My Deliverer

If you know me, you know that I LOVE MUSIC. I can not get enough of it. I love all types of music. From the classicals (Bach, Mozart) to praise & worship to alternative music (Red, Skillet). One of my main things about music is that it needs depth, it needs a reason to be sung, it needs heart.

One of my ALL TIME FAVORITE SONGS was written by Rich Mullins. If you want to listen to music that will pull on your heart and spirit, listen to Rich. If you need a song that will touch the depths of your soul, listen to Rich Mullins. One of my favorite songs by Rich is called "My Deliverer"

My Deliverer

Joseph took his wife and her child and they went to Africa

To escape the rage of a deadly king

There along the banks of the Nile, Jesus listened to the song

That the captive children used to sing, they were singing...

My Deliverer is coming - My Deliverer is standing by

Through a dry and thirsty land

Water from the Kenyon heights, pours itself out of Lake Sangra's broken heart

There in the Sahara winds, Moses heard the whole world cry

for the healing that would flow from Gods own scars, the world was singing...

My Deliverer is coming - My Deliverer is standing by

He will never break His promise - He has written it upon the sky

My Deliverer is coming - My Deliverer is standing by

My Deliverer is coming - My Deliverer is standing by

I will never doubt His promise though I doubt my heart - I doubt my eyes

My Deliverer is coming - My Deliverer is standing by

My Deliverer is coming - My Deliverer is standing by

He will never break His promise though the stars should break faith with the sky

My Deliverer is coming - My Deliverer is standing by

This song of Rich's vividly shows the desperation of the Jewish slave children who are crying out to GOD to send them the DELIVERER. They are desperate to drink the water of Life. They ache for the healing hands of the Father. They are pleading to hear that the Deliverer has come to free them from their bondage.

Today, we sing the very same song. We sing to be free of our addictions. We sing to be free of our lustful hearts. We sing to be free of our sins.
God is waiting to hear us sing those words so that he may come and free us of our bondage.

Are you comfortable?

Does GOD call us to be comfortable in life? I would argue that he calls us to be just the opposite. To be uncomfortable in this life is what we should feel. So often we look to be comfortable in our job, in our family, in our home, in our things. But what happens to us when we are comfortable? Are we focused on the things we should be focused on? Are we focused on serving GOD? I don't think so. If we are focused on being comfortable in our life, when things happen that unsettle our routine or lifestyle we quickly try to fix it or adjust it so that we can get back to the comfy spot in the recliner or on the couch.

But if we look at someone in the Bible that was comfortable we see that they were not where they were supposed to be. Look at David on top of his house lounging about when he turn and sees Bathsheba.

When we are comfy, we tend not to be focused on GOD.
GOD calls us to be uncomfortable. Who can we see in the Bible that GOD called out of their comfort to do HIS will:
~ Abraham - called to leave the comfort of his fathers house and become the father of a nation
~ Moses - called to leave his home and go back to Egypt to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land
~ Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and Daniel - refused the comfort of the palace to stay pure before GOD
~ Zacchaeus - called to give away the things he had taken during his tax collecting days
~ The Disciples - called to a new way of living

... and lest we forget.
~ Jesus - came from the comfort of Heaven to a world that he couldn't even find a place to rest his head.

So, does this mean we cann't have the "creature comforts" that we are used to? No, of course not. Many of the people who left their "comforts" still had comforts in their lives.
Because Shadrach, Meshach, Abendnego and Daniel refused the kings comforts, they found themselves as politcal leaders in a foreign land.

Let me direct you in another way to think. We should rest in the comfort of GOD. When we are focused on serving GOD, then we can know we are comfortable in HIS arms. Our comfort should come from knowing that we are serving GOD, not in what we have done or what we have. We can still have the creature comforts and enjoy the things that we have but when these things become our focus or become the driving force in our lives to be more comfortable, then we have become UNcomfortable in our relationship with GOD.

So, take comfort in GOD and not this worlds stuff.