Rock or Knock: Rock.
Artist: Kari Jobe
Song: Steady My Heart.
Lyrics:
Wish it could be easy
Why is life so messy
Why is pain a part of us
There are days I feel like
Nothing ever goes right
Sometimes it just hurts so much
But You’re here
You’re real
I know I can trust You
Even when it hurts
Even when it’s hard
Even when it all just falls apart
I will run to You
‘Cause I know that You are
Lover of my soul
Healer of my scars
You steady my heart
I’m not gonna worry
I know that You got me
Right inside the palm of your hand
Each and every moment
What’s good and what gets broken
Happens just the way that You plan
{pre-chorus and chorus}
And I will run to You
And find refuge in Your arms
And I will sing to You
‘Cause of everything You are
You steady my heart
Let me start out by saying that Kari Jobe is not only an amazing singer, her album is simply fantastic. I almost never buy an album based on one song (in this case it was “Savior’s Here”) but I was not at all disappointed, it was worth every penny. Buy it.
In keeping with this week’s apparent theme of trusting, remaining in Him and finding peace this song seemed to fit perfectly. I drove around running my usual errands yesterday and wondered what song I would feature when this one popped up in my random mix of songs and how fitting it is! I talk a lot about finding God in between the lyrics and listening for His voice in secular songs and that is a wonderful thing. However, this week I feel like I’ve needed to hear His voice more clearly and not strain my ears to listen between the lyrics for Him. Sometimes I need to hear His voice beating me over the head and this song beautifully – and far less painfully – fits that bill.
There is hardly a word in this song I disagree with. I wish it could be easy, I wonder why life gets so messy and why pain is a part of us. Can’t we just escape it all? We’ve enjoyed our little experiment on Earth and I think by now we can all say we’d appreciate the struggle-free life of Heaven, but once again we find that we aren’t there yet. There are days, weeks in fact where I feel like nothing ever goes right. I’m finding in those weeks (a.k.a. for some odd reason, this week) He is there and He is inviting us to trust Him more. It is an invitation we are free to turn down and sometimes it is so tempting to send the RSVP card back to Him and say thanks, but no thanks! Sorry I can’t make it! If only. We know we can trust Him, we just forget that, or at least I do and I’m betting I’m not alone. In fact, He’s the only person we’ve ever been able to trust completely, with our whole hearts. As I sit here writing this I find it hard to come up with a single person that I have ever been able to trust completely. As sad as that may sound it calls me to put my trust in Him far more than I place it in others. We can trust Him, even when it hurts, even when it’s hard, even when it all just falls apart, even when we just fall apart. God knows there have been more than just a few times when I go into a chapel or a church and I just fall apart. I sob. Like a baby. Or I sit there with my arms crossed and give God my nastiest death glare. Even then I trust that He can take it. I run to Him because I know He is the lover of my soul and the healer of my scars. I run to Him because, if I’m being really honest, sometimes I forget that He is the lover of my soul and the healer of my scars and I need to be reminded. He, above and beyond anyone or anything else I have yet to experience in this life, steadies my heart.
Today I’d like to skip the second verse. Well, let’s be honest here, most everyday I’d like to skip the second verse. I’ve been struggling a lot lately with phrases like, “Your will be done” and “I know that You’ve got this” and “Your plan, not mine.” I feel as though they are a death sentence. I have my plans and I have a will, and it can be pretty strong when I don’t check it at God’s feet. I know He’s got this, but for some crazy reason (a.k.a. PRIDE) I’d like to take the lead. So, I am gonna worry, and that’s just the way it is. But that’s not the way He wants it to be. I love the idea behind “each and every moment, what’s good and what gets broken happens just the way that You plan” but I don’t like actually saying it or singing it, much less living it out. In my heart of hearts I believe that to be true, but I still find myself holding on, especially to what gets broken. More often than not I don’t want things to get broken – relationships, families, friends, jobs, etc. – and yet they do. Sometimes I see it coming and sometimes I don’t but those are the times I usually struggle the most to trust God and to continue to believe that it is still all according to His plan.
In spite of it all we are encouraged to run to Him and to find refuge in His arms. Even when it hurts. Even when it’s hard. Even when it all just falls apart. Because it will hurt. It will be hard. And it will fall apart. And through it all…He will steady our hearts, so long as we remain in Him. Has this lesson been beaten into your heads yet? I certainly feel like He’s driving home the point every day, and if I’m honest is scares me because I fear that He’s getting me this close because something is about to break. I can hear Him continually saying, “Remain in Me. I will steady your heart.” I pray He steadies yours as well.
What I’m Listening To…
“Steady My Heart” by Kari Jobe
“One Desire” by Kari Jobe
“Trying” by Lifehouse
“Stop The World” by Matthew West
