I've tried to start this blog about a dozen times. I've listened to the song a million times now. Every time I have an intense emotional reaction. But I can't figure out how to write about it. The words sit there spilling out of my eyes and not my fingers. I'm writing this on my phone because I think I finally connected the thoughts swirling in my head and don't want to lose it. Please forgive any typos.
Have you ever thought how we make our plans for our life. The 1 year, 2 year, 5 year goals? The place we think we'll be? And then we think somehow because we made those goals and they might be good and godly goals, inspired by God, but we think then we have some claim to them. Like we should be definitely headed there. What do you do when you aren't headed on that path?
You unearth me like a vein of gold
With the powers that drive up the flowers from the fold
You cast me, uncursed, unearth my body and my soul
Like fire from my ashes, like fire from my coals
Have you ever found yourself then worrying about those goals? Worrying about how you're going to get there. Worrying about how you could possibly do the thing you set out to do? Who you think you are, who you are meant to be?
And I build my life around
Someone who I thought that I was
But it turns out
All the things I do to feel young
They only make me old
Or maybe on that path you feel like you got derailed? Or like you are chosing the very opposite of what would get you there? In Matthew, Jesus is hanging on the cross and people are taunting him. "The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. “Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!” The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus. “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him! He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”" (Matthew 27:39-43 NLT) What do you do when you feel like your goals are shattered? Do you react to the taunts, give in to the temptations? Do you find yourself taunting others in your pain?
But you raise me
Like a baby
Like a fiery Phoenix bird
Oh, and you lift me up
Like Lazarus
And love me like death in reverse
Friends, in the middle of the pile of ash that your goals may feel like, the person you thought you were, the person you are feeling yourself become, God is there. Raising you up. Like a baby he lifts you up out of your shame and pain. He takes the taunts. So that He can give you new life. So He can love you like death in reverse.
Be encouraged today. May you find yourself loved in God's reverse way.
You descend upon me like a rolling stone
Like black swan raging on for all that I know
You know it unnerves me when I lose control, and I'm
All out of options and I'm out of my head
Then I build my life around
Someone who I thought that I was
But it turns out
All the things I do to feel young
They only make me old
But you raise me
Like a baby
Like a fiery Phoenix bird
Oh, and you lift me up
Like Lazarus
And love me like death in reverse
You unearth me like a vein of gold
With the powers that drive up the flowers from the fold
You cast me, uncursed, unearth my body and my soul
Like fire from my ashes, like fire from my coals
And I build my life around
Someone who I thought that I was
But it turns out
All the things I do to feel young
They only make me old
But you raise me
Like a baby
Like a fiery Phoenix bird
Oh, and you lift me up
Like Lazarus
And love me like death
You love me like death
You love me like death in reverse
And all my life I've been
Fighting for a place I could thrive
But it turns out
All the things I do to survive
They only make me old
But you raise me
Like a baby
Like a fiery Phoenix bird
Oh, and you lift me up
Like Lazarus
And love me like death
You love me like death
You love me like death in reverse
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: John Mark Mcmillan
Death In Reverse lyrics © Meaux Jeaux Music, Raucous Ruckus Publishing
Enjoyed reading your thoughts. It can be so easy to hold on tightly to our plans and dreams.
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