As I Labor Through This Storm

As I was working on a project in my room today, I was listening to Keith and Kristyn Getty’s CD In Christ Alone . The song “Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer” came on and my ears pricked up as I listened closely to the words for the first time. Here they are:

Jesus, draw me ever nearer
As I labor through the storm;
You have called me to this passage,
And I’ll follow, though I’m worn.

(Refrain)
May this journey bring a blessing,
May I rise on wings of faith;
And at the end of my heart’s testing,
With Your likeness let me wake.

Jesus, guide me through the tempest
Keep my spirit staid and sure;
When the midnight meets the morning,
Let me love You even more.

Let the treasures of the trial
Form within me as I go –
And at the end of this long passage,
Let me leave them at Your throne.

Last night I had many thoughts running rampant through my head. (It seems as if I think a lot more when I am not busy with school, etc. =] ) It is really neat, however, how I felt God drawing me nearer (as the song pleads) as I was processing different things. I know that God has called me to this time in life; right now He has a purpose for sending me through this “passage.” I was encouraged in seeing how the Holy Spirit is actively working in my heart and mind and how He is daily shaping my thinking. He has given me the mindset that, although “I’m worn” that “I’ll follow” no matter what. I was able to see a glimpse of God’s power and awesomeness as I was still able to find joy, hope, and thankfulness as I thought through my wonderings and worries. (This post is sort of tag-teaming with This Constant Battle which I posted on June 12th in which I talked about how I am a planner, worrier, and wonderer.) The thought process I was going through truly astounded me at first; it is definitely one that is foreign to the world. While the world would give reason to throw a fit or try to manipulate circumstances, the Holy Spirit gave me peace in trusting the Lord. The world would see no reason to be joyful or thankful in uncertainty, but the Holy Spirit was enabling me to be joyful and thankful because I can know that God knows what He is doing. This reminds me of my favorite verse in 2 Corinthians 12:7-12 where Paul talks about God’s power being made perfect in his weakness. I was able to see the power of God working in and changing my mind and thoughts towards this “trial” (although I know it is quite menial compared to what some people go through); only because of Him can I look at my weakness and praise Him for it.

I have seen God give me faith through this “journey” and I have seen Him renew my strength to continue many times. I love the last two lines of the refrain: “At the end of my heart’s testing, with Your likeness let me wake”! I can see that God is putting me through this trial to sanctify and purify me as a goldsmith puts raw gold through the fire to cleanse it from impurities. Just as the goldsmith skims the dross off the top of the melted gold, so too does God scrape off the sin and nastiness that rises to my surface as I am put through “fire” and “testing”; just as the goldsmith knows his gold is pure and ready by seeing his reflection, so too does God seek to cleanse and purify me so that He can see His reflection in my life. I pray that at the end of my life, I would be able to see the likeness of God in me.

In just thinking through things this summer and learning to wait patiently and silently, I am definitely gaining a greater love for Christ. As I thought about God’s faithfulness, mercy, and love in my life, my love for Christ was renewed as well as it was grown. I also pray that Christ would “keep my spirit staid and sure” and that I would not grow weary in doing good. (Galatians 6:9) It was so neat that the very next song to follow this one was "In Christ Alone." The first four lines of this song are amazing!

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my Light, my Strength, my Song;
This Cornerstone, this Solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

Praise God that Christ is my light, my strength, my song, a cornerstone, and solid ground that is firm through trials and testings! Praise God that Christ carries me through life!

In the final stanza of "Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer," I liked how they worded the first two lines: “Let the treasures of the trial form within me as I go.” I can definitely see that the Holy Spirit is growing, producing, and forming these “treasures” in me; they are the Fruits of the Spirit! These supernatural fruits are becoming more and more evident to me as I am finding unspeakable joy, peace, and patience in my situation. The world might call me crazy for having this attitude; they might not understand why I have this mindset, but I do. I know that God is at work within me; I know that He is sanctifying me; I know He is making His likeness more clear in my life and this is the reason why I can find joy and peace in uncertainty as I “labor through this storm.”