Tag: arms

Coventry Carol

Karla Lees

Lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
By, by, lully, lullay.
Lullay, Thou little tiny Child.
By, by, lully, lullayb

The days in which God determines Jesus was to arrive here on earth were tremulous ones.

Great political unrest, overtaxing, long hard days forced to serve ‘landlords’ not of your choosing. Revolution was constantly simmering when it wasn’t breaking out against the oppressors.

God’s people were crying out for their Messiah.

When Herod began the slaughter of all the boy children of Israel in the hopes of destroying the newborn King, many families were suddenly grieving and wailing and grieving over the sudden loss of their children.

For you know who hoped to stop God in His tracks, in a feeble attempt to undermine His will, but a very costly one to those left with empty arms and wounded hearts.

Many likely thought all hope was lost.

And into that exact time and place, God chose to deliver His people through Jesus, soon to be delivered into the world as one of His people, as well as His Beloved son.

God did not let the madness of one fearful king halt the delivery method He was choosing to set His people free.

We know that God has always heard the cries of His people for deliverance, and mourned with them over their losses. The Bible is full of true life stories of His rescues.

If you are empty armed, missing your loved one, whether they have passed on or are on the other side of the country or world?

God hears your pain and lament.

I believe this song must have been written by someone who lost a child, and was horrified by reading the account of Herod killing an entire generation of boys.

We all should be, for God was horrified by it as well.

So full of compassion for His people, He sent His Son to us, to give us a beacon of Hope we could reach out and touch.

Because our God is the God of all comfort, justice, hope and compassion.

He couldn’t turn away from the cries of the brokenhearted. The frustrated. The poor. The exhausted. The empty armed. Those grieving. Those without hope.

This Christmas, if you hear this song of lament, be reminded of His compassion.

Each person ever in history has mattered to Him.

Those you have lost or had taken from you included.

Jesus came as one of the weakest to show us that weakness does not mean God cannot use you.

He came as one of us to show us that God understands the frailties of humanity first hand.

He came as an expression of God’s great love for each and every one of us.

And is right there beside us when we are hurting, feeling lost, wavering in our hope, and needing a God would can reach out and hold us as we lament.

So if you need to cry this Christmas, for it isn’t the holiday you thought it would be?

Allow Him to rock you in His loving arms as you lament.

God came right smack dab in the middle of turmoil to be there with us, for us, as one of us.

That same Love has not changed, and never will.
image

Historical Background:

This lyrics for this piece were written in 1534 for a Christmas pageant by Robert Croo, the composer is still unknown, but believed to be in the early 1500’s.

come Home

Karla Lees

Come home, hope-filled prisoners!
-God

He is always calling us back to Him.

This invitation is constantly being whispered to, sung over, insinuated as God reminds us, over and over, how much He longs for us.

Not just because He wants to be with us, in the romantic sense.

But because He wants us free.
Filled again with hope.
Rebuilt with His love as our foundation.
Putting His gifts within us to use for his Kingdom.

All of which primarily benefitting us.

Did you catch that, Beloved?

When we make it Home, He makes us whole.

The way we were always meant to be. The way He designed us to become.

Our part is to come Home.

Home is where our heart lives

.

And until our heart longs to be with God, we can be easily swayed by earthly pleasures and settle for trivial pursuits.

Imprisoned in a false home of our making.

Today, His heart is reminding you He is your true Home.

His arms wait for you to return, draw close and connect with Him.

The areas of bondage within us will stop at nothing to try to keep us bound, because there couldn’t be more than survival and the way things always are, could there?

I believe this verse gives us the clue.

Come home, HOPE FILLED prisoners.

We may even have to ask Him to stir up that very hope within us to be able to believe there is more than we can see, sense or feel right now.

He will.

He waits.

He loves.

He’s Home.

#songfortheBeloved

lean into Hope

Karla Lees

image

His timing is perfect.

The Max Lucado quote above jumped out at me last Sunday night, again yesterday morning, and won’t leave me be.

This morning, I awoke to the beginnings of a migraine. and this quote jumped back out to me, yet again.

I choose to believe it’s God reminding me of the truth it contains.

Lean into Hope.

God knows we need a shoulder to lean on and strong arms to hold us. That’s His job. Ours is to learn in at all times, trusting He is there for us. No matter what.

Heed the call of heaven.

We can’t find our path through the storms without His light showing us the way through. We may not be able to see our way, but if we are listening for His voice, we can hear His direction guiding us onwards.

Press into the Promises.

Our God is the God of Promise. What He says will happen, will.
What He says He will do, He will.
The precious promises He has wrapped throughout the Bible are there for us to wrap our hearts about when things are bumpy, painful or seemingly exhausted of hope.

These three short sentences all have something in common, besides all being penned by the same man.

They are all calls to action.

We need to choose to do these three steps in order to keep our equilibrium during the storms.

Because God is waiting for us to lean, heed and press in to Him.

He can’t do those steps for us.

He can be with us when we accept His reminders and invitations to come…

Lean on the arms which never tire, heed His loving voice speaking hope and life, press in to our ever present never shaken Rock.

He is the strength we need.
He is the love we crave.
He is the foundation we long for.

You do remember He adores you? Always has, always will?
No matter what?

Choose Hope, Beloved.

Every day, every time, every season.

For He alone will never fail to rekindle our hope when we put our faith and trust in Him.

open arms await at the end of your journey home

Karla Lees

image

The part of the Prodigal son story that really got me in the gut?

The fact the son knew the Father would take him back in.

Now, I know he missed exactly how much his father loved him under the weight of his shame, but he still knew he had a place with God.

So do you and I.

God gets that we will sometimes stray, wander & journey far. He intimately knows each of us, and as our Creator He knew this would be an lasting impact from the fall.

But He never stops waiting for us to come home.

Wherever your journey takes you today, He both waits and keeps watch over you.

His love is radiating out His eyes as He follows your steps.

His heart beats loudly as it yearns for your return.

He doesn’t have servanthood in store for you, but sonship.

He will restore the damages done as you wandered, pilgrim.

Wherever your feet may have strayed.

Come home.

let go

Karla Lees

Yesterday morning, I had a strong impression during the church service.

Our pastor was saying how much God was wanting us to go deeper with Him, and invited us to pray along those lines.

In that moment, I saw a picture of myself clinging onto a buoy out at sea.
The waves were high and a storm was stirring things up.

I was afraid, and clinging out of fear onto the buoy for dear life.

And God whispered to me, “You can let go now. I won’t let you drown. The waves will not overcome you as you follow me into the deep. You will be safe in My arms.”

As a child, I had a fear of falling, having fallen out of a moving car as a preschooler.

My fear of heights was rooted in my fear of falling.

It has become obvious to me that my fear of falling is not fully uprooted from the image I saw yesterday.

I am still afraid.

I still doubt that God is going to catch me, carry me, keep me safe in some part deep within me.

And God loves me too much, so much, He doesn’t want that fear directing me any longer.

So He highlighted it for me in such a way that I could see it, and His living care, all at once.

He wants me all in, not keeping parts of myself tethered to fear.

Storms, major and minor, have come and gone in my life, and will continue to do so all the seasons of my life.

God has been there, rock solid, for each and every one.

I can depend on Him to hold me.
To keep me safe.
To continue to love me no matter what.

He needs me to let go and trust:

He is more than enough to keep my head above water.

He will guide me where He leads His river to take me.

His love for me is so great it will squelch my fear if I let Him have it,and replace it with a greater sense of His presence.

His love is my anchor.

The waves may be high; His love is higher still.

The water will be deeper than I can reach at times; His reach is deeper than I can imagine.

The storms may be darker than a moonless midnight sky; His Presence is bright enough to light my way.

I need to let go of the buoy of fear, and leap into His waiting arms.

Do you need to join me?

Let’s make the leap from fear together.

image

Painting by: http://fromourcove.blogspot.ca/2013/08/fairway-buoy.html?m=1