Dancing With God

How to Dance with God https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQKa_TCBjEOMvb5sqbk94XQ Email: [email protected] #faithjourney; #faithinspiredmusic Dancing with God (A Lovely Minuet) I was listening to a faith blog recently that unpacked the concept of “pursuing God,” and it struck me that this has been at the center of my reflections in these Uplifts for over two years. But to me, cultivating a relationship with God is less a pursuit and more a dance. Like a lovely minuet: He leads, and we follow. He calls, and we answer. He invites, and we accept. Like those awkward stag events in high school, He comes over to our side of the gym to ask us to dance. We follow Him to the dance floor and, in this scenario at least, we find love. Accepting the invitation to dance is a leap of faith. Yet it’s no different than satisfying any other basic need. When we’re hungry, we eat. Feeding our souls is no different. He prepares the meal and invites us to the table. This is from James 4: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” I’ve seen that closeness deepens as we immerse ourselves in the Word of God, the Bible. When we begin to absorb it, we change from the inside out. This is Romans 10:17, the Scripture which informs this thinking: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” In any relationship, trust requires faith. I trust that His love never falters or fails. Two ways God works in our lives are through redemption and repentance. Redemption means being rescued, delivered- bought back from a state of sin or separation from God. That separation is one way of understanding the risk of sin: it creates distance from God’s love. But Jesus didn’t only save us from something—sin; He saved us for something too: a closer relationship with God. And by His grace, He keeps us coming back. Repentance, from the Latin, means a change of mind, heart and soul. The original Greek metanoia emphasizes inner transformation or turning around. Repentance is a lifelong turning—away from our wandering, and back again by the Shepherd. We all drift and we all stumble, but God understands and forgives. We respond with persistent faith, and He welcomes us back in love. I’ve written a number of songs on these themes: “Keep Me Coming Back” reflects on redemption; “The Stranger (Turn Around)” explores repentance in a kind of Pale Rider setting. Today’s pairing, “Old Mr. Devil,” speaks to our human nature and struggles. It was chosen for an episode of the Netflix series Reacher several years ago— then unchosen at the last. Oh well, that’s show biz! Until next time, stay safe, be brave, and keep walking in the light. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUHapsS0h6U&list=RDzUHapsS0h6U&start_radio=1 Old Mister Devil Old mister devil limping down the road old mister devil moving kinda slow yeah he tips his hat and pats your back and you will shake his hand, just like that Old mister devil on a Sunday morning old mister devil singing the Gospel story and he got a blade tucked up in his coat and he’ll be singing when you cut your own throat Now old mister devil you better believe he no good up his sleeve he’s as close as he can be man, the devil’s in you and the devil’s in me Now old mister devil gonna see you robbed old mister devil with a wink and a nod He'll steal every good thing that is precious to you better call on Jesus to chase that devil from you