I Pay My Vows...

I did it again last night. Started youth worship with my fav chorus medley weaving a Misty Edwards song with a Rita Springer song with a Shane Bernard song.

Misty - "I pay my vow no turning around, I burn the bridges, they can't be found. I am Yours, I am Your, I am Yours, I am Yours...

Shane - "Lord, I want to yearn for You, I want to burn with passion, over You, and only You...

"I pay my vow no turning around..."

By now the band is kicking it. The bass and drums get into this smooth groove. Then I bring it all down and go to the Rita chorus.

"And I pour my vial of worship over You. I pour my vial of worship over You."

I pieced the songs together when I realized they all had the same progression, more or less, E to Bm to A, or E to Bm to C#m to A to Bm. The combo really works dynamically, and every time, every time I sing, "I pay my vow..." I sense the annointing of the Lord.

There's something about a Yes in our heart to God that moves His toward us. David constantly wrote in the Psalms about paying his vow to the Lord.

Psalm 50:14 "Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High."

I stayed in that groove for about fifteen minutes. It wasn't planned or in the set list, but I couldn't leave the ushering in of His presence. The kids were worshipping. Jesus was loving on us.

What I love about the choruses is the heart cry. "Lord, I worship you, I want to burn in my heart with love for you. If I yearn for anything, I want it to be You. I trust You so much, I'm giving up all my safety nets and comfort zones. I won't give what doesn't cost me. See Jesus, I'm not looking back. I gave my life to You. Here I am, surrendering completely."

Then He responds with His own ravished heart. "You've ravished my heart with a single glance of your eye!'" How pure and radiant in love is He!

He's safe! We can trust Him. We don't need the bridges to our past to feel safe, secure, important or love. It's all in front of us, hidden in the heart of Jesus. Our only real job is to seek it out.

Psalm 57:2 "I will cry to God Most High, to God who accomplishes all things for me."

Too often we focus on doing for God and not BEING for God. Just being in His presence. News flash. He doesn't need us. If you need Him to need you, stop, reverse course. He chooses to use you, but first, He chooses for you to just love Him and learn to let Him love you.

Pay your vow to love. Burn those bridges. Trust completely. He will guard your heart and mind with Peace!

Grace out.