Written for “Come Alive” September Series by Arise/EastWest Ministries
I was asked to write a few devotionals for the 30-day “Come Alive” series that my friend Julie organized for the EastWest Ministries Arise Women’s Group. Each day devotions are sent out with prompts for communion, a worship song, devotional and prayers for the global church. It’s been amazing to get these each morning and hear from different women. If you are interested in joining, head to www.eastwest.org/comealive to sign up.
Putting our four kids to bed is always a process for me and my husband. The kids don’t like to go down as easily as we would like, and with four of them close in age there always seems to be something different that they need. Between the thirst for water, needing to go the bathroom, wanting to stay up longer, or a random memory from the day, the kids try to extend their wake time as much as possible. So each night as the different personalities and needs of our children collide, my husband and I put on worship songs. We do it to quiet the noise and pull them into the rhythm of rest that they need—that we all so desperately need. In those moments as the music plays and my children quiet under the shift of the atmosphere (most of the time), I find myself also coming to rest and also reflecting.
We usually play songs that declare their identity in Christ, help dismantle their fear, and remind them of God’s promises. But lately my favorite has been a song called “Olive Grove,” a simple and beautiful instrumental that always seems to turn my heart heavenward, as if I am tapping into a strand of the eternal soundtrack that plays throughout the days, the months, and the years. In those moments I am able to reflect honestly and weigh my temporary day against the backdrop of eternity. What did I do that has value? What did I agree with that really doesn’t matter? What seeds did I plant for the future? How much did I engage with Holy Spirit, with my husband, with the young innocent faces around me drifting gently to sleep? This time gives me the opportunity to pause and mentally go through my day, reminding me that every wrong response and regretful action has to submit as I whisper out any needed repentance. I remember to seek out the treasures of joy that are hidden within the mundane and offer up my quiet praise at how the Lord has shown up and provided. I can’t help but give thanks for the babies I have birthed, asking the Lord to continue to guide them and meet them and pull them close to His heart. I remember that my life has a foundation, has a center, has a solid rock that I stand on. That Jesus is the center, and out of the overflow of His presence there is a melody, a sound that my life is intended to move to. I am reminded that hope releases a much sweeter note than despair. That God’s love sings away all fear, always.
“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” -Zephaniah 3:17
Can you hear it? Can you pause long enough to hear the sound of His voice, the song that He is singing over you? I believe that this soundtrack is continuous, whether we tap into it intentionally or not. It’s the sound of rejoicing that beckons us from the place of striving to realizing that we are dearly loved and delighted over. It’s affirmation that we all crave, approval that we all need. It’s found in the Lord and in that place we can truly breathe. Taking in deep breaths of wind of His Spirit. Releasing the stress and agreeing with the relief that His presence brings. Through Jesus’ work on the cross we have access to more than we could have ever imagined. He is with us. He saves. He takes delight in us. He loves us. He will no longer rebuke us. He sings songs of pure joy over us.
I believe in every moment there is a reminder to enter in and work from this place of promised rest. We are invited to agree with the Holy Spirit and move according to His ways. It’s understanding that despite the dissonance and sometimes even distance we may feel, there is a sound that the Lord weaves throughout every circumstance. It is the music that colors even our crises with promise, always pointing to the hope that is beyond us, the promises that rest in God alone. Flat, sharp, and broken notes do not dictate our final state. No, they too are swept into the beautiful composition that the Lord has been directing since the beginning. We are reminded that the dips and lows of dark valleys, the heights and breadths of mountain, and every single thing in between is carefully held in context to the hope we have that will never fade. Even if all you can do is stand still in certain moments, you can stand and know that He is God. You can lean into the melody of His voice, steady, strong, and reassuring to your soul.
-Jenny Erlingsson
If you are interested in joining, head to www.eastwest.org/comealive to sign up.
