith we must take, and when we try to cheat around that leap, it may work for some, but not for all of us. Yet, as we look back, we'll see what beauty comes of a hard life, how far God has brought us.
Also, sometimes most of us will fail, we will fall into the trap, but if there is one good, close friend who is truly a believer, and who will truly help you, he can be the only savior. One person, sent by God to help us continue on in life. The saddest part? We don't all make it. I lost someone, he was gone, I couldn't do a thing about it, he was lost, betrayed himself to the devil, never to return. This story seems to go along the same lines as Pilgrims Progress. That classic novel about life.
I want to ask you a very serious question though. You don't really have to answer it to me unless you want to, but you should answer it to yourself. Here it is: Do you have true friends? Do you have friends that won't turn their backs on you when you make a mistake? Do you have a friend, or friends that when you mess up they will take your hand, they will help you out of the pit? And will they do so by the power of God? You can have a friend that seems so loving, and kind, and always helps you, but that person is nothing if he or she doesn't truly believe in the saving faith of Christ. So ask yourself, “Do I have true friends? Or do I have people in my life that like me for my clothes, or my looks, or my 'personality'?” If the answer is that you don't have those real, strong, loving friends, then you've gotta fix that. If those friends are your siblings, then great! Stick to them. If they are people you have met over the years, then great! Return the favor. But if you don't have even just one, you will find that it will be hard to survive. I know, going through what I have God has used those friends to pick me up again. But if you turn your back on God, and turn your back on those God has sent to you for help.
There's this joke, I'm sure some of you have heard it before, but it goes something like this. There was once a man who was stuck on top of his house after a huge storm. The rivers were flooded, and he had no way out. He prayed, “God! Save me! Come and rescue your servant!” A little while later a civilian in a boat came along and said, “Hey there! You look like you need some help, I'll get you off of there.” But the man replied, “Oh no, thank you though. God will save me.” After a time another boat came along, a rescue boat and the captain said, “Come on down, get on the boat, we'll help you out!” But again, the man said, “No, no need, thank you though, but God will save me.” That night, a helicopter came by, the spotlight settling on the house and the pilot saw the man, he dropped a rescue ladder and called out, “Come on up! You'll be safe!” The man refused again. The next day another storm came through and the man was drowned. At the Gated of Heaven He asked God, “God, what's up with that? I asked for help, I prayed for help, but you never saved me!” God looked at him and said, “Oh no young man! I sent you two boats and a helicopter! You didn't take the help that I sent.”
I believe some of us live this way. I say, “God! I need help! Help me please I'm falling!” God sends a friend, or a family member, and I refuse the help. Really, that is the help. God's sending us help through a person. We need to allow God to help us, and know that the path of life isn't an easy one. But without faith in God, we can do nothing.
Psalm 17 A Prayer of David. Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!
From your presence let my vindication come! Let your eyes behold the right!
You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night, you have tested me, and you will find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent.
My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words.
Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand.
Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings,
from the wicked who do me violence, my deadly enemies who surround me.
They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly.
They have now surrounded our steps; they set their eyes to cast us to the ground.
He is like a lion eager to tear, as a young lion lurking in ambush.
Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him! Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,
from men by your hand, O LORD, from men of the world whose portion is in this life. You fill their womb with treasure; they are satisfied with children, and they leave their abundance to their infants.
As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.
-JK
“Hola, this is...” Oh yes, one of my students. I knew it was before he even said his name because he always answers the same way, with “hola”. I don't listen to a thing he's saying because I'm scared out of my mind about what I'm going to do pretty soon. I hang up after he's done speaking and forget all about it. I go up to my brother Eric and ask, “Are we gonna leave yet?” Then the phone rings again. He picks it up, and hands it to me, I say hi and find that it's the mother of one of the friends. She wants to know where her daughter is. I tell her she's still on her trip but should be home shortly, then tell her that her son is with us and having a good time.
Finally, we're leaving, it took ages to get out of here. We're thrown into another world where we find ourselves in a cavernous cave tunnel. Water rushing around and we must fight for survival. Josh yells out, “Mind the gap!” He says this just in time for the other seven of us to fall through this huge hole in the path with water running down it in torrents. I hold on for dear life as I feel my fingers slipping away. Two sets of hands pull me up and I'm safe... for now. We keep going, each of us in turn falling down a hole, or slipping into some slimy puddle.
After a while we find that the water level has decreased quite a bit. We seem at a safe height at the moment. Then, a friend of mine leading the group steps down on the earth and it begins to crumble. We all being to fall, screaming, we grab onto each other, and the ledge that's left. One friend didn't fall, he was safe, and helped us back up as we continued on down this seemingly endless tunnel. I look down, there's the water. It's rushing at fast speeds below me, I feel sick.
“Guys, we got ourselves a problem!” calls out another friend. All I can think is, “What next?” I look and the ground all around us is falling to pieces, there's a leap that we must all take in order to get to the next safe place, one of them is already over it. I start to feel even more sick as I look down the hundreds of feet drop to the water below. Then, as I look to my right I see something, I don't know how I missed it before, but it's a huge, rectangular block. If I just climb up the two feet high of it to the top, I can easily walk across it to safety! I call to the others and we all realize how easy that is. The first person gets up on it and it too begins to fall apart, he runs across and is safe but time is too short to allow us all to do the same. So we jump.
We then walk across some boards with biting sea animals beneath us snapping at the few ropes that hold them together. Finally, it's over. We walk into a lighted room with four chairs, and some odd looking robotic cars driving around. I see three of my friends disappear into the light and I wait, noticing something, I say, “Where's Josh!” (not my brother). Eric turns to me and says, “He didn't make it man... he didn't make it. I begin to cry, as I sit down on one of the chairs. My brothers join me, facing the place that we came from. I look down, see tears fall into my lap. But, as I look up the darkness is gone, the water, the cave, the creatures, their all gone! Oddly though, what's left is a school room, the type you find in a public school, only bigger. There are many kids sitting there, talking, laughing, then they stop, and on a stage there's a violinist playing a concert, it's happy, light, fun, safe...
I am sure that you are all thoroughly confused now. You may think that I just made that up, but I really didn't. That just happened to be a dream I had last night. As most dreams go it didn't make much sense, was twisted, confused, partially annoying. As I woke up this morning I thought of that dream, it seems to have lasted the entire night. I didn't think much of it besides the fact that I don't want to have it again. Then I began to think, “Wait, I don't usually have dreams with much meaning, but there's a meaning to that one!” All I could think of was that God put that twisted dream into my head so that I could share it with you. Let me ask you this, what does that dream sound like? I don't know about you but it sounds to me like life! We all have friends, and when we fall those true friends will pick us up. When we slip those friends will give us a hand. Life is like that cave. There are dangers, snares, sometimes it seems that there are things attacking us, big leaps of faith we must take, and when we try to cheat around that leap, it may work for some, but not for all of us. Yet, as we look back, we'll see what beauty comes of a hard life, how far God has brought us.
Also, sometimes most of us will fail, we will fall into the trap, but if there is one good, close friend who is truly a believer, and who will truly help you, he can be the only savior. One person, sent by God to help us continue on in life. The saddest part? We don't all make it. I lost someone, he was gone, I couldn't do a thing about it, he was lost, betrayed himself to the devil, never to return. This story seems to go along the same lines as Pilgrims Progress. That classic novel about life.
I want to ask you a very serious question though. You don't really have to answer it to me unless you want to, but you should answer it to yourself. Here it is: Do you have true friends? Do you have friends that won't turn their backs on you when you make a mistake? Do you have a friend, or friends that when you mess up they will take your hand, they will help you out of the pit? And will they do so by the power of God? You can have a friend that seems so loving, and kind, and always helps you, but that person is nothing if he or she doesn't truly believe in the saving faith of Christ. So ask yourself, “Do I have true friends? Or do I have people in my life that like me for my clothes, or my looks, or my 'personality'?” If the answer is that you don't have those real, strong, loving friends, then you've gotta fix that. If those friends are your siblings, then great! Stick to them. If they are people you have met over the years, then great! Return the favor. But if you don't have even just one, you will find that it will be hard to survive. I know, going through what I have God has used those friends to pick me up again. But if you turn your back on God, and turn your back on those God has sent to you for help.
There's this joke, I'm sure some of you have heard it before, but it goes something like this. There was once a man who was stuck on top of his house after a huge storm. The rivers were flooded, and he had no way out. He prayed, “God! Save me! Come and rescue your servant!” A little while later a civilian in a boat came along and said, “Hey there! You look like you need some help, I'll get you off of there.” But the man replied, “Oh no, thank you though. God will save me.” After a time another boat came along, a rescue boat and the captain said, “Come on down, get on the boat, we'll help you out!” But again, the man said, “No, no need, thank you though, but God will save me.” That night, a helicopter came by, the spotlight settling on the house and the pilot saw the man, he dropped a rescue ladder and called out, “Come on up! You'll be safe!” The man refused again. The next day another storm came through and the man was drowned. At the Gated of Heaven He asked God, “God, what's up with that? I asked for help, I prayed for help, but you never saved me!” God looked at him and said, “Oh no young man! I sent you two boats and a helicopter! You didn't take the help that I sent.”
I believe some of us live this way. I say, “God! I need help! Help me please I'm falling!” God sends a friend, or a family member, and I refuse the help. Really, that is the help. God's sending us help through a person. We need to allow God to help us, and know that the path of life isn't an easy one. But without faith in God, we can do nothing.
Psalm 17 A Prayer of David. Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!
From your presence let my vindication come! Let your eyes behold the right!
You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night, you have tested me, and you will find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent.
My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words.
Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand.
Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings,
from the wicked who do me violence, my deadly enemies who surround me.
They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly.
They have now surrounded our steps; they set their eyes to cast us to the ground.
He is like a lion eager to tear, as a young lion lurking in ambush.
Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him! Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,
from men by your hand, O LORD, from men of the world whose portion is in this life. You fill their womb with treasure; they are satisfied with children, and they leave their abundance to their infants.
As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.
-JK
Saturday, March 21, 2009
The Anatomy of Music Part 3......
I was sure by now,God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.
And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
Praise You In This Storm – Casting Crowns
It's those long dangerous nights when I whisper these words to myself. They keep me going through God's grace and I cannot thank Him enough for doing something so small as putting this song in my life. Some may say that music is simply music and can't control a person. People who say that are sincerely wrong. I have read stories of young people killing themselves because of the music they listened to. I could go in depth but if you're that interested look it up yourself and see the horror of it all. Depending on what music you listen to it can control your heart. This song does just that. Yet it does it in a good way.
I was sure by now,God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
This part seems to show the weakness in the singer of the song. He was hoping that God would come down and help Him out sooner. Like it says, “Stepped in and saved the day”. It portrays God as out hero. Which He is, only more than that. He is simply the only being that can save us! Without God I would truly be nothing.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.
When I'm in a tough place, listening to this song, and asking God why, this part can only make me cry. I don't believe any song, even the previous ones we've talked about affect me the way those couple of lines do. “It's still raining”, what a picture. “As the thunder rolls, I barely hear You whisper through the rain, I'm with you”. It's so true friends. When I feel lost, burdened, like there's no way out. And as that haunting, hurting feeling rushes over me like rain, as the thunder of lost hope burns deep into my mind I listen closely, and I hear that still small voice saying, “I'm with you.” After this all I can do is simply raise my hands, raise them and praise my God, my savior. God is a God who gives and takes away, and sometimes when He takes things from us it hurts. But He knows what He's doing. We shouldn't sit around and pout about it. God's in control. He's with you.
And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
This storm, this storm of troubles and hard circumstances that always bring me back to the cross. I will lift my hands, I will praise God because you know what? He truly is who He is. That statement may seem lame, or unneeded but in a time of need you have got to understand who God is. Who is God? God is all-knowing, all-powerful. These are just two of His attributes but they are enough to prove to me that I shouldn't be scared! If God knows all, then I must know that He knows what's coming up for me. If God's all powerful, then I must know that He can save me. And, that He will save me. God will be who He is no matter what situation I'm in. He'll be there with me, holding my hand through it all. “Every tear I've cried, You hold in Your hand, You never left my side, and through my heart is torn I will praise YOU in this storm!” I know that no matter what is going on in life, God will be there, He will those ever flowing tears in His hand, and He will guide me. Even though my heart may be completely torn, God is still there. And I will praise Him through the storm.
I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away
Ahhh yes.... I have stumbled, and I do remember when I stumbled. Indeed, God heard my cry. I didn't deserve help, didn't deserve to have God come to my rescue, yet He always does. He raises me up again, He shows me His awesome power. I have come to ask Him sometimes, “Lord, truly, my strength is almost gone, I'm soon to be done for, how can I continue on? I can't find You God....” He always answers, answers with three simple words. I'm sure you're saying them right now. “I'm with you...” He strengthens me again, helps me back up on my feet, and I can do nothing but praise Him for it all.
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
These lines come straight from Psalms. “I lift my eyes onto the hills where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.” Honestly, when you're in dire need of help, do lift your eyes to God. For it is from God that your help will come. My help comes daily from God, yes, I fail, I cannot deny it, but God won't turn His back on me. He won't turn His back on you. The person who can turn a back is you, me, all of us. I can easily turn my back on God, He will never forget me.
I end with this amazing quote that I got from a friend of mine, and thank you friend for giving it to me.
“It started out as a walk, then I tripped over a snare, fell and laid on the hard earth, hoping someone would find me there. After much pain and more prayers I got back up, dusted off the consequences of my mistake... and took another step.”
I hope that these thoughts have done some good in your life, would love to hear about it if they have. Just remember, I'm going through the same struggles, we all are, and we all must turn to the cross. Don't turn your back on God, turn towards Him, can't you see? His hand is stretched toward you, He's just waiting for you take it...
-JK
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.
And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
Praise You In This Storm – Casting Crowns
It's those long dangerous nights when I whisper these words to myself. They keep me going through God's grace and I cannot thank Him enough for doing something so small as putting this song in my life. Some may say that music is simply music and can't control a person. People who say that are sincerely wrong. I have read stories of young people killing themselves because of the music they listened to. I could go in depth but if you're that interested look it up yourself and see the horror of it all. Depending on what music you listen to it can control your heart. This song does just that. Yet it does it in a good way.
I was sure by now,God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
This part seems to show the weakness in the singer of the song. He was hoping that God would come down and help Him out sooner. Like it says, “Stepped in and saved the day”. It portrays God as out hero. Which He is, only more than that. He is simply the only being that can save us! Without God I would truly be nothing.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.
When I'm in a tough place, listening to this song, and asking God why, this part can only make me cry. I don't believe any song, even the previous ones we've talked about affect me the way those couple of lines do. “It's still raining”, what a picture. “As the thunder rolls, I barely hear You whisper through the rain, I'm with you”. It's so true friends. When I feel lost, burdened, like there's no way out. And as that haunting, hurting feeling rushes over me like rain, as the thunder of lost hope burns deep into my mind I listen closely, and I hear that still small voice saying, “I'm with you.” After this all I can do is simply raise my hands, raise them and praise my God, my savior. God is a God who gives and takes away, and sometimes when He takes things from us it hurts. But He knows what He's doing. We shouldn't sit around and pout about it. God's in control. He's with you.
And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
This storm, this storm of troubles and hard circumstances that always bring me back to the cross. I will lift my hands, I will praise God because you know what? He truly is who He is. That statement may seem lame, or unneeded but in a time of need you have got to understand who God is. Who is God? God is all-knowing, all-powerful. These are just two of His attributes but they are enough to prove to me that I shouldn't be scared! If God knows all, then I must know that He knows what's coming up for me. If God's all powerful, then I must know that He can save me. And, that He will save me. God will be who He is no matter what situation I'm in. He'll be there with me, holding my hand through it all. “Every tear I've cried, You hold in Your hand, You never left my side, and through my heart is torn I will praise YOU in this storm!” I know that no matter what is going on in life, God will be there, He will those ever flowing tears in His hand, and He will guide me. Even though my heart may be completely torn, God is still there. And I will praise Him through the storm.
I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away
Ahhh yes.... I have stumbled, and I do remember when I stumbled. Indeed, God heard my cry. I didn't deserve help, didn't deserve to have God come to my rescue, yet He always does. He raises me up again, He shows me His awesome power. I have come to ask Him sometimes, “Lord, truly, my strength is almost gone, I'm soon to be done for, how can I continue on? I can't find You God....” He always answers, answers with three simple words. I'm sure you're saying them right now. “I'm with you...” He strengthens me again, helps me back up on my feet, and I can do nothing but praise Him for it all.
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
These lines come straight from Psalms. “I lift my eyes onto the hills where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.” Honestly, when you're in dire need of help, do lift your eyes to God. For it is from God that your help will come. My help comes daily from God, yes, I fail, I cannot deny it, but God won't turn His back on me. He won't turn His back on you. The person who can turn a back is you, me, all of us. I can easily turn my back on God, He will never forget me.
I end with this amazing quote that I got from a friend of mine, and thank you friend for giving it to me.
“It started out as a walk, then I tripped over a snare, fell and laid on the hard earth, hoping someone would find me there. After much pain and more prayers I got back up, dusted off the consequences of my mistake... and took another step.”
I hope that these thoughts have done some good in your life, would love to hear about it if they have. Just remember, I'm going through the same struggles, we all are, and we all must turn to the cross. Don't turn your back on God, turn towards Him, can't you see? His hand is stretched toward you, He's just waiting for you take it...
-JK
Thursday, March 19, 2009
The Anatomy of Music Part 2......
Is there anyone that fails
Is there anyone that falls
Am I the only one in church today feelin' so small
Cause when I take a look around
Everybody seems so strong
I know they'll soon discover
That I don't belong
So I tuck it all away, like everything's okay
If I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it too
So with a painted grin, I play the part again
So everyone will see me the way that I see them
Are we happy plastic people
Under shiny plastic steeples
With walls around our weakness
And smiles to hide our pain
But if the invitation's open
To every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we close the curtain
On our stained glass masquerade
Is there anyone who's been there
Are there any hands to raise
Am I the only one who's traded
In the altar for a stage
The performance is convincing
And we know every line by heart
Only when no one is watching
Can we really fall apart
But would it set me free
If I dared to let you see
The truth behind the person
That you imagine me to be
Would your arms be open
Or would you walk away
Or would the love of Jesus
Be enough to make you stay
Stained Glass Masquerade – Casting Crowns
I suppose that I am finding more and more that this blog is beginning to show my friends the real me. It is a good thing though, you all deserve to know the truth. As an introduction to talking about this song I'd like to say that it is what truly changed my heart. It was..... February I believe, or late January that I saw the real meaning in this song, and realized that I needed to clear some stuff up with my family. So I wrote a long letter and read it to the family, the ending of which were these lyrics. I had to share it too with the parents of that young lady that I had cheated. If you don't know that story simply read my previous post. But let's get down the music knowing how touching, and personal this song is to me...
Is there anyone that fails
Is there anyone that falls
Am I the only one in church today feelin' so small
This song is quite literally dripping with my past thoughts and ideas. It was really my whole view of life just a couple of months ago. “Is there anyone that fails?” I asked myself that exact question even before I had heard those lyrics. “Is there anyone that falls?” I was positive that I was the only one in my church that was a sinner, the only one that was so small compared to God that I couldn't be saved from the pit I was in.
Cause when I take a look around
Everybody seems so strong
I know they'll soon discover
That I don't belong
I saw my friends, worshiping God, their parents, doing the same. I saw my family so into the worship that it was always almost making me cry. They all seemed to incredibly strong, so, perfect if you will. “I know they'll soon discover, that I don't belong.” This was my greatest worry. I knew I was living a lie, actually, now I think about it, my brothers did too. The only real reason I turned was because one of my greatest mentors, my brother David came to me one day and said that if I didn't stop chatting behind my parent's back he would tell them himself. This freaked me out of course, and it broke me. I knew that my brothers knew I was doing it, but they restrained from telling my parents because I think that they knew I would come around. They had faith in me. My greatest fear though, was that my friends and family would soon discover that I shouldn't be there with them. But of course, this is a lie isn't it? We all belong in the church, worshiping God, for He will accept everyone.
So I tuck it all away, like everything's okay
If I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it too
So with a painted grin, I play the part again
So everyone will see me the way that I see them
“I tuck it all away, like everything's okay.” That, my friends, is called a mask. One of the most dangerous props on the stage of life. They believed me, my parents did at least. My sisters did. My friends did. They thought I was just fine, doing well, had a strong relationship with Christ. I love these next lines so much! “ If I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it too. So with a painted grin, I play the part again So everyone will see me the way that I see them.” It's so true! It's like the old quote from Hitler that goes something like this, “You tell a lie long enough soon everyone will believe it.” That's not a direct quote but that's the main idea. I was living a lie, telling a lie long enough, and people believed it to be truth. And at times I saw it as truth too. Because of this, I grabbed my paint brush, put on that goofy grin and a nice suit and headed off to church. Just so they could see the strong person that I really wasn't.
Are we happy plastic people
Under shiny plastic steeples
With walls around our weakness
And smiles to hide our pain
But if the invitation's open
To every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we close the curtain
On our stained glass masquerade
This, the chorus of the song truly makes me tear up as I read it. It explains so much the idea of masks, and faking it through life. It asks, “Are we happy plastic people?” Portraying our sad natures as dolls performing on a dimly lit stage. It portrays the church with a “plastic steeple” which asks the question, “How many of us are acting?” It goes on to say, “With walls around our weakness, and smiles to hide our pain” This is what I lived with. If someone asked me what was wrong I just said, “Nothing” if someone asked me how I was doing I just said, “I'm ok, a little tired with school and all”. What a lie people. When someone is truly asking you how you are doing, why is it so easy to give the expected answer? Can't we be honest with each other?
“But if the invitation's open, to every heart that has been broken, maybe then we close the curtain on our stained glass masquerade” This is where repentance, sanctification, atonement, they all come down in these couple of lines. What does, “if the invitation's open, to ever heart that has been broken” mean? It means, if God has called us to Him, (which He has) and has given us the opportunity to repent of our sins, come clean before Him, “Maybe then we close the curtain on our stained glass masquerade.” The lyrics take us back to the magnificent churches of old, with stained glass windows. And showing how it's all a masquerade, that word taking us to opera, and acting on a stage. We don't have to act! We can repent, God will forgive us. He has forgiven me. Yes, I still make mistakes, but God won't give up on me.
Is there anyone who's been there
Are there any hands to raise
Am I the only one who's traded
In the altar for a stage
I believe what this part is trying to say, and give the listener a picture of an alter call. Alter calls can sometimes be a showing of raised hands for people who want to repent, who want their lives back. So the singer asks, “Are there any hands raised?” Is she the only one who has failed. Then she asks, “Am I the only one who's traded in the alter for a stage?” This is the only part that solos a woman's voice, which for some unknown reason affected me more than the guy's voice in the rest of the song. It was sweeter, higher, and seemed to affect me more than it would have had it been a guy. I don't know if this is just me or not, but when I hear a woman asking me if she's the only person who is acting, it touches me deeply.
The performance is convincing
And we know every line by heart
Only when no one is watching
Can we really fall apart
This is where I fall apart. Or used to when I knew the trouble I was in. “The performance is convincing
and we know every line by heart” It's so true... my performance was, for the most part, pretty convincing. I knew what to say, when to say it. I knew how to pray, how to sing. But I wasn't doing it with my whole heart. “Only when no one is watching can we really fall apart” I would tend to hide in my room, or go on a walk, put the music on a simply cry. I would lay in bed, and cry, just cry. When I came back to the real world, I'd have a smile on my face, I'd be what everyone thought was me.
But would it set me free
If I dared to let you see
The truth behind the person
That you imagine me to be
This once again is where the writer of these lyrics hit the proverbial nail on the head. It is this question that I struggled with, and struggled with, and it tore at me with a vengeance. I would say to myself, “Oh Justin, it won't help, they won't understand. You can't talk to them!” But these thoughts, these lies, they weren't my thoughts, they were our little friend, satan. (Excuse the non-capitalization but I can't come to give him that much credit.) :-) He would put those ideas into my head, and fill my mind with lies. “If I dared to let you see, the truth behind the person that you imagine me to be.” Here we go back to the original idea of a convincing performance. Everyone imagined me to be the deacons kid! I was perfect! If only...
Would your arms be open
Or would you walk away
Or would the love of Jesus
Be enough to make you stay
Please my friends, it's true. If you come to me with the truth, and you tell me of a mask you've worn, don't listen to the devil, don't buy into those lies. I will understand. You're parents WILL understand. Please, for your own sake, don't allow yourself to be fooled. It's a hard path, but it's a path that we have all taken, and I'm sure I will take again. But you know what? God is on our side. We have loving family and friends, that no matter what we do will still take us back in. You can't get rid of them. I know that my arms would be opened, just like my family's arms were open, just like my parents arms were open. I once again encourage you, if you are hiding something, anything, get it out in the open.
Thank you again for reading these long thoughts, and rabbit trails, I pray that I have helped or encouraged you in some way or another. I would ask you to feel free to give this to anyone that you feel might need it. You needn't give him or her my name, all I want is a generation that seeks God to our full potential. Thank you, and may God bless you all!
- Your brother in Christ
Is there anyone that falls
Am I the only one in church today feelin' so small
Cause when I take a look around
Everybody seems so strong
I know they'll soon discover
That I don't belong
So I tuck it all away, like everything's okay
If I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it too
So with a painted grin, I play the part again
So everyone will see me the way that I see them
Are we happy plastic people
Under shiny plastic steeples
With walls around our weakness
And smiles to hide our pain
But if the invitation's open
To every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we close the curtain
On our stained glass masquerade
Is there anyone who's been there
Are there any hands to raise
Am I the only one who's traded
In the altar for a stage
The performance is convincing
And we know every line by heart
Only when no one is watching
Can we really fall apart
But would it set me free
If I dared to let you see
The truth behind the person
That you imagine me to be
Would your arms be open
Or would you walk away
Or would the love of Jesus
Be enough to make you stay
Stained Glass Masquerade – Casting Crowns
I suppose that I am finding more and more that this blog is beginning to show my friends the real me. It is a good thing though, you all deserve to know the truth. As an introduction to talking about this song I'd like to say that it is what truly changed my heart. It was..... February I believe, or late January that I saw the real meaning in this song, and realized that I needed to clear some stuff up with my family. So I wrote a long letter and read it to the family, the ending of which were these lyrics. I had to share it too with the parents of that young lady that I had cheated. If you don't know that story simply read my previous post. But let's get down the music knowing how touching, and personal this song is to me...
Is there anyone that fails
Is there anyone that falls
Am I the only one in church today feelin' so small
This song is quite literally dripping with my past thoughts and ideas. It was really my whole view of life just a couple of months ago. “Is there anyone that fails?” I asked myself that exact question even before I had heard those lyrics. “Is there anyone that falls?” I was positive that I was the only one in my church that was a sinner, the only one that was so small compared to God that I couldn't be saved from the pit I was in.
Cause when I take a look around
Everybody seems so strong
I know they'll soon discover
That I don't belong
I saw my friends, worshiping God, their parents, doing the same. I saw my family so into the worship that it was always almost making me cry. They all seemed to incredibly strong, so, perfect if you will. “I know they'll soon discover, that I don't belong.” This was my greatest worry. I knew I was living a lie, actually, now I think about it, my brothers did too. The only real reason I turned was because one of my greatest mentors, my brother David came to me one day and said that if I didn't stop chatting behind my parent's back he would tell them himself. This freaked me out of course, and it broke me. I knew that my brothers knew I was doing it, but they restrained from telling my parents because I think that they knew I would come around. They had faith in me. My greatest fear though, was that my friends and family would soon discover that I shouldn't be there with them. But of course, this is a lie isn't it? We all belong in the church, worshiping God, for He will accept everyone.
So I tuck it all away, like everything's okay
If I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it too
So with a painted grin, I play the part again
So everyone will see me the way that I see them
“I tuck it all away, like everything's okay.” That, my friends, is called a mask. One of the most dangerous props on the stage of life. They believed me, my parents did at least. My sisters did. My friends did. They thought I was just fine, doing well, had a strong relationship with Christ. I love these next lines so much! “ If I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it too. So with a painted grin, I play the part again So everyone will see me the way that I see them.” It's so true! It's like the old quote from Hitler that goes something like this, “You tell a lie long enough soon everyone will believe it.” That's not a direct quote but that's the main idea. I was living a lie, telling a lie long enough, and people believed it to be truth. And at times I saw it as truth too. Because of this, I grabbed my paint brush, put on that goofy grin and a nice suit and headed off to church. Just so they could see the strong person that I really wasn't.
Are we happy plastic people
Under shiny plastic steeples
With walls around our weakness
And smiles to hide our pain
But if the invitation's open
To every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we close the curtain
On our stained glass masquerade
This, the chorus of the song truly makes me tear up as I read it. It explains so much the idea of masks, and faking it through life. It asks, “Are we happy plastic people?” Portraying our sad natures as dolls performing on a dimly lit stage. It portrays the church with a “plastic steeple” which asks the question, “How many of us are acting?” It goes on to say, “With walls around our weakness, and smiles to hide our pain” This is what I lived with. If someone asked me what was wrong I just said, “Nothing” if someone asked me how I was doing I just said, “I'm ok, a little tired with school and all”. What a lie people. When someone is truly asking you how you are doing, why is it so easy to give the expected answer? Can't we be honest with each other?
“But if the invitation's open, to every heart that has been broken, maybe then we close the curtain on our stained glass masquerade” This is where repentance, sanctification, atonement, they all come down in these couple of lines. What does, “if the invitation's open, to ever heart that has been broken” mean? It means, if God has called us to Him, (which He has) and has given us the opportunity to repent of our sins, come clean before Him, “Maybe then we close the curtain on our stained glass masquerade.” The lyrics take us back to the magnificent churches of old, with stained glass windows. And showing how it's all a masquerade, that word taking us to opera, and acting on a stage. We don't have to act! We can repent, God will forgive us. He has forgiven me. Yes, I still make mistakes, but God won't give up on me.
Is there anyone who's been there
Are there any hands to raise
Am I the only one who's traded
In the altar for a stage
I believe what this part is trying to say, and give the listener a picture of an alter call. Alter calls can sometimes be a showing of raised hands for people who want to repent, who want their lives back. So the singer asks, “Are there any hands raised?” Is she the only one who has failed. Then she asks, “Am I the only one who's traded in the alter for a stage?” This is the only part that solos a woman's voice, which for some unknown reason affected me more than the guy's voice in the rest of the song. It was sweeter, higher, and seemed to affect me more than it would have had it been a guy. I don't know if this is just me or not, but when I hear a woman asking me if she's the only person who is acting, it touches me deeply.
The performance is convincing
And we know every line by heart
Only when no one is watching
Can we really fall apart
This is where I fall apart. Or used to when I knew the trouble I was in. “The performance is convincing
and we know every line by heart” It's so true... my performance was, for the most part, pretty convincing. I knew what to say, when to say it. I knew how to pray, how to sing. But I wasn't doing it with my whole heart. “Only when no one is watching can we really fall apart” I would tend to hide in my room, or go on a walk, put the music on a simply cry. I would lay in bed, and cry, just cry. When I came back to the real world, I'd have a smile on my face, I'd be what everyone thought was me.
But would it set me free
If I dared to let you see
The truth behind the person
That you imagine me to be
This once again is where the writer of these lyrics hit the proverbial nail on the head. It is this question that I struggled with, and struggled with, and it tore at me with a vengeance. I would say to myself, “Oh Justin, it won't help, they won't understand. You can't talk to them!” But these thoughts, these lies, they weren't my thoughts, they were our little friend, satan. (Excuse the non-capitalization but I can't come to give him that much credit.) :-) He would put those ideas into my head, and fill my mind with lies. “If I dared to let you see, the truth behind the person that you imagine me to be.” Here we go back to the original idea of a convincing performance. Everyone imagined me to be the deacons kid! I was perfect! If only...
Would your arms be open
Or would you walk away
Or would the love of Jesus
Be enough to make you stay
Please my friends, it's true. If you come to me with the truth, and you tell me of a mask you've worn, don't listen to the devil, don't buy into those lies. I will understand. You're parents WILL understand. Please, for your own sake, don't allow yourself to be fooled. It's a hard path, but it's a path that we have all taken, and I'm sure I will take again. But you know what? God is on our side. We have loving family and friends, that no matter what we do will still take us back in. You can't get rid of them. I know that my arms would be opened, just like my family's arms were open, just like my parents arms were open. I once again encourage you, if you are hiding something, anything, get it out in the open.
Thank you again for reading these long thoughts, and rabbit trails, I pray that I have helped or encouraged you in some way or another. I would ask you to feel free to give this to anyone that you feel might need it. You needn't give him or her my name, all I want is a generation that seeks God to our full potential. Thank you, and may God bless you all!
- Your brother in Christ
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The Anatomy of Music Part 1......
She is running
A hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction
She is trying
But the canyon's ever widening
In the depths of her cold heart
So she sets out on another misadventure just to find
She's another two years older
And she's three more steps behind
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
Or does anybody even know she's going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
She is yearning
For shelter and affection
That she never found at home
She is searching
For a hero to ride in
To ride in and save the day
And in walks her prince charming
And he knows just what to say
Momentary lapse of reason
And she gives herself away
If judgment looms under every steeple
If lofty glances from lofty people
Can't see past her scarlet letter
And we never even met her
He is running
A hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction
Does Anybody Hear Her? - Casting Crowns
Casting Crowns happens to be my favorite Christian band to listen to. I have always had this thing with music that I won't listen to a song (that is a piece with lyrics) unless I know what he or she is saying. I love to study what I listen to and not necessarily look at what it sounds like, but rather look at the message that is being set forth. Over the next couple of posts I will be analyzing some of Casting Crown's pieces for you all to see, and tell me what you thing about what I have said.
Let's work through, “Does Anybody Hear her?”.
I feel that this song rings true with thoughts as to what society is like today. I personally believe that this song is to portray the life of a young Christian girl. And all I see is a teen girl going through what many, many young men and women a like are suffering today.
Alright, the first part:
She is running
A hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction
She is trying
But the canyon's ever widening
In the depths of her cold heart
So she sets out on another misadventure just to find
She's another two years older
And she's three more steps behind
“She's running in the wrong direction.” This I see happening SO much in this day and age! We're all rebels! It's a sad complex to be sure but teens these days seem to think that they know better than the adults do in every circumstance. It says, “She is trying, but the canyon's ever widening, in the depths of her cold heart.” What does this mean? I believe that is means that she's trying to pull herself out of the pit that she's in, but that canyon, (her sin) keeps getting bigger, and bigger. “So she sets out on another misadventure just to find, she's another two years older, and she's three more steps behind.” Here we go again. More truth. It seems to me that so many young people today are trying to do everything on their own. They step forth, and try to do things that they think will help, without consulting someone who is much wiser. Then, in the end, they all find that they are now two years older, but haven't gone anywhere in life. Instead they have fallen back.
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
Or does anybody even knows she's going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
This is the chorus of the song. With the singer asking the question, “Does anybody hear her?” Meaning, she's crying out for help but no one is listening. Therefore, she has to do it all herself -- and fail. The reason being, she's asking the wrong people for help. “Under the shadow of our steeple With all the lost and lonely people.” I found this phrase quite intriguing. At first I didn't know what it meant, and I still believe I do not know the full extent of it but I'll give it a shot. I believe what's meant by this is that there have been, and are fakes in the church today. And because of this the young girl feels that there aren't very many people she feels she can trust to be true Christians. I can be a personal example of what that looks like too. Being a fake for the past couple of years and finally finding God really just a couple months ago I know what it looks like. I had so much hidden sin that when I was looking for help I would see all the faces at church, I would look around. Yet, each face I saw I didn't trust, because they saw me and thought I was a true repentant young man. And so my thought was, “Maybe their in the same mess I am!” Putting myself in a position where the only way out was to talk to my own parents.
She is yearning
For shelter and affection
That she never found at home
She is searching
For a hero to ride in
To ride in and save the day
And in walks her prince charming
And he knows just what to say
Momentary lapse of reason
And she gives herself away
Here is my most favorite part of the entire song! It is so sad, and so true, and so utterly scary that it cannot be ignored. “She is yearning, For shelter and affection, That she never found at home.” Now, either my idea that she is saved, just in serious personal trouble is either blow to pieces by this, OR it's because I'm right. I do not really know. You could say that what is meant by this is that she's in an abusive family, or she only has one parent. Or, her family simply isn't a good source of encouragement and light. It's either that or my idea rings true in that the reason she never found it at home was because she wasn't ever brave enough to ask for it. It's a scary thing trying to confess things to your parents, and family. I've actually found that it's harder to say things to your siblings than your parents. The reason being rather humerus in my opinion. It's harder in my view because my parents have always punished me. And being punished by them is, well, in essence, “normal”. Don't get me wrong, it's a good thing. It's harder to say it to my siblings because, well, they are my brothers and sisters! The see my every day, and think I'm all fine and dandy. Then when they know the true it's a shocker to them. That being said this girl is afraid to ask for help, because she feels that she will be shut down.
She is searching
For a hero to ride in
To ride in and save the day
And in walks her prince charming
And he knows just what to say
Momentary lapse of reason
And she gives herself away
This part truly hit me hard the first time I heard it. I've heard stories of so man young ladies, and even young men doing this. “She is searching, For a hero to ride in, To ride in and save the day.” We all need our hero, but in this day and age the younger folks tend to find that in a friend, a friend of the opposite sex. I really, truly hate to say this but I'm one who has fallen for this trap. I won't name any names but I will say that when I was falling so fast that I couldn't stop myself, I found that friend. She was amazing! But, in order to maintain that true friendship, where she could help me, I had to hide it all from my parents. She wasn't trying to be any form of trap, she thought I was a true friend to her, really, I was the trap for her. The reason she thought this? I hid the truth from her as well. Since it is all cleared up now we're still, close, true friends, but we are for a real reason now. We're friends, so that we can encourage each other, and help each other. Not so that I can have a crutch and a reason to not confess to my parents. My parents watch over our friendship, and make sure nothing “serious” happens, but I can really have a real friend that I can trust and talk to, not a friend that I used as, for nothing better to say, “unprescribed medicine” to help me get through life.
“And in walks her prince charming, And he knows just what to say, Momentary lapse of reason, And she gives herself away.” This part almost makes me cry every time I read it. It happens to often! The girl is in need, she's yearning for affection, and then that one guy walks in. Her prince charming. As cliché as that phrase sounds it's really bursting with truth. She completely gives herself away to the wrong person. She falls for a guy that most of the time should not be trusted. I feel sick of knowing how many men have cheated young ladies out of a true happy life just because of something like this. It is one thing that I strive to do in my life. I want to be a friend that can be trusted, and that young ladies don't have to worry about themselves while around me. A guy who won't flirt with girls all day and make them give their hearts away. This may sound weird to hear but if you really think about it, isn't it the idea of “flirting” that makes people fall? I sincerely believe that it is.
If judgment looms under every steeple
If lofty glances from lofty people
Can't see past her scarlet letter
And we never even met her
The band sings this part a few times in a row before ending the song with the final line. But this part is quite powerful. I know that while at church, when I was hiding under a thick mask, and not being my true self, I felt judgment. I felt that I couldn't admit to people that I wasn't perfect! I thought, “Well, their all perfect, they would hate me, they would disband me if I told them the truth!” These thoughts are SO absurd it's ridiculous! They will not condemn you for sinning people! I feel that this part of the song is really some thoughts coming from the girl herself, not really from the “narrator” of her story if you will. Thoughts saying how afraid she is to let people know the truth about her life.
Please comment and tell me what you think. I hope you have waded through these lines and lines of material and I haven't bored you too much! I would certainly hope not. My ending thought would be this. If you're hiding something, if you aren't living in the truth, or know you are doing something that isn't necessarily, “wrong” but you know if you're parents knew you were doing it you'd get in trouble. Then please, open your eyes. See the truth. I'll be the first to admit that it's not easy. And yes, you're never going to be perfect, but your parents don't expect you to be perfect. Just please, don't hide stuff from them! It's not worth it. Once you have cleared things up, life with me so much happier for you!
I do hope I have touched at least one of you in a special way with this post, and I cannot wait to hear back from you.
Smile! :-)
-JustinK
A hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction
She is trying
But the canyon's ever widening
In the depths of her cold heart
So she sets out on another misadventure just to find
She's another two years older
And she's three more steps behind
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
Or does anybody even know she's going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
She is yearning
For shelter and affection
That she never found at home
She is searching
For a hero to ride in
To ride in and save the day
And in walks her prince charming
And he knows just what to say
Momentary lapse of reason
And she gives herself away
If judgment looms under every steeple
If lofty glances from lofty people
Can't see past her scarlet letter
And we never even met her
He is running
A hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction
Does Anybody Hear Her? - Casting Crowns
Casting Crowns happens to be my favorite Christian band to listen to. I have always had this thing with music that I won't listen to a song (that is a piece with lyrics) unless I know what he or she is saying. I love to study what I listen to and not necessarily look at what it sounds like, but rather look at the message that is being set forth. Over the next couple of posts I will be analyzing some of Casting Crown's pieces for you all to see, and tell me what you thing about what I have said.
Let's work through, “Does Anybody Hear her?”.
I feel that this song rings true with thoughts as to what society is like today. I personally believe that this song is to portray the life of a young Christian girl. And all I see is a teen girl going through what many, many young men and women a like are suffering today.
Alright, the first part:
She is running
A hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction
She is trying
But the canyon's ever widening
In the depths of her cold heart
So she sets out on another misadventure just to find
She's another two years older
And she's three more steps behind
“She's running in the wrong direction.” This I see happening SO much in this day and age! We're all rebels! It's a sad complex to be sure but teens these days seem to think that they know better than the adults do in every circumstance. It says, “She is trying, but the canyon's ever widening, in the depths of her cold heart.” What does this mean? I believe that is means that she's trying to pull herself out of the pit that she's in, but that canyon, (her sin) keeps getting bigger, and bigger. “So she sets out on another misadventure just to find, she's another two years older, and she's three more steps behind.” Here we go again. More truth. It seems to me that so many young people today are trying to do everything on their own. They step forth, and try to do things that they think will help, without consulting someone who is much wiser. Then, in the end, they all find that they are now two years older, but haven't gone anywhere in life. Instead they have fallen back.
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
Or does anybody even knows she's going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
This is the chorus of the song. With the singer asking the question, “Does anybody hear her?” Meaning, she's crying out for help but no one is listening. Therefore, she has to do it all herself -- and fail. The reason being, she's asking the wrong people for help. “Under the shadow of our steeple With all the lost and lonely people.” I found this phrase quite intriguing. At first I didn't know what it meant, and I still believe I do not know the full extent of it but I'll give it a shot. I believe what's meant by this is that there have been, and are fakes in the church today. And because of this the young girl feels that there aren't very many people she feels she can trust to be true Christians. I can be a personal example of what that looks like too. Being a fake for the past couple of years and finally finding God really just a couple months ago I know what it looks like. I had so much hidden sin that when I was looking for help I would see all the faces at church, I would look around. Yet, each face I saw I didn't trust, because they saw me and thought I was a true repentant young man. And so my thought was, “Maybe their in the same mess I am!” Putting myself in a position where the only way out was to talk to my own parents.
She is yearning
For shelter and affection
That she never found at home
She is searching
For a hero to ride in
To ride in and save the day
And in walks her prince charming
And he knows just what to say
Momentary lapse of reason
And she gives herself away
Here is my most favorite part of the entire song! It is so sad, and so true, and so utterly scary that it cannot be ignored. “She is yearning, For shelter and affection, That she never found at home.” Now, either my idea that she is saved, just in serious personal trouble is either blow to pieces by this, OR it's because I'm right. I do not really know. You could say that what is meant by this is that she's in an abusive family, or she only has one parent. Or, her family simply isn't a good source of encouragement and light. It's either that or my idea rings true in that the reason she never found it at home was because she wasn't ever brave enough to ask for it. It's a scary thing trying to confess things to your parents, and family. I've actually found that it's harder to say things to your siblings than your parents. The reason being rather humerus in my opinion. It's harder in my view because my parents have always punished me. And being punished by them is, well, in essence, “normal”. Don't get me wrong, it's a good thing. It's harder to say it to my siblings because, well, they are my brothers and sisters! The see my every day, and think I'm all fine and dandy. Then when they know the true it's a shocker to them. That being said this girl is afraid to ask for help, because she feels that she will be shut down.
She is searching
For a hero to ride in
To ride in and save the day
And in walks her prince charming
And he knows just what to say
Momentary lapse of reason
And she gives herself away
This part truly hit me hard the first time I heard it. I've heard stories of so man young ladies, and even young men doing this. “She is searching, For a hero to ride in, To ride in and save the day.” We all need our hero, but in this day and age the younger folks tend to find that in a friend, a friend of the opposite sex. I really, truly hate to say this but I'm one who has fallen for this trap. I won't name any names but I will say that when I was falling so fast that I couldn't stop myself, I found that friend. She was amazing! But, in order to maintain that true friendship, where she could help me, I had to hide it all from my parents. She wasn't trying to be any form of trap, she thought I was a true friend to her, really, I was the trap for her. The reason she thought this? I hid the truth from her as well. Since it is all cleared up now we're still, close, true friends, but we are for a real reason now. We're friends, so that we can encourage each other, and help each other. Not so that I can have a crutch and a reason to not confess to my parents. My parents watch over our friendship, and make sure nothing “serious” happens, but I can really have a real friend that I can trust and talk to, not a friend that I used as, for nothing better to say, “unprescribed medicine” to help me get through life.
“And in walks her prince charming, And he knows just what to say, Momentary lapse of reason, And she gives herself away.” This part almost makes me cry every time I read it. It happens to often! The girl is in need, she's yearning for affection, and then that one guy walks in. Her prince charming. As cliché as that phrase sounds it's really bursting with truth. She completely gives herself away to the wrong person. She falls for a guy that most of the time should not be trusted. I feel sick of knowing how many men have cheated young ladies out of a true happy life just because of something like this. It is one thing that I strive to do in my life. I want to be a friend that can be trusted, and that young ladies don't have to worry about themselves while around me. A guy who won't flirt with girls all day and make them give their hearts away. This may sound weird to hear but if you really think about it, isn't it the idea of “flirting” that makes people fall? I sincerely believe that it is.
If judgment looms under every steeple
If lofty glances from lofty people
Can't see past her scarlet letter
And we never even met her
The band sings this part a few times in a row before ending the song with the final line. But this part is quite powerful. I know that while at church, when I was hiding under a thick mask, and not being my true self, I felt judgment. I felt that I couldn't admit to people that I wasn't perfect! I thought, “Well, their all perfect, they would hate me, they would disband me if I told them the truth!” These thoughts are SO absurd it's ridiculous! They will not condemn you for sinning people! I feel that this part of the song is really some thoughts coming from the girl herself, not really from the “narrator” of her story if you will. Thoughts saying how afraid she is to let people know the truth about her life.
Please comment and tell me what you think. I hope you have waded through these lines and lines of material and I haven't bored you too much! I would certainly hope not. My ending thought would be this. If you're hiding something, if you aren't living in the truth, or know you are doing something that isn't necessarily, “wrong” but you know if you're parents knew you were doing it you'd get in trouble. Then please, open your eyes. See the truth. I'll be the first to admit that it's not easy. And yes, you're never going to be perfect, but your parents don't expect you to be perfect. Just please, don't hide stuff from them! It's not worth it. Once you have cleared things up, life with me so much happier for you!
I do hope I have touched at least one of you in a special way with this post, and I cannot wait to hear back from you.
Smile! :-)
-JustinK
Monday, March 16, 2009
The Keys to Life
Have you ever found yourself daydreaming about what your going to be doing during the week? Or about that party you will be going to? Say, you have a party and there will be dancing, and that party is six days from this day that you're sitting at your school desk, staring out the window thinking about it. You say to yourself, “This is going to be so much fun! I can't wait I can't wait, I can't wait...” Then you picture yourself there on the dance floor with friends all around you and you think, “My favorite song will start to play and I'll totally rock the dance floor and everyone will be like, 'wow dude, that's amazing! I had no idea you could dance like that!' and I'll just have so much fun.... I can't wait!”
That day comes, you get to the party, only 5 people there that you know, and then you get the news that the speakers won't work, and so there won't be any dancing. Instead, you will all be watching a movie that you just watched the day before. Did that party turn out the way you'd planned it?
I think that in this day and age we think that we can control our lives. The message given to society is that you must be the proverbial, “King of your castle”. You need to be in control and doing the things that you want, not what others want of you. Well, guess what? Were not the kings and queens of our castles! Indeed, we're the very opposite! If anything we are simply the surfs. The ruler of our domain is God. The ruler of our bodies is God. The reason I don't put us at even say, the prince or princess is this. The people around us can rule our lives more than we can. Now, you may say that this is absurd but hear me out. God puts in place all that will happen to you. He knows what you are going to do before you do it and He planned for it to be that way.
Ephesians 1:11 “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,”
God has planned out what it is exactly that we will be doing and when we will be doing it. And it all has to do with His sovereign will. God has put people in our lives that will stop us from doing what we think we should do, or maybe make us do thinks that we think we shouldn't do. He works all things together for good, and when we try to take over it's not going to go well for us.
I heard an analogy from a friend of mine, she said this, “I guess, all in all, it's like, God has the keys to the ignition---without them, it's not gonna run! Same with our lives--God holds the key to our lives--without Him, we're just gonna sit and sputter.” In reply to this I decided to take the analogy one step further, and I said this, “God has the key, and we're the thief. We are trying to hot wire the car, turn it on without the key, but we don't know how to. So instead, we destroy the cars functionality.”
I really do like this analogy for it seems to put in place the idea that when we try to take our lives and control them, we are trying to do something that we physically, emotionally, and spiritually are incapable of doing. Have you ever thought about what it would be like if God said to you, “Alright, you don't like the way I'm doing it? Then here, take the keys, you make the decisions.” Now, at first glance I'd say, “Wow! Yes! I'm free! I get to decide how my life turns out! This is incredible, my life will be perfect from here on out!” But wait a minute, will that be true? I know from my personal history that it simply wouldn't turn out that way. From what I have done in the past I know that I would decide to take my life in the wrong direction. And, if God did this for everyone there would be a serious problem! If God handed the “keys” over to each person in the world then we would all be ruined. Mass murders would get their wish, poor people would get rich, rich people would become richer. Terrorists would take over the world, but those against terror would save the world. It would be mass hysteria. All this to say that we are seriously incapable of controlling our lives. God must be at the helm of life because He is the only One capable of steering our ship.
We have got to let God take our lives, and do with them as He pleases. And if we are faithful, and trust in His will then it will go well with us! We can trust His steadfast love.
Psalm 36:5-12 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD. How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart! Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. There the evildoers lie fallen; they are thrust down, unable to rise.
God knows what He's doing my friends. My life could be better right now, I'm not as well off as I'd like to be, there are things in life, at this very moment that I wish I could change. Things that I wish had never happened, but you know what? God's picture is bigger. It's a phrase that I tend to hear a lot but do I truly know what it means? It means that God knows what He's doing. I must trust Him, and know that He is doing what He knows I need best, to shape me into the man that I will be in the future. And, if He takes my life at a young age, it will be for a purpose, whether to change the heart of an entire generation, or to change the heart of one, simple man, it will all be worth it.
I encourage you to look at your life. Ask yourself, “Am I trying to start the car without a key? Am I trying to control my life when God should be?” And if you think so, go to Him, ask His forgiveness and give Him back the keys! God loves you, and He will always love you, it's time to love Him in return.
-Your Brother in Christ
That day comes, you get to the party, only 5 people there that you know, and then you get the news that the speakers won't work, and so there won't be any dancing. Instead, you will all be watching a movie that you just watched the day before. Did that party turn out the way you'd planned it?
I think that in this day and age we think that we can control our lives. The message given to society is that you must be the proverbial, “King of your castle”. You need to be in control and doing the things that you want, not what others want of you. Well, guess what? Were not the kings and queens of our castles! Indeed, we're the very opposite! If anything we are simply the surfs. The ruler of our domain is God. The ruler of our bodies is God. The reason I don't put us at even say, the prince or princess is this. The people around us can rule our lives more than we can. Now, you may say that this is absurd but hear me out. God puts in place all that will happen to you. He knows what you are going to do before you do it and He planned for it to be that way.
Ephesians 1:11 “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,”
God has planned out what it is exactly that we will be doing and when we will be doing it. And it all has to do with His sovereign will. God has put people in our lives that will stop us from doing what we think we should do, or maybe make us do thinks that we think we shouldn't do. He works all things together for good, and when we try to take over it's not going to go well for us.
I heard an analogy from a friend of mine, she said this, “I guess, all in all, it's like, God has the keys to the ignition---without them, it's not gonna run! Same with our lives--God holds the key to our lives--without Him, we're just gonna sit and sputter.” In reply to this I decided to take the analogy one step further, and I said this, “God has the key, and we're the thief. We are trying to hot wire the car, turn it on without the key, but we don't know how to. So instead, we destroy the cars functionality.”
I really do like this analogy for it seems to put in place the idea that when we try to take our lives and control them, we are trying to do something that we physically, emotionally, and spiritually are incapable of doing. Have you ever thought about what it would be like if God said to you, “Alright, you don't like the way I'm doing it? Then here, take the keys, you make the decisions.” Now, at first glance I'd say, “Wow! Yes! I'm free! I get to decide how my life turns out! This is incredible, my life will be perfect from here on out!” But wait a minute, will that be true? I know from my personal history that it simply wouldn't turn out that way. From what I have done in the past I know that I would decide to take my life in the wrong direction. And, if God did this for everyone there would be a serious problem! If God handed the “keys” over to each person in the world then we would all be ruined. Mass murders would get their wish, poor people would get rich, rich people would become richer. Terrorists would take over the world, but those against terror would save the world. It would be mass hysteria. All this to say that we are seriously incapable of controlling our lives. God must be at the helm of life because He is the only One capable of steering our ship.
We have got to let God take our lives, and do with them as He pleases. And if we are faithful, and trust in His will then it will go well with us! We can trust His steadfast love.
Psalm 36:5-12 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD. How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart! Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. There the evildoers lie fallen; they are thrust down, unable to rise.
God knows what He's doing my friends. My life could be better right now, I'm not as well off as I'd like to be, there are things in life, at this very moment that I wish I could change. Things that I wish had never happened, but you know what? God's picture is bigger. It's a phrase that I tend to hear a lot but do I truly know what it means? It means that God knows what He's doing. I must trust Him, and know that He is doing what He knows I need best, to shape me into the man that I will be in the future. And, if He takes my life at a young age, it will be for a purpose, whether to change the heart of an entire generation, or to change the heart of one, simple man, it will all be worth it.
I encourage you to look at your life. Ask yourself, “Am I trying to start the car without a key? Am I trying to control my life when God should be?” And if you think so, go to Him, ask His forgiveness and give Him back the keys! God loves you, and He will always love you, it's time to love Him in return.
-Your Brother in Christ
Monday, March 2, 2009
Let Us Be Thankful....
I wake up in the morning at six to my glorious electric alarm, I press the snooze button, sleep for five more minutes then get out of bed. I'm freezing cold standing there on the hard wood floor in my t-shirt and pajama pants so I whine to myself about it and go to my closet. Open up the two-doored wooden wonder and see two suits, a tuxedo, a whole rack of t-shirts, pants, tennis shoes, dress shoes, military boots, dress shirts, kaki pants and my beautiful robe for specially cold mornings. If it's not specially cold I can choose between two hoodies. I take the robe, walk to the kitchen while putting it on and go to the sink. All I do is push up the handle, grab a glass and relieve my throat with the cool drought. I then continue to the stair well where I turn on the light so I don't walk in darkness. Descending the steps I think of what I will do next. As I reach the bottom I flip the switch at the bottom to off and there goes the light. Then I wander into the family room to see three desktop computers, an upright piano, a TV and many, many books. I take the phone, my headset, and sit down at the computer. As the screen lights up from screen saver mode all I have to do is click the little icon on the bottom left and there, I am now officially connected with the world. I then dial in the number for my bi-weekly Latin class and begin my day at 6:15 sharp with the voice of my Latin instructor. After this, (on Tuesdays and Thursdays that is) I do my Bible study, of which I have two computerized resources, five Bibles, three Bible study books, and Google to help me along.
Why do I begin my post this way? To show how extremely pampered I am! What are my thoughts during this twice a week escapade?
“It's cold!”
“It's so early I'm a morning guy but I have to do Latin this early and it just plain stinks.”
“Computer! Why are you so slow!”
“I wish I had hi-speed internet...”
Is this right? What should I be saying? How about this-
Why do I begin my post this way? To show how extremely pampered I am! What are my thoughts during this twice a week escapade?
“It's cold!”
“It's so early I'm a morning guy but I have to do Latin this early and it just plain stinks.”
“Computer! Why are you so slow!”
“I wish I had hi-speed internet...”
Is this right? What should I be saying? How about this-
“Wow God, I don't have to miss class because I have an alarm. Thank you so much!”
“Lord, I have running water this morning and a nice warm robe to wear.”
“Thank you God for allowing my parents to let me have a computer and internet that works amazing for what I need!”
But do I? Indeed I find it extremely difficult to find what it is in life that I can be thankful for. I have so much, even just compared to some of my friends. Not to mention those young men my age in Africa, or China, or even just as close as Downtown Portland. What did they do last night and this morning? Did they get into a nice warm bed, plug in their iPod and loose themselves to music and peaceful slumber? To them, my world would be heaven. My world is what they wish and hope for each and every day. Yet, I sit back and complain. We want more, we think it's not fair when other people have the game you want, or other people have the schedule you want, when other people have things that we want. But let me ask you this, who is happier? I don't know about you but I am a pretty happy person a lot, yet at the same time I'm not too happy when just the slightest thing happens in my life. I see pictures of young men in Africa, they have barely any clothes on their backs, they don't know if they will get even the smallest morsel of food for dinner, yet in the pictures don't they look so happy! Their smiles are so radiant!
If one studies up on the well known Baroque composer J.S. Bach he or she would find that his life was truly one that was harsh. I was talking to my piano teacher about his life and she told me some very interesting facts. First and foremost (part of this I knew) he had from 20-23 children in his family. It ranged because no historian can agree on a number. So we will say 21. Now, one might say, “My word that's a lot of kids!” Well, it wasn't. Here's why, all but three or four of them died before the age of 5! We think that we have it bad. Imagine being a father and seeing 18 of your children die before your very eyes! Not only this but his first wife died as well. At one point in his life he was the music writer for three churches, taught piano, and directed the church choirs. Today this might seem like a lot, but not near as much as it really was. You see, in today's society someone who is well-versed enough could lead worship on decently short notice, just grab the hymn book or worship chorus notebook and read it through a few times. Is that what Bach could do? No! He had to compose, by hand, every single note that was played, or sung for EACH church service. HE had to write out EACH part for the choir, EACH part for the orchestra. And he only had a week to do it in. While taking care of a family and teaching piano to many students. I teach piano and I think it hard to look for music for my students. But Bach, what did he have to do? He had to write music for his students! We really do have it so easy!
Job 2:3-8 And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason." Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face." And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life." So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes.
That sounds really nice doesn't it? To have sores from the bottom of your feet to the top of you head. I thought growing pains were too much! Not only this but Job had his entire family taken from him, all but his wife. But what did his wife do? His wife told him to curse God so that he could die. Real encourager she was to be sure. Job had his entire stock of cattle taken from him, and his house destroyed. I was hearing from an elder of our church not to long ago talk about Job. He said that Job had worms living in his body. He was like an old tossed out piece of sailors bread! Yet did he curse God? No! He would not, he could not curse his Maker. How many of us curse God when we stub our toe? Or hit our hands on the wall when we're frustrated? How many of us would be strong enough to have our body eaten up by maggots and still not curse God? The truth is, I know I wouldn't.
So, what is the point of all that I have said? The point I want to make to you is this: We have so much to be thankful and grateful for that if we aren't thankful we should be ashamed. Why is it so hard to count your blessings? We all have wonderful lives compared to many and should thank the Lord daily, even hourly for all that He has provided for us. Yes, we have hard times, we have less than desirable things happen to us each day, but still, that's not he point. We must choose to see the good in all that happens. See what God is doing in our lives and how He is taking care of us. God is with us, so let's thank Him for it.
-Justin
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