{Heaven & Earth}

This past Wednseday I got the chance to see Phil Wickham in concert.  It was so incredible, and not only Phil's amazing voice, but the lyrics to his songs.  The hour and half concert was such perfect worship.  This is what I learned:

Your Arrival

"We are waiting, anticipating
Your arrival, Your arrival
Voices raising, celebrating
Your arrival, Your arrival"

How can I live my life more remembering, "waiting, anticipating" Jesus's arrival?  I don't want "Your Arrival" to be a song I sing simply once upon a concert, I want it to be the cry of my heart each and every day.  I want my gaze to be fixed on God's face and His will and His kingdom.  

"You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near." James 5:8.  Am I living my life like He is coming? What am I doing with my 2/5ths of a second?

Desire
"This is glory rising, over a new horizon
I See Your love, I feel Your smile
You're in my heart and I will run with all I have to You"

When Phil played this song, I rejoiced.  I remember worshiping along with this song while driving to and from work this past summer.  My desire hasn't changed since then.  Yes, my plans have changed a little- colleges, mission trips, etc. but God is the same and I still desire to run with all I have to Him.

Cannons
"Beautiful and free
Song of Galaxies
It's reaching far beyond the milky way
Lets join in with the sound
C'mon let's sing it loud
As the music of the universe plays"

That evening when I got back home from the concert, it was one of those beautiful evenings I wished I could have pitched a tent in my backyard and just slept out there look at the stars.  Plus there was a meteor shower that night :).  Though I was only able to look at them for a few minutes, I can't deny that the "moon and stars, declare who You are" is so true of God.  

Because of Your Love
"Because of your cross my debt is paid
Because of you blood my sins are washed away
Now all of my life, I freely give
Because of your love, Because of your love I live"

The power of these lyrics, the gospel message, doesn't lose meaning no matter how often you hear them. 
  
But do I truly give all of my life freely?  I tell God I will do anything, go anywhere, be anything, but what if my dreams aren't His?  What if He has plans for me that I don't actually hope for? 

"Because of Your love I live..."  What do I have to withhold from God?  He gave me life, He gave me love, He gave me His son.  As Elisabeth Elliot says "He gives all, He asks all."

Safe
"You will be safe in His arms
You will be safe in His arms
because the hands that hold the world
are holding your heart
this is a promise He made
He will be with you always
when everything is falling apart
you will be safe in His arms"

This song not only reminds me that my life is safe in God's hands, but also of my friends- the broken-hearted, the burdened, the tired, the lonely, those who have endured things I can't even understand.  My prayer goes out for them, that they would know that they are "safe in His arms," even "when everything is falling apart."  

Heaven Song
"I want to run on greener pastures
I want to dance on higher hills
I want to drink from sweeter waters
In the misty morning chill
And my soul is getting restless
For the place where I belong
I can't wait to join the angels and sing
No, I cant wait to join the angels and sing my heaven song"

The worship night made me restless for heaven.  If it was earthly worship, what will heavenly worship be like? 

I thought this picture
of Phil and his wife was
pretty cute, so I had to
post it <3

True Love

Come close listen to the story
About a love more faithful than the morning
The Father gave His only Son just to save us

I wish someone would have told me when I was a little girl that my relationship with God could be a divine romance.  I had to figure that out by myself when I rededicated my life to Christ after ninth grade.

Like it talks about in Captivating, a little girl's desire is to unveil beauty, to be romanced, and take part in an adventure.  She cries out of her heart, "Am I lovely?"  I am not immune to this.  Part of me is so much like who I was when I was five when I first watching Cinderella.  Yes, I long to be swept off my feet.  However, God has been just been teaching me to wait, to trust, to not pursue it and let God do it.  Basically, for now my heart is God's.  He is my true love.  And He will always be, even after I marry.  If I can't love God first now, how will I love Him first when I have a boyfriend and then am married?  God has really been helping me become secure in Him, secure in waiting, and secure in not dating just to date.

True Love is patient.

I Will Wait For You There
"I will wait for You there
Down on my knees where I met You
Give You all of my cares
Find a grace to hold onto now
I’m calling for You"

They're like prayers, that's what these songs are.  Like David's psalms, that's what they are.  I want to wait on the Lord, to pray, and cry "Hallelujah's in the morning, Hallelujah's at night."

O Come All Ye Faithful
"O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord"

So Phil ended the concert with a Christmas song... And it's before Thanksgiving.  Oh well, he's an exception to my "no christmas music before thanksgiving rule."  I think it's because the song could truly be a worship song too.  As I look forward to the Christmas season, how can I use this time to adore Christ?  How can I use this Thanksgiving break to show my thanks? 

Anyways, this all has been on my mind for a while.  And it's finally break so I should have more time to write again soon!