Lord of All.
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly trust in Jesus name
Christ alone, cornerstone
Weak made strong, in the Savior's love
Through the storm, He is Lord
Lord of all
When Darkness seems to hide His face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil
Christ alone, cornerstone
Weak made strong, in the Saviour's love
Through the storm, He is Lord
Lord of all
His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way
He then is all my hope and stay
He then is all my hope and stay
Christ alone, cornerstone
Weak made strong, in the Saviour's love
Through the storm, He is Lord
Lord of all
Christ alone, cornerstone
Weak made strong, in the Saviour's love
Through the storm, He is Lord
Lord of all
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless stand before the throne.
He is Lord
Lord of all.
As we close out another year, I am simply in awe as I look back and see all the Lord has done. I must confess this has been one of the best years of my life. Yeah, that is right. 2020 has been one of the BEST years of my life. I don't say this lightly. I wish I could say it has been one my best years because I accomplished a bunch of goals or I made it to where I want to be in life or because I finally got that one thing I have been praying for for years. No. None of that. I mean, yes, I accomplished some goals, I took some new steps in life, and I have seen many answered prayers... all of which I am so incredibly grateful to the Lord.
As we can all relate, this year has been filled with hardship. It's been filled with trials and uncertainties. It's been filled with risks and unknowns. It's been filled with change and disappointments. It's been filled with a constant growth of flexibility and learning to adapt, despite my own personal desires or preferences.
2020 has been hard beyond belief.
However, I still stand on my statement: it has truly been one of the best years of my life.
As I reflect, the Lord has done MANY great, mighty, and wonderful deeds despite it all. He completely uprooted me from the place I called my home and where He had given me so much community and fruitful ministry. He asked me to follow Him, trust Him, and see where HE wanted to take me. And where He led me (in the midst of a pandemic) is a place where He has provided all the same things that I gave up. It's as if He didn't skip a beat and I've been living in Georgia for far longer than 6 months.
Little did I know that taking a step (or MANY STEPS) of obedience through so many unknowns was going to be the start of a much deeper relationship with Him. A much deeper understanding of who He is and His love for me. A much deeper understanding of His sovereignty and faithfulness.
Little did I know that so much discomfort, fear, grief, hardship, trial, uncertainty, and change would lead me to a deeper joy, peace, love, strength, confidence, and so much more.
Friends, sometimes God uses the things that scare, hurt, and disappointment us the most to bring about the greatest and most meaningful and important lessons. And all of these lessons are ultimately for our good and His glory.
He is CONSTANTLY refining us and making us more like Christ.
Here's the thing: CHRIST IS PERFECT. and guess what, we are not. Yep, that's right. Not a single one of us is perfect. We don't have it all together. We aren't right all the time. We aren't exempt from hardship... I mean Christ wasn't even exempt from that one. He suffered more than any of could ever possibly imagine suffering. He felt the weight of all life's emotions and feelings at the same time. Goodness, I can't even imagine that. I hate it when I feel more than one at a time... especially the painful ones, haha. All that being said, if Christ is perfect and we are not, yet God's purpose as His children is to bring His name glory through making us more and more like Christ, then how could we expect that it wouldn't be difficult and hard?
All that being said, I have learned in a much deeper way this year that His grace is sufficient. He is my hope. He is my security. There is no greater love than His. Nothing and no one in this world can ever satisfy me or meet my deepest needs and desires the way He can and does.
I wish I could say that I have "arrived" and I will never struggle with fear, doubt, insecurity, perfectionism, etc. again; but I confess the truth He has helped me reconcile in a deeper way this year, day by day, is the reality that until I arrive HOME to Him in glory, I must rely and depend on His grace to get me through each and every single day. I must cling to His truth and let His Word renew my mind and change my heart. I must rest in His love and acceptance for me. I must rest assured that because of Christ's blood, He is 100% pleased with me. I must let go of the expectations I have clung to... expectations of self, others, this world, etc., and receive His blessings of peace, grace, joy, freedom.
We must let go and walk with open and empty hands in order to receive His BEST and PERFECT gifts.
Christ came to give us life and life ABUNDANTLY.
So as we end this year, the "hard, horrible, and messy" year of 2020, I challenge you to reflect and see what all the Lord has done. Look for His beauty in the mess. Look for His goodness in the horrible. And look for His grace in the hardship. What are you grateful for? What has God taught you? What is a lesson you have learned? How have you grown? What good has come from this year?
He promised He will never leave us or forsake us. His love for us surpasses all understanding, and His plans for us and better and greater than anything we could ever imagine. If we truly believe that, then years such as this one, should leave us finishing strong and encouraged because even through the unexpected and chaos of this year, He has remained the same. Good, faithful, righteous, sovereign, and perfect.
Here's to another year down, and great things to come in the next. Be sure to reflect in order to press on in hope for the greater things to come.
"If not my will, oh Lord, then YOURS be done."
This will forever be our prayer as His children until we arrive HOME.
Soli Deo gloria.