Lifting My Eyes to Things Yet Unseen

Ephesians 5:1-21

For this reason it says,
“Awake, sleeper,
And arise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you.”

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.  So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

These verses about being filled with the Spirit and speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs are some of my favorite to meditate on.  Although, I don’t have a clear vision of how God intended for us to live these verses out, I imagine it being something like living in The Sound of Music and singing “A Few of My Favorite Things” during a thunderstorm, but much more glorious.

When Mike and I were in Pigeon Forge the week before Joel went home, we saw a couple of musical shows and heard one artist reminisce about gathering with friends and family to play and sing songs and hymns on their front porches in the Tennessee Mountains.  I told Mike that my one regret now that the kids are getting older was that we hadn’t spent more time as a family singing and playing music.. worshiping together.  Living in the mountains would have been a big bonus.

We did share some family worship times.  I taught the kids a little piano and we sang hymns together during devotions.  Mike taught them how to play bass and guitar, we led worship in children’s church and started iWorship for the young adults in our church in Florida.  James learned how to run sound.  Judi was the coolest female bassist ever.  Josh and Joel worked, as they could, on starting their own band.  Joel played his guitar constantly; while writing school papers, while solving math problems, even while playing video games.  I miss hearing him dearly.  I don’t have a video of Joel playing.. but he probably learned from watching one like this:

When Jesus returns, by His grace I hope to be found awake and filled with the burning oil of His Holy Spirit.  I believe that these verses hold a key to one of the things that awakens and fills our hearts: making melody with our heart to the Lord; worshiping in Spirit and in truth, loving and encouraging each other through psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, while giving thanks to God for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus.

This song by Lou Fellingham and others have been a great encouragement to me.. helping me to keep my eyes looking up and my heart set on His.  I am so thankful for the gift of music and it’s usefulness in teaching, encouraging and strengthening our inner man.  I am thankful for the musicians and anointings and other gifts that the Lord has blessed His church with and most of all I am thankful for His Presence in the midst of our worship and the promise of His glorious return.

(lyrics)

There is a day
That all creation’s waiting for,
A day of freedom and liberation for the earth.
And on that day
The Lord will come to meet His bride,
And when we see Him
In an instant
We’ll be changed

The trumpet sounds
And the dead will then be raised
By His power,
Never to perish again.
Once only flesh,
Now clothed with immortality,
Death has now been
Swallowed up in victory

We will meet Him in the air
And then we will be like Him
For we will see Him, as He is
Oh yeah!
Then all hurt and pain will cease
And we’ll be with Him forever
And in His glory we will live
Oh yeah! Oh yeah!

So lift your eyes
To the things as yet unseen,
That will remain now
For all eternity.
Though trouble’s hard,
It’s only momentary
And it’s achieving
Our future glory.

For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a
shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and
the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in
the air, and thus shall we always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort
one another with these words.”  I Thessalonians 4:13-18

Looking forward to that Day,

Jenny