Are you hurting and broken within?
Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin?
Jesus is calling
Have you come to the end of yourself
Do you thirst for a drink from the well?
Jesus is calling
O come to the altar
The Father’s arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with
The precious blood of Jesus Christ
Leave behind your regrets and mistakes
Come today there’s no reason to wait
Jesus is calling
Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy
From the ashes a new life is born
Jesus is calling
Above are stanza’s from a song I heard on my way to work this morning. It is performed by Elevation Worship and it spoke to me and I hope you will look it up so it may speak to you. It reminded me of some things that I need to say to you and to myself daily. How often are we struggling with something, someone, or some issue and we don’t know what to do. How often do we live with regrets of things we have done or left undone? Well I have good news! Come to the Altar of God’s grace and mercy. Everyone is invited and everyone finds a home in God’s arms of love.
I don’t know about you but this is amazing news to my spirit. It’s a truth I need to hear every day. I need to know that my past does not define me. Rather I am defined as a child of God, loved, forgiven, and given new life. Being transparent, I sometimes forget this simple message in the midst of all that I have on my daily agenda. Sometimes I forget that God wants me to bring all of myself to him; the good, the bad, my joy and my sin. That is a hard concept for me at times. I can bring my success to God (that’s easy), however it’s hard to bring my failures to God. It’s hard at times to realize that I need God’s help with my sin.
But that is what God in scripture reminds us over and over. Using words like “Come to me”, “return to me”, “trust me”, we are encouraged to lay down our burdens before God’s altar. And let the freedom of God’s grace, forgiveness, and love wash over us like a wave of peace.
So the question I have for myself and you today is this; What do you need to lay down before the throne of Christ? Is it guilt, anger, or resentment? Is it your past, your failure, or your pride? No matter what you are carrying today you don’t have to carry it alone. Lay your burdens before the altar of God.
And stand amazed in the presence of Jesus our Lord.
“Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy” as the song says above.
When you surrender your burdens and your struggles to God’s care… You are free to rise from the ashes into new life in God’s mercy.
My prayer for each of you today is that you go to the altar of God. I earnestly hope you will lay down the things that you have been carrying and trust that God will lift you from the ashes to new life through is Son Jesus Christ.
My prayers go with you all,
Chaplain Dunbar
Rob Dunbar, Chaplain, Maj, TN ANG