Mixed Tape Vol. I Track 4 - All in All

Do you have any songs that have stuck with you for years? I know, my series is all about my Worship mix tape, so obviously these are songs I love. Yet, so far, these have been songs that I've grown to love over the last 4-5 years. The next song on my mix tape is a little different; it has been around for nearly 30 years...and it takes me straight back to a small church camp in central Missouri that I attended for several years as a young boy.

The smell of the paneling in the chapel, the sweet aroma of the spaghetti served multiple times during each session (which for some reason I absolutely loved), and the sounds of young voices singing to the Lord, harmonizing with the crackle of the bonfire--all rush back as I hear these words again. However, until about two years ago, this song had sunken far into my memory as a distant remembrance of those summer days. 

Then one day, I was working and listening to worship music in the background when that sweet memory returned. As often happens, I stopped dead in my tracks, my mind flooded with emotion, thoughts, memories, and utter wonder at what God has done!

That song is "All in All" by Dennis Jernigan, a classic from the early 90's--a simple, sweet tune that brought my heart close to God, and brought me peace, comfort, and tears all at the same time. And this version...is just outrageous. The duo that put this arrangement together have done an AMAZING job bringing life to this song.

WOW! What a powerful anthem to our Lord and Savior!

This song is about more than just memories of church camp for me. You see, I grew up in church. I have MANY memories of Sunday school, plays, VBS, church camp, youth group, and on and on. Yes, I'm grateful for those memories. I'm grateful that my parents pushed us to go to church, and I'm grateful that we had family friends around to encourage us in the Lord.

But most of all, I'm grateful that God did not let go of me!

As an older teenager and young adult, I let go of all the things I knew when I was young. I thought I could make decisions on my own. I thought I could plan my life better than anyone else (especially God), and I did it all of it under the disguise of a Christian young man. I can't tell you why I turned my heart away (aside from pride...go figure). I didn't hate God. I didn't have any desire to fight against God. I just thought that I didn't NEED God. Man, was I wrong!

All that time I spent living life the way I wanted to, I failed to realize that God was right there. His hand was reaching out to touch mine. His heart was wrapping itself around me, and quite honestly it breaks my heart to think about how many tears He may have shed watching me destroy my life one sin at a time.

That little boy that sang, "You are my strength when I am weak...Lord to give up I'd be a fool...You are my all in all," had become a grown up boy, completely lost to sin and shame. But GOD was still there, reaching out to me. 

You see, God's Word tells us that He is sufficient for all of our needs: 

Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.
2 Corinthians 3:5

 

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13

 

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:8

One day I finally realized that there is nothing I can do apart from God. I realized that Jesus was the strength that I was missing. He was the peace that I was searching for!

When I try to live this life on my own, I end up frustrated, overwhelmed, and searching. When I live this life with God, I am filled with peace, encouragement, and contentment--just like I was during those days at camp. Even though I had turned away, God never did. He always saw that little boy reaching out for Him, and He stayed right by my side, waiting for the day when I would turn back to Him.

I tell you this to encourage you! For those who feel lost, God is right there. Simply turn and open your heart to Him.

For those who have a child, friend, or family member who is lost, just know that God is watching them. His heart is for them to trust in Him, and He will never turn away, even when they do. Keep praying, keep loving them, keep pointing them to the Lord, because He truly is our All in All.

God Bless You!

Mixed Tape Vol. I Track 3 - Overwhelmed

When you really start to pay attention to the mixture of words and sounds in worship songs, you’ll come to realize that songs emote many different feelings. Some songs emote adoration, some reflection, and then…there are response songs. These are songs that cause us to cry out to the Lord in response to what He’s done. Response songs often hold themes of submission or statements of an action that we’re going to take.

Song number 3 on my mix tape is definitely a response song.

There are so many things that I love about this song.
#1 It’s about God…Duh
#2 It’s by Big Daddy Weave <- One of my all time favorite bands…(Do you think I look like Mike Weaver?)
#3 It’s a cry out to the Lord from a state of being totally, inexplicably, undeniably, overwhelmed by Him.

In today’s world, it’s considered a sign of weakness to say that we’re overwhelmed by something.

If I tell my boss that I’m overwhelmed with my work load, he might tell me to get more organized.

If I’m overwhelmed by everything going on in my personal life, it signals to others that I am not in control.

If I’m overwhelmed by bills, one would say that I don’t have my finances under wraps.

Yet, being overwhelmed by God is an amazing place to be!
You read that right -- being overwhelmed by God is right where we need to be.

Sadly, we find that a better description of ourselves would often be “underwhelmed” by God. We go to church, maybe pop in for a Bible study, occasionally spend some time in the Word and say a couple of prayers. Yet we lament about how we can’t draw closer to God, and we’re “not sure” He’s even there. We praise Him when everything is going right, yet at the very moment of disappointment, frustration, or pain, we forsake His name.

What is wrong with us?!

We rarely allow ourselves to get to a point of being overwhelmed by God! Even though it’s in that overwhelmed state where we see His greatness, His power, His faithfulness!

Have you ever sat outside and just looked at God’s creation?
Have you ever listened to the sound of the wind as it rips through a canyon or rustles leaves on a tree?
Have you ever really thought about how your body functions?
Have you ever pondered the detail, beauty, and wonder of the earth circling around the sun? Did you realize that the earth is flying through space at 67,000 miles per hour while spinning at a rate of 1000 miles per hour while tilted at 23.5 degrees? Any change to these numbers and we wouldn’t have seasons, gravity, or even the ability to exist!
Have you ever meditated on the fact that God has seen and knows EVERYTHING that already has and will ever happen?

Have you ever sat in wonder of the fact that in spite of ALL of this, God loves YOU? And He wants to have a personal relationship with you…the very person sitting in front of this screen.

Psalm 8:3-9 says:
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen— Even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!

When we pause and really take in what God is doing and has done -- when we consider His heavens and the work of His hands -- it’s easy to become overwhelmed with what God is doing.

The third song in my Mix-Tape is Overwhelmed by Big Daddy Weave.

The lyrics to this song have been the cry of my heart for a long time. I have shed tears listening to this song, my heart has been corrected by God while leading this song, and every time I hear this song I’m reminded that God has opened his arms to me, in spite of me. And that, my friends, is overwhelming.

Take a listen; you might have to play this one twice, but I encourage you to put everything else down, close your eyes, and prepare to be overwhelmed by our awesome and powerful God!

Love you all. See you next time.

CCLI #6219031
© 2011 Phil Wickham Music (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.); Seems Like Music (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.); Weave Country (Admin. by Word Entertainment, LLC); Word Music, LLC (Admin. by Word Entertainment, LLC)

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