I'm Coming To You

This is a song in one of my latest books. I won't give anything away by saying who wrote it or which book it's in, but I wanted to share it with all of you who read my blog. It's been coming to mind often whenever I'm feeling stressed and overwhelmed by life and various trials, and speaking (or singing) these words to God brings me peace. I hope with whatever you are facing or watching others struggle with, you will cry out to God and allow Him to bring you rest as you leave it all in his hands.

I’m coming to You

I’m trusting You

To guide my steps;

I’m coming to You

I’m trusting You

To know the way;

I’m coming to You

I’m trusting You

To hear my prayers;

I’m coming to You

I’m trusting You

To make it all okay

There is sickness; There is pain

There is brokenness; there is shame

There is sin; and there is fear

But I’m trusting that You are near

There is no other God

And there never will be;

You alone can save me

You alone can rescue me

So, I’m coming to You

I’m trusting You

To provide;

I’m coming to You

I’m trusting You

To walk by my side;

I’m coming to You

I’m trusting You

To hold me close;

I’m coming to You

I’m trusting You

To heal my weary heart;

There is sickness; There is pain

There is brokenness; there is shame

There is sin; and there is fear

But I’m trusting that You are near

There is no other God

And there never will be;

You alone can help me

You alone can carry me

I’m coming to You

I’m trusting You

To be my God;

I’m coming to You

I’m trusting You

To make a way;

For You are mighty to save

Only You make it okay

My Hope

My Savior

The Way

Only You, God

My Hope

My Savior

The Way

There is no other God--there never has been, and there never will be. I, yes,I, am the LORD, and there is no other savior. (Isaiah 43:10-11 NLT)

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Beloved Ones

"Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields them all day long, and they rest between His shoulders." Deuteronomy 33:12

There is a story that Jesus tells in Luke 15 about a flock of sheep. There are 100 sheep in this flock, and one of them is missing. Jesus asks those who are listening what they would do if this was their flock of sheep. Would they leave the ninety-nine to go look for the lost sheep? He doesn't really give them a chance to respond and goes on to share the best possible scenario: "When he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors and says, 'Rejoice with me! I have found my lost sheep.'"

It's not difficult to identify Jesus as the shepherd. He calls Himself the Good Shepherd in John 10.  "I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me...I lay down my life for the sheep." The greater mystery in this story lies with this question: Who are the lost sheep? Jesus identifies them as sinners who need to repent. But that can be difficult to define.

Or maybe I should say, that can be difficult to define accurately. I think we're all pretty good at pointing out "sinners who need to repent". The Pharisees and teachers of the Law were good at this too and did it often. In fact, it was their accusations when Jesus was welcoming and eating with sinners that prompted Jesus to tell several stories about "lost" things: sheep, coins, and sons. But what was it about these things that made them lost? 

Simply put, they were not where they were supposed to be. It wasn't so much about behavior as it was about location. The lost sheep was alone—away from the shepherd. The coin was missing: It wasn't where coins were usually kept, so its value was in jeopardy. And the sons? One was away from home, away from his father and his whole family. And the other? He was there in body, but not in spirit. He was living in his father's household, doing what was expected of him, but he wasn't enjoying it.

We generally label those we call "sinners" by their behavior. But I don't see Jesus defining them in that way. It's not about what they are doing or not doing; it's about where they are. Is the sheep close to the shepherd or out of his sight? Is the coin in a treasured place, or is it missing? Is the younger son near his father or far away? And is the older son near his father in a physical sense but distant in his heart?

Jesus isn't really teaching about lost sheep or coins or sons. He's using them as illustrations to teach about something greater. And He wasn't teaching the "sinners", He was teaching those who saw themselves as "righteous". If He would have spoken more bluntly, I think He would have said something like, "These people you call sinners are coming to me and listening. I'm excited about them! I'm welcoming them with open arms because that's why I'm here! They understand what I'm saying about God's mercy and love.

But you? Not so much. I want to be excited about you too, but I can't be. Not yet. Not until you understand My love. Not until you change your thinking (repent). Not until you get to where you need to be. Not until you let Me rescue you."

In Deuteronomy 33, God says, "My beloved ones rest secure in Me. They rest between My shoulders." They are at rest. They are at peace. They are near Him and secure in His love. They have nothing to prove. No where else they would rather be. And no fingers to point, because they have their eyes on their loving, merciful, and faithful God. They are His, and they are loved, and that's enough.