Stand By You

SLast weekend I was traveling here and there and while I drive, I love to listen to either a podcast, a book, or I sing very loud to my music.  One of my favorite artists is Rachel Platten.  The first song of hers that I listened to over and over was Fight Song.  Then while Stringer was in the hospital one morning very early, I decided to listen to her other songs.  It was then that I discovered the song Superman, which describe Stringer perfect at that time in his cancer fight.  

Last Saturday while driving I listened to another one of her songs for the first time, Stand by You.  

Some of my favorite lyrics are:

Put your empty hands in mine

Show me all the scars you hide

If your wings are broken

Please take mine so yours can open too

If we’re breaking down, we can find a way to break through

If we can’t find heaven, I’ll walk through hell with you

Truth is what you believe in

And faith is helping to reason

And when you can’t rise, I’ll cry with you on hands and knees

Cause I’m going to stand by you

You’re not alone cause I’m gonna stand by you

DIVE INTO SCRIPTURE

PUT YOUR EMPTY HANDS IN MINE

When we are empty and feel we can’t we are to go to God.  He will fill us and help us to step forward.  Emptiness is a wake-up call for us to go to God who is the only one who can turn emptiness into fullness and fill us with his fullness and blessing, even if everything around us remain in emptiness.  Emptiness cries out that our lives are empty.  When empty we are empty body, mind and spirit so we feel as if we have nothing to pull from, but God always is standing by you to fill your cup. 

We read in 1 Kings 17 the land was empty, but God provided fullness to Elijah.  The Story of Elijah shows us how God can fill us when we are empty.  There was a drought in the Land, but Elijah was fed.  God made sure of it.   

SHOW ME ALL YOUR SCARS AND PAIN

God knows our scars, our hurts and our pain.  At the time we don’t understand the why? But one day we will be able to understand.  Last week I discussed Joseph and Jacob and the scripture Genesis 50:20.

Genesis 50:20 New International Version

20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

IF YOUR WINGS ARE BROKEN TAKE MINE SO YOURS CAN OPEN TOO

 When we are broken God comes to us.  God comes to the broken hearted. 

 Psalm 34:18 NIV

¹⁸ The Lord is close to those who have a broken heart. And He saves those who are crushed in spirit.

We would love to be able to escape troubles, but we can’t.  Just like Jesus we have to carry our own cross.  No we don’t have physical holes in our hands and feet, but the holes are in our hearts.  But God comes and heals our brokenness and mends us so that we have renewal.  Within renewal comes a story.  This testimony of what God has done for us during our brokenness becomes those words and experiences that we are to go out into the world and comfort others.  

IF WE ARE BREAKING DOWN, WE CAN FIND A WAY TO BREAK THROUGH

Jesus came to earth to serve and not be served.  He washed the feet of his disciples.  He washes our feet everyday so we can take that next step.  He carries us.  I am always reminded of the poem footprints in the sand.  It is when we only see one set of footprints that God is carrying us.  When we are breaking down carrying our cross that is difficult to carry, we will have a breakthrough.  The breakthrough comes when we realize that God is carrying us.  When we are weary and faint, He will carry us, and we will be renewed of our strength.  Gods strength never diminishes.  His strength is the source of our strength.  

 Isaiah 40:31  King James Version

³¹ But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

I’LL WALK THROUGH HELL WITH YOU

He walks through the fire with us.  I am reminded of another in the fire, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown in the fire.  You can read this in Daniel 3:16-28.  They weren’t alone in the hot fiery furnace there was another one with them. 

 Daniel 3:17

If we are thrown in the furnace the God, we serve will deliver us.  

 AND WHEN YOU CAN’T RISE

 When you just can’t do it, when you feel you can’t go on, when you are too weak to take another step go to this scripture.

  2 Corinthians 12:9-10 New International Version

⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

GOD STANDS BY YOU

He stands by us; he weeps with us.  

I often ask myself; would I be able to stand?  If I had lived during biblical times would I have been able to stand like these characters of the bible did?  Would I have dropped everything and followed Jesus like Matthew, James John?  Would I have stood by Paul like Luke did?  Would I have been like Jesus and stood by the outcasts?  If Jesus were to return today would I stand by him and face persecution of the non-believers?  

Just as Jesus had an inner circle, we to have an inner circle filled with those that are closest to us, those that we would stand by during any circumstance.  God stands by us filling us with his spirit so we can stand by others just as He stands by us! 

CHALLENGES OF THE WEEK

Keep your daily appointment

Dive deep into the word

Stand by someone, stand by Him

Fill your cup with Christ