Grateful For The Rhythm
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“The Lord your God is with you; the mighty One will save you. He will rejoice over you. You will rest in his love; He will sing and be joyful about you.” Zephaniah 3:17
Last year, we attended the Gaither Christmas Homecoming Concert and discovered a new group that was traveling with the Gaithers. We enjoyed their style of music, the blending of voices and the power of the Spirit in them. We began hearing them more on the radio and decided to check out their touring schedule. They were going to perform at a church less than an hour from us, so we put the date on the calendar. I thought it was strange that no tickets were needed since the group has had several number one songs on the Christian charts.
We invited a couple to join us. We arrived at the church, and I was shocked how small the building was and wondered about their connection to this church. I was grateful for the opportunity to hear this group – The Sound – and now I was amazed to share in this intimate fellowship. The pastor and church had a connection to the group and one of their songs – “First Church of Mercy” was an expression of how this little church lived out their love for Jesus. I was grateful to experience the sweet rhythm of genuine love for Jesus. God was truly singing joyfully over this Church.
The sweet spirit of Jesus was in the room and evident in the voices and faces of the members of The Sound – Rob, Levi and Jacob Mills. The evening was truly a God moment filled with Christmas songs to prepare us for the season of Advent – the coming of Jesus, and an evening to feel God rejoice with us. We bought one of their Cd’s and played it when we arrived home. One of the songs – “Never Not God” has been one of our favorites. A few of the lines state – “He’s never not faithful, never not kind, never not perfect, never not on time, never not good.”
This song has a unique way of expressing God’s unchanging presence. God is never not God. God is always the same. Always with us. Always loving us. Always on time. While we are not consistent. We go up and down in our feelings, our attitudes, and our emotions. Some of you are more laid back than others, but we have our rhythms of life. That is, we have a pattern for our lives and when changes occur, it affects our routine and tempo of life.
So how do you deal with the rhythmic changes in your life? My friend told me she had some days recently that she had less energy, and the grayness of the weather was affecting her mood and desire to accomplish anything. At first, she thought that it was wrong to have these feelings as a Christian, and that God would not love her for feeling this way. But then, she told herself that God loves her no matter her moods, and that she was grateful for the up and down rhythms of life. She was resting in God’s love. God still loved her. God was still with her. It is being grateful for the slower tempos of life and knowing God is still God in these times. Our moods and emotions do not change how God feels about us.
In a recent conversation, the person said in the past she accepted that God was directing her life and was joyful and accepting about God’s plan. But now she did not like what had happened and was angry that God changed the plan she had for her life. We talked about some of the reason she was feeling this way was her lack of control. You do not have to like what happens in life nor do you have to like God’s way of handling the situation, but God is still God and God is still with you and still loves you. It is being grateful for the rhythm of life even when you do not understand it.
I enjoy songs that have a slower tempo as well as those that have a joyful uplifting rhythm. Both have a purpose, and both bring me in closer relationship with God as I sing, listen, and feel the Spirit through the music. Just like in life, there is a purpose for the difficult paths and the mountain tops. God is still God in each one, and God calls us to rest in His love as He sings His song of love and faithfulness to us. It is like inhaling with gratefulness and exhaling in trust and obedience when we do not understand or like it. It is trusting God even in the difficult rhythms of life.
Now breathe in with gratefulness and exhale in trust. God is never not God. God is with you in the rhythms of your life.
You can check out The Sound – www.thesound.org
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You will find all my past blogs on my website – www.livinginthedifferent.com
My Books on Amazon
Live Different Moments
Living In The Different
https://www.amazon.com/Living-Different-passages-through-sorrow/dp/0998310239/
Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/
