{"id":17148,"date":"2018-01-03T09:29:54","date_gmt":"2018-01-03T14:29:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=17148"},"modified":"2018-01-03T09:29:54","modified_gmt":"2018-01-03T14:29:54","slug":"worship-wednesday-youre-here-nichole-nordeman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=17148","title":{"rendered":"Worship Wednesday – You’re Here – Nichole Nordeman"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n

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Lord<\/span>, You have searched me and known me.<\/span> You know when I sit down and when I stand up; <\/span>You understand my thoughts from far away. <\/span>You observe my travels and my rest; <\/span>You are aware of all my ways. <\/span>Before a word is on my tongue, <\/span>You know all about it, Lord<\/span>. <\/span>You have encircled me; <\/span>You have placed Your hand on me. <\/span>This extraordinary knowledge is beyond me. <\/span>It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.<\/span> Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? <\/span><\/span>Where can I flee from Your presence? <\/span>If I go up to heaven, You are there; <\/span>if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there. <\/span>If I live at the eastern horizon <\/span>or settle at the western limits, <\/span>even there Your hand will lead me; <\/span>Your right hand will hold on to me. <\/span>If I say, \u201cSurely the darkness will hide me, <\/span>and the light around me will be night\u201d\u2014 <\/span>even the darkness is not dark to You. <\/span><\/em>The night shines like the day; <\/span>darkness and light are alike to You. – <\/span><\/em>Psalm 139:1-12<\/a>
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A friend of ours has been much on my heart and in my prayers of late. In our last conversation, as we were catching up after a few months separated by busy lives, he shared openly about his current thinking on God. This is a young man who the whole time we’ve known him has been deeply convinced of God, the validity of His Word, and His divine work in our lives and the world. Now…not so much. How can such a change occur in one’s thinking in so few months? I’ve been praying for him ever since, saddened that I let so much come between our friendship. Regretting.<\/p>\n

This brings me to a recent encounter with God such that I know He will not let this dear friend of ours get too far from Him. I know because of His promises…and I know because He didn’t let me get too far…<\/p>\n

Sunday was a tender time in our gathered church experience. New Year’s Eve. Pastor Cliff preached on going deep with the Lord and he used New Year’s resolutions as a tool for guiding us in that direction. [I just wrote about that here<\/a>.]<\/p>\n

One of the songs we sang during worship was Citizens & Saints<\/a>‘ I Surrender All<\/a>. This song is deeply meaningful to me because it was a favorite hymn in my early years in the church. We would often sing it after the sermon during the “altar call”. \"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Voice of Revolution<\/a><\/p>\n

Those in attendance would be challenged to wrestle with God over whatever had been preached. If you sing the whole hymn you would say the words “surrender” 30 times and “all” like 45 times! It was sobering, and, in the end, brought great release, freedom, and joy. The band Citizens & Saints add the meaningful bridge which describes the realization that comes in surrender: – “Oh the joy of full salvation, sin and death defeated, glory to His name”.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

As we sang, I was reminded of a time in my 20s that I was far from God. Oh, still going to church, you know…but in my heart, and my choices through the week…far. I will never forget one night, in particular, during a time I was really playing with fire, bedazzled by the world. After getting to bed very late, something gave me pause and I tried to pray. In that dark night, it was as if my prayers hit the ceiling and fell back to me. I was terrified.<\/p>\n

From somewhere deep inside, the verse from Isaiah (59:2)<\/a> came into my thoughts: “your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his<\/i> face from you, that he will not hear.”<\/strong> Now, that was written in context to a gravely disobedient people, and because of Christ we live in much grace today. Still…that was all I needed. That reminder. Had to have come from the Spirit of God Himself.
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It helped me alter my course in life. There would be other times where I didn’t choose wisely, but God never let go of me. Never.<\/p>\n

Back to the present: New Year’s Day morning and I was driving to a friend’s house. Tuned into my current favorite radio station<\/a>, and three songs in a row took me to the very throne of God, as He spoke to my heart through those lyrics.<\/p>\n