Tag: breath

In any present darkness, a breath to praise brings the Lord’s presence of light.

“Be still my soul, the Lord is in thy side. Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain. Leave to thy God to order and provide. In every change, He faithfully will remain.

Be still my soul, thy best and heavenly friend, through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.”(Hymn, Be Still My Soul by Katharina von Schlegel).

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, My God, my strength, in whom I will trust . . .

He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.

He brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me . . . For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?

It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect . . . The LORD lives! Blessed be my Rock!

It is God who avenges me . . . Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD . . . And sing praises to Your name” Psalm 18.

I recorded Be Still My Soul with portions of Psalm 18 in the midst of my cancer battle 10 years ago. Bald, sick from chemo, weak, anxious about finances, and school lessons and schedules, kid’s health, etc., yet speaking and singing hymns was God’s living and breathing therapy for me.

He lifted me. The LORD God, Creator of the heavens and earth and everything in it held me up. The prayers of family and the saints far and wide were heard by the Lord.

His hand was on our family. He gave exceptional gifts to my kids. God was faithful, (even in my faithlessness at times). What a gracious, compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in mercy and forgiveness, (Ex. 34:6,7).

Yes, I believe God’s Word. He touched me physically, emotionally, and spiritually and kept me during a very dark time, and continues each and every day continuing.

“I LOVE the LORD, because He has heard My voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live . . . ” Psalm 116:1,2.

And of my days, there will be no end. All because of Jesus taking all my failure on the cross. He forgives me. He cleansed me. He gives me hope today. He is risen, and He continually raises me up and rescues me.

And He stretches His arms out and offers this to all who will believe. “Yes, Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. Increase my faith.”

If there is one person this blesses, it’s enough for me -Toni

song of prophesy: Bring Me to My Knees

(Joel 2:28)”And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy…”
My son Chris wrote a song a few years ago in 2008 with his band, ‘asforme’. I didn’t know it at the time, but I know it now -it is prophesy. It speaks true of the human heart and mind at some time in one’s life. It is called, Bring Me To My Knees. 
“How long O Lord will You be silent? Will You forget me?
How long O Lord, will You be silent? Will You hide Your face from me? m
“I thought I knew You better than this. So why can’t I hear You?
I thought I knew You better than this, so I’m crying out to You.”
“Bring me to my knees until I breathe, until I hear You, and take me to my face until I break – “I’m lost without You!”
In life, all that happens, God uses…and His word says, ‘He makes all things work together for good.’ (Romans 8:28).
Well, the song has a bridge: “The night is dark and cold, but still the morning comes. The night is dark and cold, but still the morning comes…” perhaps every life has a bridge as well. Much like a ‘bridge over troubled waters’ so to speak !
I believe that bridge is God! He’s got a hold on His children.
But the ‘bridge’ of the song( and of life itself) brings us around:To, “Bring me to my knees until I breathe, until I hear You, and take me to my face until I break – “I’m lost without You!”
God uses those cries in the ‘dark, cold’ nights and He ... “Bring(s) me to my knees until I breathe, until I hear You, and take me to my face until I break – “I’m lost without You!”
Nothing makes sense when great loss occurs- of career, or of a loved one, or huge disappointment, or great physical or mental tests and trials.
And many of us understand these words:
“The night is dark and cold,… but still the morning comes…”
And we even understand the repetition as well, as time goes on and on:
“the night is dark and cold, but still the morning comes…”
But GOD. This is the difference right here, this is what makes all things ‘work together’ for good:
“But in this day, I will rejoice, knowing I will breathe again, and in this day I will rejoice and
I will love you more.”
Making the choice to ‘worship’ while waiting IS the very breath. Making the choice to ‘worship’ when the ‘water-pots’ are empty at the wedding feast of life (so to speak) IS when we hear Him (Jesus) say: “Fill the water-pots with water.”(John 2:5-8).
Are we going to argue? Are we going to complain because those water-pots are 20 gallons each and there are 6 of them?! “That is way too hard!” ” And this doesn’t make any sense at all!” Are these our thoughts?
Oh, so often they are. That’s why the wrestling:
Oh yes, we do ask these words, we do over and over again:, “How long, O Lord? will You be silent…?”
And we can admit that we’ve even felt like this:
“I thought I knew You better than this. So why can’t I hear You?
I thought I knew You better than this, so I’m crying out to You.”
God allows at times, our days to be like ‘night’, ‘cold and dark’,  yet ‘still the morning comes.’
And He ‘brings us to our knees’. This is how He makes ‘all things work together for good. Perhaps, because He understands that our greatest good begins when we are ‘brought to our knees,’ seeking our King.
“Bring me to my knees until I breathe, until I hear You. And take me to my face until I break -I’m lost without You!”
The Lord is faithful, holding us in His hands. His love is unsearchable. When we are faithless, He is faithful still. That’s what the Bible tells us.
But the song has a bridge. Just as we have a bridge over our troubled waters: ” The night is dark and cold, but still the morning comes. The night is dark and cold, but still the morning comes…”
Bring me to my knees until I breathe, until I hear You. Take me to my face, ‘till I break, I’m lost without You!”
“It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting,…Sorrow is better than laughter, For by a sad countenance the heart is made better…” (Ecclesiastes 6:2,3).
“But in this day, I will rejoice, knowing I will breathe again. But in this day I will rejoice, and I will love You more.”
Our hearts are made ‘better’ by our times of struggle and trial when we choose to see Him and Know Him more. He is concerned with our holiness, which is eternal, which in the end brings great happiness for today and forever.
Do you feel afflicted with great trial? (Isaiah 53:4,5) “Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted…”
Why would God allow suffering?
(Isaiah 53:5) “He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”
Did Jesus know a dark and cold night?
(Is. 53:7)He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth.
…”All we like sheep have gone astray;(Is. 53:6).
God in His mercy knew that ‘before I was afflicted I went astray’
“But now I keep Your Word.” …and in this day I will rejoice, and I will love You more.”
Thank you Chris for writing a song that touches my heart and speaks so prophetically of all of my days. I love you forever.