Matt Redman "Blessed be your name."
Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name
Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name
Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name
Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name
----------------------------------------
Between all the things happening in the world this past week, or for that matter, this past month, we need to step back and be reminded that God is still here. Just because there is sorrow in the world because of what is happening, is no excuse for us to forget God in all of this.
"Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name"
I think we sometimes, (because I am guilty of this and have been humbled by it this week,) that we sometimes to forget to praise God and thank Him at all times regardless if we are in plenty or in want. I am reminded of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 with Redman's song, because it's a perfect reminder of the fact that we are in a season at all times in our lives.
"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace."
-------------------------------------------------------
We need to (I'd say remember, but that's not the word I'm looking for) be proactive in our praise of God. If we just praise Him when it's going well for us, then what happens when disaster strikes and we complain about the fact that we have nothing.
My Uncle lived by this principle, praising God in both the good and the bad. and because of that my uncle was given much unto him, not unlike the faithful servant of Matthew 25: 14-30
“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
“‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
--------------------------------------------------------
My uncle was like the man who was given 5 bags, not only did he double what God gave him, but he went out and helped and taught others how to double their gifts of what God gave to them. and for that, my uncle was rewarded with much; a family, friends who loved him, many many more who admired him because of his faithfulness to God and his attitude of loving and caring towards anyone and everyone who came across his path.
I had a dream the night that my uncle was called to Heaven, based off Matthew 25:21 where the master says "
Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’"
I saw my uncle being awarded the gift of eternal life, and then I heard him say to me, "Arise, for it is now your turn to inspire others, and bring many more, your gifts and your journey are just beginning, but you will have rewards waiting for you, just because of your gifts and caring and loving and listening to others. Go, and be blessed, for now you are a man after God's heart." I then felt God's love and comfort as it spread not only over me, but my entire family as a reminder that He is still there; always.
When all is said and done, when everything that you know is gone, when there is nothing, and all that is left as you. What will you do? Will you praise God, or will you complain because you have nothing? I ask you to think about this, because this is something that is eternally important, for us all. I've had this running through my head all this week, and finally God said to me tonight, "It is time, let the world be reminded once again that I am here and that I love them, and that I am the ultimate lover and I long for them."
SO I say thank you tonight to two people; Jesus for His love and death and for my uncle who taught me many things, who weathered many seasons in his life to be an example that others could see and be inspired from.
Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name
Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name
Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name
Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name
----------------------------------------
Between all the things happening in the world this past week, or for that matter, this past month, we need to step back and be reminded that God is still here. Just because there is sorrow in the world because of what is happening, is no excuse for us to forget God in all of this.
"Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name"
I think we sometimes, (because I am guilty of this and have been humbled by it this week,) that we sometimes to forget to praise God and thank Him at all times regardless if we are in plenty or in want. I am reminded of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 with Redman's song, because it's a perfect reminder of the fact that we are in a season at all times in our lives.
"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace."
-------------------------------------------------------
We need to (I'd say remember, but that's not the word I'm looking for) be proactive in our praise of God. If we just praise Him when it's going well for us, then what happens when disaster strikes and we complain about the fact that we have nothing.
My Uncle lived by this principle, praising God in both the good and the bad. and because of that my uncle was given much unto him, not unlike the faithful servant of Matthew 25: 14-30
“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
“‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
--------------------------------------------------------
My uncle was like the man who was given 5 bags, not only did he double what God gave him, but he went out and helped and taught others how to double their gifts of what God gave to them. and for that, my uncle was rewarded with much; a family, friends who loved him, many many more who admired him because of his faithfulness to God and his attitude of loving and caring towards anyone and everyone who came across his path.
I had a dream the night that my uncle was called to Heaven, based off Matthew 25:21 where the master says "
Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’"
I saw my uncle being awarded the gift of eternal life, and then I heard him say to me, "Arise, for it is now your turn to inspire others, and bring many more, your gifts and your journey are just beginning, but you will have rewards waiting for you, just because of your gifts and caring and loving and listening to others. Go, and be blessed, for now you are a man after God's heart." I then felt God's love and comfort as it spread not only over me, but my entire family as a reminder that He is still there; always.
When all is said and done, when everything that you know is gone, when there is nothing, and all that is left as you. What will you do? Will you praise God, or will you complain because you have nothing? I ask you to think about this, because this is something that is eternally important, for us all. I've had this running through my head all this week, and finally God said to me tonight, "It is time, let the world be reminded once again that I am here and that I love them, and that I am the ultimate lover and I long for them."
SO I say thank you tonight to two people; Jesus for His love and death and for my uncle who taught me many things, who weathered many seasons in his life to be an example that others could see and be inspired from.
