All of us have our favorite music we  listen to in the car, while we are hanging out, or cleaning house. The combination of worship, blogging with you, and encounters with others led me to this incredible moment.  I had just experienced the culmination of events that swept over me like that rush you feel when you are on a roller coaster ride and hit the first hill or loop. I pressed on through it with prayer and purpose.  As I was pressing forward, I decided to take this roller coaster ride with my hands raised (Bring it on!), and I decided to turn on Kari Jobe.  I was hoping for back ground noise – a distraction – and what God gave instead was an encounter with Him.  I sat on my bed and soaked Him up!  Have you ever experienced a moment in which all your senses were ignited, and for that moment your ears were open to a new message, your mind pointed and focused on a truth, and there was no confusion but deep clarity?

I don’t want to over-simplify this message, and believe me there is more to the story that would suggest I’m not.  Dig deep with me!  Think of a circumstance in your life that is all-consuming.

When Kari Jobe sang this simple line:

“Only one man took the nails…”

I experienced a movement in my soul work. Jesus spoke loud and clear to my heart. 

“Anna, why do you linger and suffer on these issues?”  “I took that.” 

“What do you mean God?” 

“THAT – the thought, the vileness, the hurt, the stress, the confusion – I TOOK THAT!” 

We often call stressful events as” blows in life” as if we have been physically or emotionally hit.  The blow overwhelms us, and sometimes can stop us in our tracks.  I just imagined in my mind every offense delivered to Jesus’ precious body and carried up the Hill to the cross, where His unfathomable love for us nailed it to the cross. Everything on this earth redeemed and dealt with.  As Jesus said from the cross, “It is finished!”  I think any Word spoken from the cross would have extreme meaning for our lives.  Imagine yourself there at the foot of the cross, and hear those words in your soul and mind. “That?”, He asks.  “It is finished precious one. Trust me.”  This was the culmination of all culminations!  Every step, every stripe on His back, the nails ….all of it……for us, even for that moment I had in my bedroom sitting on my bed.  Nothing is exempt from His redeeming love.

God quickly reminded me of the verse in Romans: 8:38-39

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I was convinced in that moment that there is nothing that can separate us from His Love!  The verse came alive for me!  It did not take away all the hurt, or some of my faulty  thought patterns.  I don’t want to convey this “poof it’s gone” message and all is perfect.  Nothing is perfect this side of heaven, but what God was sharing was for me to lean into Him for He is perfect.  He took that.  You don’t have to absorb and carry the offense or trouble for He has already taken it.  After this song was another favorite – “I believe you’re my healer.  I believe you are all I need.  I believe.  I believe you’re my portion.  I believe you’re more than enough for me.  Jesus you’re all I need.”    KariJobeHealer ( click on link and take a quick listen-43 seconds– to those few lines of the song!)

Sweet Jesus,

I pray from the depths of my soul that every time my aching heart wants to harbor anything that would work against Your love for me that I would be reminded that you took that.  I pray that you will guide me in all truth and help me love myself like You see me and then pour that love out to a hurting world, to my family, to those who are hard to love.  Lord, like a harbor is a resting place for ships, I pray I never let the ship of bitterness and anger put its anchor in my soul, and dock there.  Help me to see it redeemed and finished.  Lord, we confess that’s really hard and we are not perfect, and never will be this side of Heaven.  Oh, but God, what I’m confident in is YOU!  Where I am weak, You are strong.  In each moment give us Your Words and love to press on.

Jesus you are all we need…. AMEN!

(P.S. I just noticed that the picture above has a cross in the harbor!  Do you see it?  Jesus is there in the harbor of your soul work!)

Kari Jobe’s song with that one line, I’m Singing, (Worship with me!!!)