How Great Thou Art!

Hey, feeling super grateful today.  I have had worship music playing in the house this afternoon, and boy, is it reviving my soul.

For some time, as a follower of Jesus Christ, the Lord has done something for me at just the right time, and today I was reflecting on it. I was in church this Sunday, and one of the songs the Lord uses to remind me, encourage me, and lift me up was the last song before we moved out of the praise time into a time for the sermon. That song is an oldie but a goodie, How Great Thou Art. Below are the printed-out lyrics. Those words this Sunday caused me to "gasp cry." I was in a super sweet moment with the Lord. 

1. O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder
consider all the works thy hands hath made,
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
thy pow'r throughout the universe displayed;

Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my Savior-God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior-God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!

2. When through the woods and forest glades I wander,
and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze; 

3. And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,
that on the cross my burden gladly bearing
he bled and died to take away my sin; 

4. When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration and there proclaim: "My God, how great thou art!"

 

There was one Sunday I was struggling. Just had lost my mother-in-law, and my father-in-law had to go to the emergency room at the hospital. My husband was taking care of his mom's details while my sister-in-law and I stayed with our father-in-law. During our time at the hospital, my sister-in-law discovered her mom had also passed.  Sometimes you just have to say, "REALLY."

So, with that in my near rearview mirror, that Sunday I was in need of serious encouragement. I was talking to the Lord about it. I turned on a Christian radio station, and How Great Thou Art started. I just started crying and felt so heard and loved by the Lord at that moment. I got to church and was telling a friend of mine at church about it. Once the music started in our service, How Great Thou Art started playing. Wow!  I turned to her and had my mouth fully agape. (side note: as I typed out that word, it wasn't lost on me that it is also the Greek word for God's love for us) I felt very loved at that moment.

Over the years, the Lord has lined that song up to remind me of HOW GREAT HE IS just when I need to be reminded. It is our thing between Him and me. 

I hope today, as you read this, you think through what that song may be for you with Him.

Hope this encourages you today.

As I end this article, note that if you are in Christ, you and I have the best news ever. However, with the good news is also bad news.

If you are not in Christ, know this: I share this part of the message with you because I care. The bad news is that you are separated from your Creator, which we call the fall of man. (Sin: which comes from an archery term, meaning missing the mark.) We all have missed the mark. The really bad news is that if we don't do anything about it during this lifetime, we will be separated from our Creator forever. That is so bad, but even worse, we will join the enemy of our Creator and his followers in hell which was created for them forever, eternally.

YIKES!  That is the really bad news.

But the great news for us was bad news for our Savior and His enemy. He came to pay the death price for the mark I missed and imparted His right standing with the Father in heaven to me when I first believed that He died for me.  Hallelujah!!

You too can enter into this GREAT NEWS. If you sense the Lord drawing you even as you read this, respond to Him. Tell Him you believe His sacrifice on the cross is the only acceptable payment for your sin and repent from your sin (simple means stop doing it. To repent is to turn from.) If you know any Christians, consider reaching out to them and asking them to pray with you. If you are able, find a Bible-believing church and start going regularly.  Not to go there and find perfect people.  YOU absolutely will never find perfect people at any church. If God is at work in them, you will find beautifully broken, humble folks who will love you, walk with you, and fellowship with you. True Koinonia can be found in the body of Christians.

If you watched the Charlie Kirk memorial, that was a beautiful demonstration of the body coming together to celebrate the Lord.

My prayer is that you do turn your life, your attention, your devotion, your focus all on the Lord!!!

Come now, just as you are. No need to clean yourself up. That will be a lifelong journey with you, the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God that comes through Jesus to carve us into the image of the Father's Son, Jesus.

All in all, this will be the best decision you will ever make. It will not be easy, but boy, it will be SO worth it.

Go and be blessed today and be a blessing to others.