Everything

Okay, so I have to share this video at least once a year because it just never gets old. It came to my mind during our worship night at church this week, when Psalm 16:4 was spoken over us:

The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods.


I'm just in awe of how this song/drama conveys that truth so powerfully and then ultimately the TRUTH that sets us free - Christ our God and Savior, our all in all, our everything - the one who created us and knows us even better than we know ourselves, who sees the depths of our sinful hearts and still pursues after us relentlessly with everything He is and has, the one who never gives up on us, who remains perfectly faithful when we are absolutely faithless (2 Tim. 2:13), the one whose all-consuming, all-encompassing love never has and never will fail us no matter how many times or in how many ways we fail Him, the one who lifts us out of the pit, wholly redeems us and freely gives us a gloriously new and eternal life with Him.

He is not only the Lord of our lives but the Lover of our souls...He is the only One for us. Nothing or no one else could ever take His place. We were made to be fulfilled in Him alone, we were made to find all of our joy and delight in Him alone. He alone can meet our deepest needs, longings and desires. We find it all in Him. So the moment we begin to chase after other things and lose sight of Him...we eventually find ourselves lost, miserable, hopeless, trapped in the dark...on the brink of death. But how much do I love this - darkness is as light to our amazing God!! (Ps. 139:11-12). And no matter where we are HE still chases us, and inevitably, invariably, we will always, always come running back to Him. It is in us, in the very core of our beings to seek Him and to be found by Him. And one day every knee will bow, every tongue confess...everyone will turn to Him and call on His Name...all the nations He has made will come and worship before Him, to bring Him the glory and praise due His Name...he is SO worthy, and He loves you beyond your wildest imagination. So great is His love for you that He delivered you from the depths of the grave (Ps. 86:13). Run after Him with reckless abandon...He will scoop you up into His arms and shower you with His perfect love. He will make you whole. He is everything. Always.

Later, in the same Psalm...

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (vv. 9-11)

Here as well as all throughout scripture we see that God's plan, God's heart and His purpose is always life. It's always redemption. It's always love, the saving, all-sufficient, all-powerful love expressed to us in Christ, who is ALIVE! Before we ever knew or acknowledged Him He loved us. While we were still sinners He died for us (Rom. 5:8). He loves and pursues us FIRST. He has made it all known to us. We just have to respond to Him!! Even when we find ourselves in the deepest and darkest of pits, He never lets us go. We are never out of His reach, never left or forsaken (Heb. 13:5). All we have to do at any moment, no matter how far we are, is turn back to Him, cry out in repentance...and He fights for us. When we are too weak to go on, He is strong and mighty to save. He cleanses us and crowns us with victory. He clothes us in garments of salvation and arrays us in a robe of righteousness (Is. 61:10). How AMAZING and GOOD He is!!!! Hallelujah, Jesus! You LIVE and Your saving power is ALWAYS at work, NEVER failing! Come to Him...come back to Him...find your life, your everything.

You're all I want
You're all I need
You're everything