2018 Supper & Song

The Lord comes to meet us, whether we already know Him or are meeting Him for the first time. He comes to us in His perfect love, and never to condemn us. He calls to us, asking us to meet His eyes, for it is in His gaze that we truly understand our condition. When Jesus was taken to be crucified, Peter abandoned Him. (This was in spite of the fact that Peter had previously claimed to be Jesus’ best friend, and had adamantly said that he would never deny Jesus!) As Jesus looked across at Peter, Peter saw his true condition and mourned. When Jesus rose again from the dead, He met with His disciples and talked with Peter. Instead of being full of his own steam, Peter was honest with himself and Christ, and found true recovery and the life of God. We can trust the plans that the Lord has for us, and like Peter, find true life and recovery – for it’s the Lord’s love that calls us and is poured out upon us.

The Father yearns for every one of us to hear His call & know the love & hope-filled life He has in store for us. There is a Scripture that states, ‘Deep calls unto deep’. There is nothing deeper than our Creator calling us each by name, and His cry for us to know Him. Whether you have known the Lord for a long time or are only hearing His call now, whether you are near Him or need to be drawn from afar, know that He is calling you and desires that you respond to His call.

Isn’t it wonderful that as we humble ourselves and receive God’s word for our lives, He will change us and set us free from things that may have bound us for so long? We humbly remember that Jesus laid down His life for us, allowing us to confidently draw near to Him. We rejoice in this as we learn to lay aside the old things and look to a new day, knowing our hope is sure and steadfast!

It’s been a great relief and a delight to me over the last couple of years to begin to really see that my old, self-centred life, with my own understanding, is no longer my master, because God judged it, put it to death, and buried it with Jesus. But He also raised me up with Jesus, to live by His life instead of my own. I’m no longer chained to striving for perfection, to trying so hard to be good enough. Even when I’m at my most weak and vulnerable, or when I’ve failed abysmally, I know I can look to Jesus, because I’ve put all my faith in Him who is my strength, my hope and my life. He is becoming my treasure – my treasure who is so far above any other that He’s beyond compare.

There is a verse in the Bible that reads, ‘Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father’. This verse tells us that if God notices first-hand the details of the smallest of birds, how much more does He care for us? The truth is He does care greatly for each one of us. This is comforting to know each day, but particularly in situations where we are overwhelmed, and not sure of the way ahead. I have personally found that as I simply turn to Jesus and put Him first in my life, He strengthens and settles my heart. He reminds me that He has already walked before me, and is in control even when I feel utterly helpless. In fact, I am learning that this is a good place to be, for in this place, I am learning to rely on the Lord. This song is therefore a simple encouragement, that as we choose to walk with the Lord, He will lead us with His love and care.

The Lord is wonderfully faithful. As we come before Him, we can trust that He has the very best in mind for us, despite how we think we may be ‘going’ or how we see our current circumstances. His word brings life and calls each of us to be the woman He has named us to be. That’s not a ‘Kate’ or a ‘Joanna’, but it’s the very person He designed each one to be, complete with works to do. As we ask Him to open our ears and hearts, He does just that! He calls us, He enables us and He walks with us.

When my children were young, a lady spoke two simple words one morning that changed my life – “Be planted”. I knew she meant be planted and rooted deep – a permanent tree in the Lord’s house, not a pot plant I could move about. The verses of this song were written then, and my young daughters and I sang the song together. I didn’t yet see that God would water the tree (me) and that I would only grow with the water of His word; so that I wouldn’t wilt and die, but would flourish as His planting, bearing His fruit in due season. The chorus of this song wasn’t written until a few weeks ago, and now the song is no longer just my song – it’s our song. Our roots are planted deep in the water of His word, where our hope in Him is certain because His word never fails. His life in us is abounding, like the fruit of the olive tree.

The Lord is calling us and He is showing us the way to live through life’s twists and turns. This is so we don’t put any confidence in our own ‘flesh’ – our natural strength and ability. We don’t need to strive anymore – we can be confident and sure. So when the pressures come, it is only by trusting in God’s word and in His love that we can live.