Day 31 - Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me

We’ve come to the last day of our Summer Devotional and we hope you’ve been encouraged, that God has spoken into your heart and that you have loved hearing some older and current worship songs. Here is our last devotional below!

Day 31 - Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me (CityAlight)

What gift of grace is Jesus my redeemer There is no more for heaven now to give He is my joy, my righteousness, and freedom My steadfast love, my deep and boundless peace 

To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus For my life is wholly bound to His Oh how strange and divine, I can sing: all is mine Yet not I, but through Christ in me 

The night is dark but I am not forsaken For by my side, the Saviour He will stay I labour on in weakness and rejoicing For in my need, His power is displayed 

To this I hold, my Shepherd will defend me Through the deepest valley He will lead Oh the night has been won, and I shall overcome Yet not I, but through Christ in me 

No fate I dread, I know I am forgiven The future sure, the price it has been paid For Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon And He was raised to overthrow the grave 

To this I hold, my sin has been defeated Jesus now and ever is my plea Oh the chains are released, I can sing: I am free Yet not I, but through Christ in me 

With every breath I long to follow Jesus For He has said that He will bring me home And day by day I know He will renew me Until I stand with joy before the throne 

To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus All the glory evermore to Him When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat Yet not I, but through Christ in me 

This song is the gospel. It is so important that we continue to marvel at the gospel and not become too familiar with it that it looses it ‘shine’ in our lives. The gospel is so simple but yet so complex at the same time. We can summarise the gospel into a few points and may be able to say in a sentence why Jesus died on the cross. Yet there is a whole song that declares different aspects of the gospel and the impact of Christ’s death on our life. This is so fundamental it changes our identity and future destiny. 

What this song declares about God: 

Jesus is our redeemer, he bought us at a price by his death. There is nothing left in heaven to give. He generously gave his all, is one and only Son. 

His love his steadfast. He is faithful, He does not leave us in our darkest night. He guides us like a shepherd. He defended us with his life and has won the victory. He suffered, died and was raised to life. God will bring us home. He is seated on the throne. 

What this song declares about us: 

I have been made righteous (right standing with God), He gives me freedom breaking the bondage of sin, brings joy and peace and his love. I have a hope that never fails in Jesus. I am bound to Christ that all the riches of heaven are mine. I will never be forsaken. It is not based on my performance as when I am weak God’s power and glory can be displayed. We can overcome darkness as Christ has won the victory and lives within us. I have been forgiven. I am brought by God that I am not my own anymore I belong to God as His child, citizen of heaven and part of the kingdom of light. My future is secure with Christ as death has been defeated. I plead not of my own goodness but the goodness of God that has been transferred to me. None of this is attained by me, only through Christ. So I can sing Yet not I but through Christ in me. 

This is fundamental to humanity and therefore we should share this amazing gospel with other as its not about us but through Christ in me. Transformation on such a fundamental level requires Christ as we are not able to make these changes ourselves in ourselves or one another. 

'Think about / Meditate on': 

• The simplicity of the gospel can be summarised in a sentence. Have a go, what would you say? 

• Map out what the gospel means to you, revealing the richness and awe of the gospel. Write down what the gospel says about God and you like this song. Speak to your soul that you may marvel at the power of the gospel. If you are creative maybe have a go at writing your own poem/song that praises Jesus. 

• Where in your life are you living in your own strength? Remind yourself it is not you but Christ in you that gives you strength. Take the pressure off yourself and lean into the transformational power of the gospel to bring lasting change. 

• Who do you need to reveal Christ (who lives in you) to? Yet not I but Christ in me. 

• Listen to this song here: https://youtu.be/hwc2d1Xt8gM

Written by Pastor Katherine Parsons (Lead Pastor - C3UL Sutton Central)

Day 30 - You Hold Me Now

Day 30 - You Hold Me Now (Hillsong Worship)

The Bible speaks about the future a lot, and in Revelation 21 (MSG) it says: 

I heard a voice thunder from the Throne: “Look! Look! God has moved into the neighbourhood, making his home with men and women! They’re his people, he’s their God. He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good - tears gone, crying gone, pain gone.” 

The song ‘You Hold Me Now’ uses this heavily in the lyrics: 

VERSE 1: 

On that day when I see 

All that You have for me 

When I see You face to face 

There surrounded by Your grace 

All my fears swept away 

In the light of Your embrace 

Where Your love is all I need 

And forever I am free 

CHORUS: 

No weeping no hurt or pain 

No suffering You hold me now 

You hold me now 

No darkness no sick or lame 

No hiding You hold me now 

You hold me now 

This year has been a bit bonkers! Through everything, the best laid plans have pretty much been ripped into shreds. There were a few things this year, that I was really looking forward to. A business trip here, a short Europe trip there, a chance to go and see Lesley at Montgomery Heights in Zimbabwe was in fact planned and paid for. Needless to say, our plans, like the rest of us, have been somewhat disrupted due to COVID-19.  

And that’s ok. We look forward to things for many different reasons, some are longing to see a family members again (I’m sure we’ve all had that this year) or maybe the beginning/end of a school year for example. The challenge is when we long for something in the future, as the answer, as the antidote for the current season we are in; if only we can get through until our next holiday, when I’m in a new job, when I have a bigger house, larger salary, when the kids are back at school (any parents with me?!). 

Compared to eternity though, the last five months of COVID-19 are like the briefest of seconds. In eternity, there will be no more weeping, no pain, no suffering – just incredible. 

This song is one that I cannot sing softly or be unmoved by it - even as I write this, with it on the background, I am mouthing it out! (The kids and neighbours would not be keen to hear my vocals!). It is a song reminding us to keep an eternal perspective, where there will be no suffering. It moves us from having our focus on our ‘now’ to the future, and what a glorious future that is. A future of eternity in the presence of God. 

I’ve sung this song in the midst of personal work challenges, in the midst of angst, confusion, anger even. This song encourages us lift our eyes away from our own situations, to stand, whether in joy or pain, to commit to staying the path.  

 For eternity 

All my heart will give 

All the glory to Your name 

I love this declaration in the bridge. It’s strong and pushes me to sing it with conviction. We can surrender our position, our circumstances, and choose to praise God because we know there is going to be a greater day, a hope that never fails. 

Remember today, that as followers of Jesus Christ, our security is not built on anything we have planned for the future, but rather on His hope and what He promises for the future.  

Think it over / Meditate on: 

• Play this song https://youtu.be/qmrXdjilmaY  (over and over if needs be) and sing it in surrender. Putting away your current circumstances, letting the words be a declaration of praise to God. 

• If we constantly look towards that glorious day, of heaven, we must also be a part of the work God is doing now in the world. Ponder what that means for you – are you fully surrendered to what God is asking of you? 

Written by Senior Pastor Tim

Day 29 - Faithful One, So Unchanging

Day 29 - Faithful One, So Unchanging (Brian Doerksen)

If you were to ask me what my favourite characteristic of God was, I would say His faithfulness. 

God is completely faithful, his never changing nature is an essential part of His character upon which the rest of His character is held. 

Whatever we think we know about God, it all rides on his faithfulness as without it, he could change tomorrow! 

The lyrics to the song are below: 

Faithful one, so unchanging 

Ageless one, you’re my rock of peace 

Lord of all I depend on you 

I call out to you, again and again 

I call out to you, again and again 

You are my rock in times of trouble 

You lift me up when I fall down 

All through the storm 

Your love is, the anchor 

My hope is in You alone  

You can listen to the song here: https://youtu.be/7PjSO5Ihl0M

His faithfulness means he is unchanging, Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 

it is on this fact that all of our faith in Him rests. We cannot have faith in Him, unless He is faithful. 

Everything in this world is unreliable, it is temporary and constantly changing, because God never changes, He is our only rock and anchor in the chaos of life. 

Often when we struggle in life we question God’s faithfulness, but it is our faithfulness to Him we should be questioning, will we trust him through it all? Will we remain faithful even when we don’t understand? 

When I sing this song I am grateful to God that He is faithful to me, even if I am unfaithful and wavering in my faithfulness and trust. 

 Think it over / Meditate on: 

• Meditate on the unchanging nature of God, why is it important that He is faithful and never changing? 

• If you are struggling at the moment, do not doubt God’s faithfulness to you, instead spend time thanking God that He is always faithful through it all. 

• Are there areas of your life where you are not being faithful to God? Where you are not trusting Him as you should? Pray, and decide today to change your mindset in these things and trust your Faithful, unchanging, Father God. 

Written by Pastor Ben (Lead Pastor - C3 UL Sutton Central)

Day 28 - Awesome

Day 28 - Awesome (Charles Jenkins & Fellowship Chicago)

Before you listen to the song, take some time to pause, calm your heart, and ask the Holy Spirit to enable you to praise.  

This song is a proclamation of so many things that God is! In a time in my life when I was debilitated by disease this was a song I listened to as a reminder of the truths of all that God is.  

I hope it can be the same for you today. Listen to it here: https://youtu.be/ej5Wr43JYHE  

Think it over / Meditate on:  

• Take some time to look up some of the verses that describe our God. Ponder them and praise the living and triune God. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

My God is awesome!  

Keeper – Psalm 121:5 

Hider – Psalm 91:4 

Healer – Isaiah 53:5 

Strength – Psalm 46:1-3 

Saviour – Luke 2:11 

Forgiver – Ephesians 1:7-8 

Giver – John 3:16 

Mighty – Ephesians 1:19 

Holy – Leviticus 20:26 

Great – 1 Chronicles 16:25 

Deliverer – Psalm 34:17 

Provider – Matthew 6:25-33 

Protector – 2 Samuel 22:3-4 

Written by Eric Duey

Day 27 - The Cause Of Christ

Day 27 - The Cause of Christ (Kari Jobe)

You know as a kid when you don’t want to hear what your parents are saying, or you don’t like a noise, so you put your fingers in your ears, or you cover up your ears...well, there are some songs that challenge my faith, my conviction, my authenticity, the way I live and think and do life. This is one of them. I’ve thought, I’ll just cover up my ears and go ‘la la la la’ and pretend I can’t hear it right, but why? 

Every line, every phrase, every declaration, costs. It’s less of me, more of Christ. I ask myself “Really Charmaine, are you living like that? Is that what you believe? Do you love Jesus like that?”... 

I’m sure many of us were asked at school, what we wanted to be remembered for, what will be written on our tombstone? If asked I guess being remembered for my hospitality, love for cooking great food, creativity, love for people, remembering birthdays and anniversaries would be wonderful; but more than that, way more than that, I want these words of this song to be who I am – the first and last verses particularly. 

The only thing I want in life   

Is to be known for loving Christ   

To build His church, to love His bride   

And make His name known far and wide 

It is not fame that I desire  

Nor stature in my brother’s eye  

I pray it’s said about my life  

That I lived more to build Your name than mine  

I do, I so want to be known for loving Christ, for building His church and for loving her too. It’s about making Jesus known wherever God has placed me. But sometimes that’s just not forefront, or my focus or my desire. Matthew 6:33 says “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”  

I believe that’s the key and I come to this verse time and time again. I’ve learned to put my name in scriptures to personalise them, they hit home better. So - “Charmaine - seek first the Kingdom of God above all else...”! See what that does? It makes me sit up, check my motives and my heart. Live for Him and all else will fall into place. 

Building the church and loving His bride (read yesterday’s devotional - Day 26 and you’ll hear some of my heart on that.) I do love the church in all her expressions – how God chooses to use beautiful communities of people, some small, some mega in size, but all pursuing Christ; loving their neighbour, reaching out to the poor and vulnerable and being the hope in their context. I’m not saying the Church is perfect, but I see her purpose and a privilege to be part of one.  

This song isn’t an easy one to sing! But it’s my prayer and desire that we will be people who certainly want to live for the cause of Christ. Like the chorus declares, it’s about surrendering all for Him. I also pray that we might sing it as a promise; that it’s Him, it’s Christ above all else. That we would count the cost, give Him the glory, speak truth of His Word and speak well of His church.  

Think it over / Meditate on: 

• Listen to this song here: https://youtu.be/byHwKMa6NJY  - can you sing it? Do you want to live for Christ afresh today? In a quiet moment today, recommit your life to Jesus, and confess again your devotion to Him and His cause 

• Read Matthew 6:33 and mediate on it, what does seeking the Kingdom of God above all else, look like to you? How will you put that into action in your life today? 

• Affirmation and encouragement is important – is there someone who you look up to, admire for their faith in Jesus, that you can pray for today and/or text and thank them 

Written by Senior Pastor Charmaine

Day 26 - King Of Kings

Day 26 - King Of Kings (Hillsong Worship)

The Church; the Bride of Christ, the Body of Christ, a House, a Home...she is known by many names, and each represent a different facet and meaning to her function and beauty. I’ve grown up all my life in church, attending church, barely missing a Service or meeting, involved in all kinds of ways and over the years realised I have a God-given love for the Church globally and the local expression I have found myself in. 

This relatively new worship song King of Kings, did something in me as I listened for the first time and then subsequent times that I’ve sung it. Musically it builds to these verses below that are my favourite: 

And the morning that You rose All of Heaven held its breath '

Til that stone was moved for good For the Lamb had conquered death 

And the dead rose from their tombs And the angels stood in awe 

For the souls of all who'd come To the Father are restored 

And the Church of Christ was born Then the Spirit lit the flame 

Now this gospel truth of old Shall not kneel, shall not faint 

By His blood and in His name In His freedom I am free 

For the love of Jesus Christ Who has resurrected me! 

“And the Church Of Christ was born”...previous verses journey through the life of Jesus, His birth, His death, resurrection and now we get to THE CHURCH! The crescendo is about to hit and we’re declaring that the Holy Spirit came and that the gospel will stand – you can’t not but get excited and punch the air when singing it with all you’ve got! (It can’t just be me?!) 

So what’s so great and important about the Church?..Jesus says this in Matthew 16:18 “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it!” 

Jesus reminds us immediately that as He builds, we are in a battle! We are to be engaged in warfare to fight against the enemy so God can continue to build His Church. Do you recognise you’re in a spiritual battle? In 1 Corinthians 12, we are told that the Church is Christ’s body and like a body it is made up of many parts, each part as important as the other. Do you realise your place in the church is as important as the next person and you have a part to play in building and growing with others? In Ephesians 5:22, the Apostle Paul compares the relationship of husband and wife to that of God and His church; Christ loves His Church, His bride and so should we.  

Even in this season where we’ve not been able to physically gather; we have become the church scattered, but we’re still the church. We are Christ’s representatives. It’s easy to forget the power and strength that comes from being the gathered church in these times, but don’t get complacent – it’s not the time to disengage, all the more we need to stay connected and encourage others to do the same (Hebrews 10:25) . Pick up the phone, pray for them, send the text message, send a gift. Commit to praying for a family or person you miss seeing, ask them how you can pray for them. Invite another household to be in your home on a Sunday, watch Church Online and choose to engage in worship and the Word together. We are in a battle and the enemy wants to steal, kill and destroy your passion and your love for His church. Don’t let him, not one bit. Let’s not get lethargic or apathetic as followers of Jesus Christ. Engage in battle, strap on your armour and fight. Fight the comfort, the ease, things that distract you, all the excuses that prevent you from being in His Presence in His Word and with others (as is possible at this time).  

This song can stir something in you again; I pray that it does that as you listen and worship with it, declare the words and believe it. It's not a song you can sing in your head, so try it in the car, in the shower (like I do!) or somewhere in your home today. I cannot wait for us to sing this together at the top of our lungs! 

Think it over / Mediate on: 

• Pray for those you know who are in need of community a place to call home and to build friendship. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to pray for them and maybe invite them to catch Church Online this weekend 

• Listen and declare this song today with conviction https://youtu.be/Of5IcFWiEpg  

• It’s easy to forget we’re in a spiritual battle. Maybe today you need to dust off your armour and set it right again - Read Ephesians 6:10-18. 

• Pray for our church C3 UNITEDLIFE, Ewell & Sutton Central, that she continues to grow in strength, power and influence for God’s protection over us and His continued provision.  

• Pray for the Church globally that as the Word of God goes wider through digital platforms, that many will find a place to belong, a community to call home and the person of Jesus Christ to call Saviour.  

Written by Senior Pastor Charmaine

Day 25 - Be Thou My Vision

Day 25 - Be Thou My Vision (Mary E. Byrne)

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that thou art

Thou my best thought, by day or by night; Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light. 

Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word; I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord. 

Thou my great Father; thine own may I be, Thou in me dwelling and I one with thee. 

Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise; Thou mine inheritance, now and always;

Thou and thou only first in my heart, High King of heaven, my treasure thou art. 

High King of heaven, my victory won, May I reach heaven's joys,

O bright heaven's sun! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Still be my vision, O Ruler of all. 

This song always moves me and I realise that I am so distracted by my present realities that my vision of God dims. I can lean on my own wisdom not His as my first response. I realise how much I care about what others think, their empty praise and my vanity. This song has become a prayer as it is my greater heart desire. My shallow desires are often what we focus on but our deeper desires… the first in our hearts is Jesus. It is this first heart desire and priority that made us become Christians. That we choose to surrender our lives to God and all other desires go down the pecking order. He is the High King of heaven and deserves to be treasured by his created sons and daughters. It is because of Him we are saved. It’s Him our heart longs for and a joy to serve Him. Giving an eternal perspective allows us to say that ‘whatever befalls’ God will still be God of my heart, my vision, purpose and ruler over my life. This whatever befalls attitude reminds me of Daniel. 

Daniel 3:17-18: 

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” 

Daniel and his friends were told not to pray but their deepest desire was God and their integrity prevented them from bowing to other gods. They stood up for what was right and were faithful to God. They had a whatever befalls attitude that did not make them cave into pressure or compromise but press further into God. 

Let us declare to our circumstances that whatever befalls I will not go to my shallow wisdom/ understanding or desire for man’s empty praise but will have the integrity to be true to the deepest desires of our heart in Christ. I pray that we will have a tenacious attitude that seeks His wisdom and perspective, that he will be our vision by day or by night. That I will know God’s presence in my daily life as King of heaven, ruling victorious that whatever befalls I will still be His and remain faithful to Him. 

'Think about / Meditate on': 

• Do I have a ‘whatever befalls’ attitude? 

• How do I remain faithful to God and have integrity in all areas of my life, work, family, friends etc? 

• What prompts can I put in my day to remind me of my deepest desire of God; that in my waking and sleeping his presence remains at the forefront of my mind? How can we practice the presence of God especially at those points we are likely to compromise? 

• Sing this song as a prayer, this version by Audrey Assad: https://youtu.be/Optrm7lF16s

Written by Pastor Katherine (Lead Pastor - C3 UL Sutton Central)

Day 24 - History Maker

Day 24 - History Maker (by Delirious) 

This song captivated me back in the late 90’s when, as an ardent fan, I saw them in concert many times. History Maker though, become something more significant in my life than just a mere song. 

It was a favourite of my oldest brother, Andrew, who died at the age of 24 from heart failure. At the celebration of his life, there were countless stories of people who were impacted by his life, by his humility, compassion and grace, stories of lives changed because of him. He was a history maker. It was apt that this song was played on that day. 

For me, it was a pivotal moment, I was determined to love life, live it to the full, and to be a history maker. Not in the traditional form of being famous for something significant, but for how I lived my life, unashamedly for Jesus Christ, that lives would be changed, that eternal destinies would be changed, making someone’s future history different. 

During my preach yesterday about this song, I started by reading out some names, they were: 

Oskar Schindler - saved 1,200 Jews from deportation to Auschwitz during WW2 by employing them in his factories. 

Sigmund Freud - credited with founding of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst 

Bill Gates - promised to, and arguably delivered on, putting a computer in everyone’s home, through developing Microsoft Windows & Office. 

Tim Berners-Lee - invented the world wide web in 1989. 

Rosa Parks - best known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott. The United States Congress has called her "the first lady of civil rights" and "the mother of the freedom movement".[1] 

Leonardo Da Vinci - one of the greatest painters of all time, but also known for developing concepts for flying machines, concentrated solar power, and the double hull. 

Nicholas Winton - supervised the rescue of 669 children, most of them Jewish, from Czechoslovakia on the eve of World War II. Winton found homes for the children and arranged for their safe passage to Britain 

Martin Luther King - the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. 

Joan of Arc - led the French army in a momentous victory at Orléans in 1429 that repulsed an English attempt to conquer France during the Hundred Years' War. 

Mother Teresa - dedicated her life to caring for the destitute and dying in the slums of Calcutta 

Johan Cruyff - Dutch footballer renowned for his imaginative playmaking, heavy influence on Barcelona’s Tic-Tac style of play. 

All significant in their own right, but I can tell you many other names, not famous or even known to you, but history makers to me, in my life. They carry significant value to me. 

The Oxford Dictionary defines a history maker as a person who influences the course of history or does something spectacular or worthy of remembrance. 

I believe that being a History maker is about the choices you make, not just about the songs you sing. Its about choosing love the person you married and promised to be with, to honouring your friends before yourself, loving your parents, extending care and support to the refugee down your street, having conversations with your quirky neighbour, living generously and extending your table to anyone, to help lifting people out of poverty, walking humbly before the King of Kings. 

The chorus of this song is such a declaration, and I think this is why it is my favourite. There is a boldness to it, it is not a worship song to be sung meekly. 

I'm gonna be a history maker in this land  

I'm gonna be a speaker of truth to all mankind  

I'm gonna stand, I'm gonna run  Into your arms, into your arms again 

Paul wrote to the church in Corinth in 2 Corinthians 3:2 MSG, “Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it—not with ink, but with God’s living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives.” 

All of the names above didn’t decide that they were famous, that was for subsequent generations after them, who decided that they were ‘worthy’ of being called History Makers. I am constantly challenged by this song, not just in that am I living a life that honours these words, but also that is that what people see in me? Do they see Jesus threaded through my life? 

Think it over: 

• Decide to live above or outside the ordinary, one that stands out from the world around us and has an impact upon the direction of the future. 

• Consider how can we live for others, with the impact of your life being felt by them long after your story reaches its conclusion. 

• Reflect on the passage from 2 Corinthians 3:2, if you are honest, what do people read when they see your life? What can you change so that people see more Jesus in you? 

Written by Senior Pastor Tim

Day 23 - You Are Here (Same Power)

Day 23 - You Are Here (Same Power)

This song is one of my favourites, I find it difficult to listen to without wanting to belt it out at full volume! It hits the very core of my faith in Jesus. What the song speaks of is so profound but is summed up in just the title so well.   

The song is entitled ‘You are Here’. That is a foundational truth found in the Word of God. Jesus is here! This has so many connotations for ANYONE in this universe!   

When Jesus went anywhere physically (during His time here on earth), situations changed, and for the better (read the Gospels to find out for yourself)! Sick people were physically healed, mental and spiritual strong holds were broken, the poor were cared for and the downtrodden given a voice. He brought kindness, compassion, forgiveness, faith and love, you can’t argue with these things, Jesus being around is a good thing for everyone!  

The song title reminds us all (Christian or not) that Jesus is here. When He finished His time on earth and ascended to heaven after his resurrection He didn’t leave! Ok maybe in his physical body He did, but He promised by his Holy Spirit will still be here today, and He is, He never breaks a promise. Wow! We need to know that; the world needs to know that! Wherever you are, Jesus by his Holy Spirit is there too (Hebrews 13:5, Psalm 139:7, Matthew 27:51). Remember what happens when Jesus shows up? Whoever you are, wherever you are, in every single moment of your life, amazing miracles are possible because Jesus is here!  

How can you top that? well, as I said, it’s all in the song title. The title of the song is ‘You are Here’ but it’s often called ‘The Same Power’, so much so this line has been added to the title in Brackets (check the CD/mp3 and you can see for yourself). I think that’s because you can’t leave that bit out! It’s too good not to be headline news! Jesus being in our world, available anywhere is just amazing news… but then the Bible tells us not only is He here, but He will actually give His Spirit to live inside you. Not a similar spirit, THE SAME spirit! The same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the grave, He lives in ME! And He will live in anyone else who invites Him in, enabling us to be like Jesus! (Romans 8:11, John 14:12) No wonder people add ‘The Same Power’ to the song title, it’s the almost too good to be true cherry on top of the ‘Jesus is here’ totally incredible cake! Jesus is not just everywhere I go He is part of me, I can be like Him, move, speak, act and pray like Him, that’s a whole new level of WOW!  

This song so simply sums up this truth. The magnitude of what that means for us will take eternity to fully grasp it, but for now I’m going to sing it out as loud as it can, and try to live my life accordingly, because it’s true, Jesus is here and the same power in Him lives in me!  

Think it over / Meditate on: 

• Jesus being here (omnipresent), what does that mean to you regardless of whether you believe it or not?  

• If you are a follower of Jesus Christ (accepted Jesus as your Saviour) the Same Power that raised Christ from the grave lives in you! Does that change how you live your life?  

• If you believe these two truths in the bible, ask Jesus to reveal more to you about how that might affect your daily life.   

• Listen to the song here: https://youtu.be/1OS0HDhnuuA

Written by Mike Thompson

Day 22 - Shout To The Lord

Day 22 - Shout To The Lord (Darlene Zschech)

Our eldest son was about 2, when Steve and found out I was pregnant again, we were thrilled! We had no problems during the first pregnancy, so I didn’t even expect I’d have any problems for the second. 

I reached 12 weeks and told everyone-friends, family and then at 16 weeks I told the children in my class as we were about to break up for the Summer. 

Just a few days later I realised all wasn’t well... After a couple of days of ‘bed rest’ I went to hospital and delivered a tiny baby, at about 16 and a half weeks that looked so perfect...we were both devastated and sad, but then relieved when I fell pregnant just 6 months later. 

Unfortunately this pregnancy only lasted 7 or 8 weeks and I almost found it harder to deal with-possibly as it was the second miscarriage...there was no little baby to mourn...the gap between our first child and his sibling was growing and my plans for another child seemed to have failed... 

Seeing young children with baby brother or sisters was so difficult and several friends were having successful pregnancies which I found upsetting even though I was thrilled for them. 

This song ‘Shout To The Lord, just spoke to me so much in those sad days; although it also made me cry and still does! It was a song to sing over my ‘bump’ when I did then fall pregnant with our second son, now aged 22! 

My Jesus, my Saviour  

Lord there is none like You  

All of my days I want to praise  

The wonders of Your mighty love  

My comfort, my shelter  

Tower of refuge and strength  

Let every breath, all that I am  

Never cease to worship You  

Shout to the Lord all the Earth, let us sing  

Power and majesty, praise to the King  

Mountains bow down and the seas will roar  

At the sound of Your name  

I sing for joy at the work of Your hands  

Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand  

Nothing compares to the promise I have  

In You  

The words are all amazing and about surrendering to God, but the particular line that really spoke to me was ‘I sing for joy at the work of your hands’ and it was declaration over my ‘bump’ that this was the work of God's hands and that this pregnancy would be good. 

The words were hard to sing but it is so important to declare and thank God for His promises. It’s also so powerful to declare truths like ‘all of my days, I want to praise the wonders of your mighty love’. 

He is wonderful and his love is amazing. 

The words ‘My comfort, My shelter, Tower of refuge and strength’ were so important too. God was such a place of refuge, when the world seemed confusing, when my plans had failed and when my body didn’t seem to be doing it’s job properly; God was such a strength, especially when I had no strength of my own at the time. 

The majesty and enormity of who God is, is reflected in the words ‘Mountains bow down and the seas will roar, At the sound of Your name’ - I needed the hugeness of my Father in those bewildering, sad and disappointing times 

Our second child arrived after a good pregnancy and 2 years later, our daughter. Today I do still sing for joy at the work of God’s hands as I know they are amazing and I love all 3 of our kids dearly! 

Think it over / Meditate on: 

• Sing this song over any situations you are going through. Speak his promises out and Declare his majesty - find it here: https://youtu.be/5_aIauL2xKA

• In Jeremiah 29 v11 it states “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Read this, maybe even write it out and put it somewhere that you’ll see every day to remind you of this hope we have in Christ. 

• Pray: Thank you Lord that you have plans for us - plans to give a hope and a future, thank you that I can sing for joy at the work of your hands and in times of sorrow you ARE my tower and strength. Amen 

Written by Fiona Miles

Day 21 - Every Chain (There Is Power)

Day 21 - Every Chain (Will Reagan)

There is power in the name of Jesus There is power in the name of Jesus  

There is power in the name of Jesus  

To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain 

 To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain 

I remember the first time I heard this song. I was working as a youth pastor here in South London and had brought my youth to a local area youth gathering. It was a time in which I had struggled through loneliness and adjusting to living in a new culture. Everything was constantly new and changing, and with that always comes a level of uncertainty.  

As this song was sung, I looked across the room and saw the body of Christ worshipping and a “chain” broke! I felt a peace and belonging among the family of God here. I felt like I belonged. Not a foreigner stumbling through cultural faux pas, but a brother of those in the room. It was a chain that broke for me. Jesus breaks chains. Jesus claims the following of Himself. 

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners” – Luke 4:18 

There is power in the name of Jesus to set captives free! 

Think it over / Mediate on:  

• What chains are weighing on you and keeping you down? 

• How is God asking you to let Jesus break those chains? 

• Listen to the song here performed by Tasha Cobbs: https://youtu.be/ucY6NwQTI3M  

Written by Eric Duey

Day 20 - New Wine

Day 20 - New Wine (Hillsong Worship)

This song was released by Hillsong Worship in 2018 and came into a season of my life when change and big decisions were being faced...as for the song, I loved the melody, and how it lyrically built to the bridge. It expressed so much of what I wanted to be true as a prayer in my life, but some phrases seemed to grate on things I was challenged by and grieving at the time. 

‘New’ - is such a bright word! It means fresh, it’s the opposite of old, so why do we often fear the new? I wrote recently in a social media post that I’ve learned, ‘you can’t have new beginnings, without endings’, I think this is why the new can be hard, because you’re saying goodbye to something ‘old’. It may be something comfortable, something you’re used to, something that's fitted so well...but our God is the God of the new, of transformation, of new starts, and clean lives. 

Matthew 9:17 says, “Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”  

So if we are living as devoted followers of Jesus, we cannot live the way we always have and expect to be able to carry a fresh anointing from God. New wine can only be put into new wineskins and so we must expect new seasons that will require a renewed spirit and heart or vessel for a fresh anointing and calling of God. The bridge (below) builds to such declarations that when we’ve surrendered to God, to the new, there is new power and new freedom in Him! Wow! 

'Cause where there is new wine 

There is new power , there is new freedom 

And the kingdom is here I lay down my old flames 

To carry Your new fire today 

I remember leading worship with this song when it was relatively new to us...trying so hard to push back the tears, I wanted to sing it with conviction, unlike how I’d sung it times before. I used to stop at the lines “I lay down my old flames, to carry Your new fire today”. ‘Why? Well ‘old flames’ back then meant the way things were, dreams, hopes, for me and for others that I’d had, but they were also old ways of thinking, old meaning that it wasn’t fresh for today, wasn’t burning as brightly or as strong. So these had to be laid down to carry what was coming, what was new. That day I didn’t stop at those lines and I remember not caring if tears were streaming down my face. God was doing something new in me, refining me, changing my heart for what was to come… 

The process of making olive oil, which probably isn't too dissimilar to wine, comes to mind when singing the opening verse:

In the crushing In the pressing 

You are making new wine 

In the soil, I now surrender You are breaking new ground 

The olives have to be crushed and pressed hard before any oil is released. In that season I had felt like I had been pushed and pulled (or crushed and pressed) in so many directions and but on looking back have I seen what God was producing in me, refining in me through the pressure and pain. ‘In the soil’ - in the dark place, where I believe a seed does its most work, is where we really are surrendered to God to then allow Him to break up the hard ground in our hearts, to make it fertile again for what’s coming.  

So I yield to You and to Your careful hand 

When I trust You I don't need to understand 

Make me Your vessel 

Make me an offering 

Make me whatever You want me to be 

I came here with nothing 

But all You have given me 

Jesus, bring new wine out of me 

Surrender requires trust. To yield to God should be easy when you trust Him with your life. That line ‘When I trust You I don’t need to understand’ reminds me of Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. When we chose to trust God we can wholeheartedly say that I don’t need to know the why, You Lord be my Captain.  

Think it over / Meditate on: 

• Worship and use this song as a prayer today: https://youtu.be/1ozGKlOzEVc - examine your heart and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas in your life that you need to yield to Him. 

• Are you stepping into something new? Are there new horizons ahead? Tell God how you feel and ask for His peace and ability to leave the old behind. Or do you know someone who is and is anxious about it – pray for them today.  

• What is the ‘new wine’ that Jesus wants to bring out of you, as you spend time in His presence - listen for His voice.  

Written by Senior Pastor Charmaine

Day 19 - Dry Bones

Day 19 - Dry Bones (Lauren Daigle)

We call out to dry bones come alive, come alive We call out to dead hearts come alive, come alive Up out of the ashes let us see an army rise We call out to dry bones come alive 

The idea of God taking that which is dead and bringing it to life is arguably the main theme running through the entire Bible. Metaphorically and literally. Salvation, renewal, restoration, and the reconciliation of all things through Jesus is the good news we call the gospel.  

I have found myself wading into places and into the lives of people devoid of these things to proclaim this good news to them! To cry out to dry bones to come alive!  

Lauren Daigle’s song Dry Bones has been an echo of the cry of my heart for a long time. For me the cry has often been about the dry bones coming to life, from ashes rising into an army! In chapter 37 of Ezekiel (from which this song is based) there is a moment during the vision Ezekiel is having that he has already prophesied to the dry bones and they have become wrapped in flesh but are not yet living. There is no breath in them. The Spirit of God then tells Ezekiel to prophesy the wind to breathe life into them and they come alive and stand as a great army! Their appearance as being whole and restored did not actually result in life, it was only when the breath of God entered them that restoration occurred.  

In its context these verses are about the restoration of Israel but the theme of restoration draws its parallels to the Gospel and its news for today. God is bringing about renewal in the lives of people today, right now, by the power of His Spirit through the work of Jesus He is moving. We want dry bones and hearts to come alive, we know it is only by God’s Spirit this will happen. And so we equally cry out. 

Breathe, oh breath of God Now breathe, oh breath of God Breathe, oh breath of God, now breathe 

Think it over / Meditate on:  

• Who in my life needs to be called back to God? 

• Spend some time in prayer crying out for the breath of God to fill their life. 

• Listen to the song here: https://youtu.be/8jLj8QMkNsI  

Written by Eric Duey

Day 18 - How Great Thou Art

Day 18 - How Great Thou Art (Stuart K. Hine)

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder, Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made; I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed.  

Chorus: Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art. Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art!  

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander, And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees. When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze. 

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing; Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in; That on a Cross, my burdens gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin.  

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation, And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart. Then I shall bow, in humble adoration, And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!" 

‘Consider’ … What a rich and wonderful word that stops you in your tracks! 

This old hymn is one that I love and will sing at the top of my voice when gathered with others to worship the King of Kings. It reached number 2 in the top ten favourite hymns in Britain at one point, behind Amazing Grace, so I know I am not alone in loving it. 

It may not be modern but artists throughout the recent centuries have recorded it. The old English language adds depth and respectful awe as the words declare God’s power, the work of the cross and the eternal hope of being led home with Him. 

When the family was young and I was in the church worship team, or singing in a mission tent during summer camp I would launch into this chorus at our sound check. I usually sang with more passion than ability ‘then sings my soul, My Saviour God to Thee’. It would be a declaration. That the evidence was around me that He was there and had done everything for me to show His love, whatever I had done or faced that day. 

The words shift my gaze to consider Him, to be more aware, and to turn my focus onto Him and not myself. It is a very God honouring song. My attention can be distracted so easily but when I stop and consider: (to think carefully about (something), typically before making a decision or look attentively at) I feel secure in the knowledge of His greatness and mighty power, whatever circumstances I am facing. 

"For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities-His eternal power, and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."(NIV) Romans 1:20 

Think about / To consider: 

• What is grabbing your attention at the moment? Does your gaze need to shift? 

• Have you stopped to think carefully about God today? 

• How do you choose to respond? 

• Listen to the song here, sung by Don Moen and guest: https://youtu.be/v_rWMQp2Hho

Written by Deborah Gill

Day 17 - My Desire

Day 17 - My Desire (Jeremy Camp)

“This is my desire, this is my return. This is my desire, to be used by you – to lay it all down before the King.” 

To be in the service of the King. What does that mean exactly? 

I’m thinking of a scene from the ‘Lord of the Rings” movie trilogy where a young hobbit by the name of Pippen places himself in the service of Denethor, Steward of the throne of Gondor. By placing himself in service to the throne, his life is forfeit. His life no longer belongs to himself, but to the throne and the kingdom of Gondor. Pippen is to give his life, if required, in service. 

Another word for forfeit is relinquish. To hand over, yield or abdicate your life in the service of another. To let go of your plans for the plans of the King. 

I appreciate what the apostle Paul writes to the church in Galatia. 

“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20 (NLT) 

It is no longer Paul who lives, but Jesus living in him. Paul is basically saying that his life is no longer his but now belongs to Jesus (The King). Paul is in the service of the kingdom of God now. To be used by God and for kingdom purposes. 

Even King David placed himself under the lordship of God and desired to do His will. 

“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God!” – Psalm 143:10 

In many ways, King David was just a steward of the nation of Israel. God was the true King. 

Do we have the same desire as both Paul and King David and countless others throughout history to be used by God? To place ourselves in the service of the King. 

I’ll end with this verse from Psalm 84:10 (NLT), 

“A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.” 

It’s both a surrendering of our will and placing ourselves in the kingdom of God. 

Think it over / Meditate on: 

• Why is it difficult to surrender our will to God’s will? 

• What does it look like in your life to be in the service of the King Jesus? 

• Take some time this week to read and meditate on all of Psalm 84 

• Listen to the song here: https://youtu.be/YiS2QzvDhQc

Written by Grant Chinn - Families Pastor

Day 16 - As You Find Me

Day 16 - As You Find Me (Hillsong UNITED)

“I was found before I was lost. I was yours before I was not. Grace to spare for all my mistakes and that part just wrecks me. And I know I deserve this kind of love somehow. This kind of love is who you are. It’s a grace I could never add up. To be somebody you still want but somehow you love me as you find me.” 

To love me as you find me! That is a statement that I find hard to not only comprehend but to accept as truth. 

Did you ever run away when you were a child? Maybe you got as far as a couple of blocks before turning back. Maybe you even arrived at your destination (like your grandparent’s house) and realize it wasn’t as exciting or rebellious as you thought it was going to be. Actually, you were quite disappointed. 

Maybe you ran away because you no longer wanted to be under the supervision of your parents. You wanted to call the shots and live life your way. To go to bed when you wanted to or to eat whatever you wanted for breakfast on a Saturday morning. 

Can you relate even as an adult? I know I can. 

Even today, I have that rebellious streak in me. That part of me (called sin) that wants to do its own thing. I think of the Apostle Paul’s words in the book of Romans. 

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. – Romans 7:15-19 – (NIV) 

I think of the story Jesus tells of the lost son found in Luke 15. You may be familiar with the story. A story about a younger son who recklessly spends his inheritance and finds himself lost and at the end of himself. The story of the son is the story of humanity. The story of me. The story of you. 

Here is where the story gets good. The son receives love where he didn’t believe he deserved it. From His father. Here is what the father says, 

“His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So, the party began.” – Luke 15:21-24 (NLT) 

Did you see those last words from the father? My son was lost, but now he is found. The father accepted the son just as he was and threw a party! Even in the mess! Even when the son made a royal mistake of his life. The Father loved him as he was and threw him a party. How cool is that! 

“You loved me as you found me. I was found before I was lost” 

Think It Over / Meditate On 

• Can you think of a time when you felt unworthy of the Father’s love? 

• How does it make you feel to know that God loves us just as you are? 

• How can we share that kind of love with those around us? 

• Listen to this song here: https://youtu.be/V0eXYR65Z2w

Written by Grant Chinn - Families Pastor

Day 15 - What a Faithful God Have I

Day 15 - What A Faithful God Have I (Dawn & Robert Critchley)

This song is a blast from the past! For those that have been part of C3 UNITEDLIFE in its various forms over the past 30 or so years I’m sure you will remember this classic, for others it may be new! Here's a link to it: https://youtu.be/dH8_SKkieJg 

Even though this song is now 31 years old, and compared to modern music it sounds dated, the content remains true and untarnished. I still sing this one regularly on full volume at home or in the car, because our God is utterly faithful in every way, and by definition will not change!  

Singing this song can often bring me to tears because this truth about God is so outrageous and undeserved (as if we deserved anything of His goodness, but this one in particular brings me to my knees!). It’s so opposite to what we are used to. Contrast His Faithfulness to us, compared to our faithlessness to Him. No one else would endure such a one-sided relationship, let alone peruse it, but He does!   

This song reminds me of that and brings a sense of overwhelming gratitude and ‘unrepayable’ thankfulness. I just don’t deserve a God as good as ours! I don’t deserve His love or the good things He has promised to me! But that is our God! God’s faithfulness to us is above everything we are. His faithfulness is based entirely on Himself, its self-contained, He will not change and will never be unfaithful (Exodus 3:14, 2 Timothy 2:13). All promises in Him are guaranteed, He will protect you, love you, provide for you, heal you and accept you, because of who He is, not how good you are!    

It’s totally incredible! It’s unheard of in this world, but it’s true! What a Faithful God have I.  

Think it over / Meditate on:  

• Did you know that God is always Faithful?  

• Ask God to help you understand His unconditional love and grace to you and what that means for your life. 

Written by Mike Thompson

Day 14 - Jesus All For Jesus

Day 14 - Jesus All For Jesus (Robin Mark)

This song holds special memories for me, as I sang it to both my children in the middle of the night when trying to get them to sleep, it helped to calm me as much as it did them! 

The reason I chose this song to sing to them is because it is one of my favourites. This song speaks of our surrender of our lives to God, something that has always been close to my heart. 

The lyrics are:  

Jesus, all for Jesus 

All I am and have and ever hope to be 

Jesus, all for Jesus  

All I am and have and ever hope to be 

All of my ambitions, hopes and plans 

I surrender these into your hands 

 All of my ambitions, hopes and plans 

I surrender these into your hands 

For it's only in your will that I am free 

For it's only in your will that I am free 

 Jesus, all for Jesus 

All I am and have and ever hope to be  

Many verses in the Bible speak of surrender of our lives to God, probably the most well known is Matthew 22:37 

 Matthew 22:37 

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  

Jesus said this in response to being asked what was the greatest commandment. 

As he often did Jesus makes the answer about our inner man first rather than any specific sinful action. 

 If we are to truly surrender our lives to God, we must surrender all of our heart, soul and mind. This includes our actions, motives, emotions, thoughts and all of our ambitions, hopes and plans.  

We must never hold on to anything so tightly that we cannot let it go to God. This world and all within it is temporary, it will all be gone one day. We must keep our eyes fixed on things that will not pass away, and surrender all that will to God for his purposes.  

Think it over / Meditate on: 

• What does it mean to you to surrender heart, soul and mind? 

• Ask God if you need to surrender anything for him. (Before taking action on this, test it with someone you consider wise) 

• Listen to this song here: https://youtu.be/H1Wa2msOq9c

Written by Pastor Ben (Lead Pastor - C3 UL Sutton Central)

Day 13 - Once Again

Day 13 - Once Again (Matt Redman)

Normally, many of us would be heading off on holiday this month, maybe hitting the beach, absorbing some sun, or maybe a European city break is more your thing. Coronavirus aside, one standard purchase whilst on holiday is a souvenir of some sort, a stick of rock if you’ve been to Brighton, a fridge magnet perhaps, or maybe even a key-ring.

Our children were encouraged to put key-rings on their school bags, to easily identify their bag. Joel had an assortment but his favourite was a key-ring from Singapore. It was his momento, his memory - all he had to do was look at the key-ring of the Merlion and his memories of a fab holiday would come streaming back into his mind.

I’m sure we all have a little keep-sake, something to remind us of a holiday, or someone close to us maybe. A picture often hangs proudly, often lost on others, but to you, it all comes back. You ponder, you think about what it means, the memories associated, a special time or place perhaps, an evening of much laughter maybe.

The lyrics to the song ‘Once Again’ by Matt Redman, describe such a moment, where we reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice for us. We are reminded of the gift of life that it is, and humbled by God’s mercy. The lyrics are powerful and have often moved me to tears in worship as I am reminded of what Jesus went through, for me, so that I could have a eternal destiny changing relationship with Father God.

Philippians 2: 5-8 says Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

Think about / mediate over:

• The cross and Jesus sacrifice. How are you living a life that honours that?

• Are you challenged to be thankful everyday for the gift of life that you have been given?

• Use this song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IBg6wgqnPU) to worship as a song of thanks towards your Heavenly Father.

Written by Senior Pastor Tim

Day 12 - As The Deer Pants

Day 12 - As The Deer Pants (Martyn Nystrom)

‘Don’t give up!’ is a common phrase used in our household – usually in response to one of our children finding it hard to grasp something new, to keep trying when they seem to be struggling, be it a new skill, sport or a maths equation!  

However, there are moments where I have found a strength in ‘yielding’. It’s not a word we use much at all today, but as a young girl I remember singing this song which used that word, it’s in the chorus of As The Deer Pants: 

You alone are my strength, my shield 

To You alone may my spirit yield 

You alone are my heart's desire 

And I long to worship You  

Yielding; it’s all about letting go, when we can’t do something in our own strength...synonyms to yield are: surrender, submit, relent and in this context I don’t believe it’s about giving up either. 

As the deer pants for the water 

So my soul longs after You 

You alone are my heart's desire 

And I long to worship You  

This song (first verse above) is taken from Psalm 42:1-2.  

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. 

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  When can I go and meet with God?  

It speaks to me about our desire for God in our life. It challenges me to ask if I do thirst for God, for His Word, for His presence, for Him like a deer does for water. I don’t always long for God in this way all the time, but I know it becomes a concern when I long for other things above Him. We all need to check ourselves, that Jesus is front and centre in all areas of our lives.  

From a growing desire to long for God and have God in our lives, comes the yielding to Him. I want God to alone by my strength, that if I was without my family and friends and those I depend on, that I would be standing because the source of my strength is found in Christ. To Him alone will I yield, will I surrender my life. When I face challenging circumstances, or when I don’t know the answer, when I can’t do something in my own ability, knowledge or strength – I will lay myself down, put aside my wants, my ideas, my hopes and it’s not not giving up, but giving to the One who knows the unknowns, is the Beginning and the End and say, Jesus: “To You alone may my Spirit yield”.  

Think it over / Mediate on: 

• Is it easy for you to lay down or to yield to God when you can’t fix something or bring solution?  

• Are you challenged to love God with a new thirst for Him today? Ask Him to give you a renewed desire to be Lord of your life. 

• Use this song to worship (https://youtu.be/dlCi53Q-B3k) as a pray towards your Heavenly Father. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh as you surrender your life to God today 

Written by Senior Pastor Charmaine