{"id":21854,"date":"2019-03-27T15:36:52","date_gmt":"2019-03-27T19:36:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=21854"},"modified":"2019-03-27T16:22:45","modified_gmt":"2019-03-27T20:22:45","slug":"worship-wednesday-god-with-us-mercyme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=21854","title":{"rendered":"Worship Wednesday – God With us – MercyMe"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: ASU Now<\/a><\/p>\n

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.<\/em> – Psalm 96:11<\/a><\/p>\n

“If I say, ‘I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,’ His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones, and I become weary of holding it in, and I cannot prevail.”<\/em> – the prophet Jeremiah, Jeremiah 20:9<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cBlessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!\u201d \u201cPeace in heaven and glory in the highest!\u201d But some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples!” \u201cI tell you,\u201d He answered, \u201cIf they remain silent, the very stones will cry out.\u201d<\/em> – Luke 19:38-40<\/a><\/p>\n

But Peter and John replied, \u201cJudge for yourselves whether it is right in God\u2019s sight to listen to you rather than God. <\/em>For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heart.”<\/em> – Acts 4:20<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The Scripture speaks over and over again about how God is always present with us. Always present. How do we respond to such a phenomenal truth? The accounts in the Bible resonate our own experiences – we are moved to worship this amazing ever-present God and we are loosed in speaking of His greatness. We can’t but speak.<\/p>\n

“He is here. Right now. Fully, completely. He is in you, around you, with you, over you, about you, for you, on time, in the middle of, surrounding you and the ones you love, in complete power, communicating as clearly as any time in history, doing perfectly to you, for you, by you, thinking about you every moment, walking directly into the middle of your worst day, your worst moment, your worst fear, your pain, your loneliness, your doubts, your insecurity, your sickness, your tragedy, your fragileness, your hope, your joy, your peace, your dreams, your relationships, your love, your longing to have your life count. He is here. He is champion and author of every beauty you find yourself longing for. He is the one who stands over you in the darkest hour. He is lifting you up, when you are too exhausted, too devastated, too hopeless, too failed, too compromised, too far gone. He is in this season.” – John Lynch<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Immanuel by John Lynch \u2013 Mundane Faithfulness<\/a><\/p>\n

In Genesis 37-50<\/a>, we marvel at the story of Jacob’s son, Joseph – sold into slavery by his own brothers, wrongly imprisoned, and then… forgotten? No. Not forgotten. Not by God.<\/p>\n

Joseph lived as a slave and a prisoner for a total of 13 years<\/a>. Always faithful to a very present God. Then in a providential, “for such a time as this” moment, the Lord brought him out and he was placed in the highest position of authority under Pharoah. It would be another 9 years before he would see his brothers again, but when he did, he would be able to come to their aid, and that of all the peoples of that day.<\/p>\n

We are moved by the God who is always present with us. We are riveted by what we find in the Scriptures about how He works in the smallest details to bring about our good and His glory (Genesis 50:20<\/a>; Romans 8:28<\/a>). Then we are taken to our knees when we see Him do the same in our lives today.<\/p>\n

“God glorifies himself towards the creatures also [in] two ways: (1) by appearing to them, being manifested to their understanding; (2) in communicating himself to their hearts, and in their rejoicing and delighting in, and enjoying the manifestations which he makes of himself. . . . God is glorified not only by his glory\u2019s being seen, but by its being rejoiced in. . . . [W]hen those that see it delight in it: God is more glorified than if they only see it; his glory is then received by the whole soul, both by the understanding and by the heart.”<\/em> – Jonathan Edwards<\/a><\/p>\n

We can do nothing less than worship. It is our complete joy to do so. Out of that worship, we understand God and His purposes more, and we rejoice. It becomes a joy to walk with Him wherever He takes us…right?\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Media Shout<\/a><\/p>\n

[We all have times when we feel alone…that no one cares; that we are invisible. Truth is…that is not true<\/a> no matter how real it feels. Hold on to the “each others” that God brings to you…hold onto Him.]<\/p>\n

MercyMe<\/a> with lead singer\/songwriter Bart Millard<\/a> has delivered two of my favorite contemporary worship songs: I Can Only Imagine<\/em><\/a> and Even If<\/em><\/a>. This song God With Us <\/em>reminds us of His loving constancy in our lives. It also reveals how it is that we can’t help but lift our voices about Him and raise our hands because of Him. He is with us!<\/p>\n

Worship<\/a> with me.<\/p>\n

Who are we
\nThat You would be mindful of us
\nWhat do You see
\nThat’s worth looking our way<\/p>\n

We are free
\nIn ways that we never should be
\nSweet release
\nFrom the grip of these chains<\/p>\n

Like hinges straining from the weight
\nMy heart no longer can keep from singing<\/p>\n

CHORUS
\nAll that is within me cries
\nFor You alone be glorified
\nEmmanuel . God with us<\/p>\n

My heart sings a brand new song
\nThe debt is paid these chains are gone
\nEmmanuel . God with us<\/p>\n

Lord . You know
\nOur hearts don’t deserve Your glory
\nStill You show
\nA love we cannot afford<\/p>\n

Like hinges straining from the weight
\nMy heart no longer can keep from singing<\/p>\n

CHORUS<\/p>\n

Such a tiny offering
\nCompared to Calvary
\nBut nevertheless
\nWe lay it at your feet<\/p>\n

Such a tiny offering
\nCompared to Calvary
\nBut nevertheless
\nWe lay this at your feet<\/p>\n

CHORUS<\/p>\n