Dear God
If you’re like me, you’ve got enough life under your belt to know that life is painful and rarely fulfills our expectations. You know pain intimately and because you love you have been hurt. Deeply. More than once. Or even twice. And maybe you’ve cried out, “Dear God!” possibly in a profane manner, more than you can count.
Have you lost hope? Feel like you’re in this alone? That might be your reality, but it’s not the truth. The Fountainhead of truth says He’s always with us. He’ll never abandon us. It’s not in His nature, more accurately He is unable to abandon us. Drawing close to Him, giving purposeful attention to Him brings His presence into focus.
I love “Dear God,” the song by Cory Asbury, which he released sometime last year. I enjoy the sweetness of the song. I’m not sure Corey would describe it that way, but it’s such a tender few minutes with God. Corey even leaves a couple of minutes at the end of the track to simply sit in God’s presence or for the listener to pour out praise to Him. Either way, it’s a beautiful way to enjoy a few minutes with God.
Put the eyes of your heart on Him and recall all the good things that He has done. Remember the time when the pain felt like too much. Can you remember the quiet, peaceful presence of God as He waited to see if you’d allow Him to tend to you?
If you can’t remember Him in the pain, take a moment and ask Him now, “Where were You, God?” Write down what you hear, think, feel, smell. Talk it through with Him.
Enjoy the times that you remember when you did allow Him into your suffering. Recall His tenderness as He sat with you. How He would shepherd you forward when you were ready to make progress and then let you rest when you needed to slow down. He knew your pace. He wasn’t in a rush. He watched you to see what you needed and when you were ready.
Want to be loved on for just a moment? Take the time to let God love on you. Lay down your striving heart. Put aside the To Do list and the need to say the right prayers and do all the right things to earn His favor. Take a deep breath. Let your shoulders drop and relax the lines in your forehead.
Take the time to listen to this song. May the sweetness of this truth linger on you like perfume, and may you return to the truths Cory reminds us of over and over again. Lay your head against the chest of your Bridegroom. Forget about the world around you and exchange an intimate few moments with the One who is writing a bigger love story with you no matter what this world tries to put on you.
Live Loved and Thrive!
Here are the lyrics to the song and the Youtube link for the song with the video. If you prefer the song as a standalone, download the music to your preferred listening device. It’s “Dear God” by Cory Asbury on his album “To Love A Fool.”
Music video: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKmcSqv0TcJMw_Bew0rawNQ
Lyrics: https://bethelmusic.com/chords-and-lyrics/dear-god/
PS: One of the sweet parts of this song is “try again.” But don’t turn it into a to do list of striving and working to please people or earn points with God. Use the try again as not giving up. Use the try again as a way of giving God your yes when He calls you to Him. Make it a yes when He wants to work in an area of your life. Make it a yes to spending time with Him simply being in his presence and discovering his heart.
Lay down all of the doing and make it more about the being with Him. Then when you move out into your doing (your day), no matter the circumstance or the situation you show up rested, peaceful and equipped.
Self-reflection
These questions are in no way a substitute for healthcare professionals or any level of professional counseling. I’m an advocate for taking care of oneself mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. These questions reflect my heart, NOT my profession.
This questionnaire is an opportunity to journal your thoughts and feelings. It can serve as a launching pad on which to evaluate your heart condition as you understand it. My hope is that you will take the truths you discover about yourself and hold them up to the Light to evaluate them against who God says you are.
When you were listening to Cory Asbury’s song:
- What truth did you need to hear?
- Is there a lie you have believed and need to rewrite with a simple truth that Cory reminded you of?
- Have you been striving to please people? God?
- What is a heavy burden that your heart needs to give to God?
- What is your biggest fear with regard to this pain in your heart?
- Can you trust God with that worst case scenario if it does happen?
- What does it mean to you to know that God says you’re enough?
- Is God’s love something you feel is too good to be true? If so, spend some one-on-one time with God and talk to Him about how you’re feeling.
Take Action
Use God’s Word to take control over the traumas in your life. Whenever you feel terrorized by your thoughts take them captive by replacing them with the truth of God’s promises in His Word.
Here is a scripture for you to print, cut and carry with you and/or post in places where you will see it often. Ground yourself in God’s truths not Satan’s attacks. Encourage your heart and mind every time you are reminded of His great love for YOU!
Here is what God’s Word says about His unfailing, relentless, unending love for you:
“The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.’” Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)
Translation:
God’s love is everlasting. He never grows weary or becomes jaded about life. His love is never-ending, faithful, and reliable. From generation to generation, He gently calls to us, drawing us with His loving kindness, His grace, and unfailing mercy.
