Love is With You

Love's Been Following You (by Twila Paris)

I know sometimes it's hard to believe it

But Love's been following you

From where I stand I'm able to see it

And Love's been following you

All through the stormy night

Didn't you see the light

Goodness and mercy right there behind you

Love's been following you

Some days your heart just couldn't be colder

But Love's been following you

All you have learned just makes you feel older

But Love's been following you

You think that no one cares

Still Love is always there

He would go anywhere just to find you

Love's been following you

Love has been following you

Love's been following you

Love has been following you

Following you

Following you

Somehow the road just seems to get longer

But Love's been following you

Wait for the One who will make you stronger

`Cause Love's been following you

Wherever you go from here

Run far away from fear

Keep one thing near and believe it's true

Love's been following you

Love's been following you

Love's been following you

Love is always with you, in front of you, behind you, and beside you...God is always with you!

His Provision

At our morning service we had the retirement of two officers (ministers) who have served as Salvation Army officers (minister) for 38.5 years! We celebrated there many years of faithful service and the love and teaching they have passed on to all they met during their service.

This all got me to thinking about my own service, obviously not as a Salvation Army officer (minister), but simply as a follower of Christ who is serving Him as a soldier in the Salvation Army at Bellshill. What I started thinking about was my own service. If this were my "retirement" today, would I be celebrating my service to God, confident I had served Him well all my life?

This is a very tough question, and an even tougher one to answer honestly! So what's my answer? Well, I could tell you that I have served God as well as I possibly could and done everything He's asked of me, but I'm afraid that would not be the truth. I have done something in my life that I am not proud of, I've done some things in my life that gone against God's plan for me and I've said and done some things which I am ashamed of.

However, I am so thankful to God that despite all of this, He has forgiven me for all my sins, because He still loves me and cares for me and wants me to serve Him.
So how about you - If this were your"retirement" today, would you be celebrating your service to God, confident that you had served Him well all your life?

Whether your answer is positive or negative, rejoice, because God still loves you, and will always love you no matter what your sins.

On Thursday night at our band practice we practiced the beautiful Ivor Bosanko piece "His Provision" which was originally published in in the 1985 Musical Salvationist as a songster (senior choir) piece. The words of that piece are very relevant to where my thoughts have been today, and in fact we played this piece during our morning service.

Please consider the words of this song, and try to see how they fit with your life:

His Provision (Ivor Bosanko)
At the moment of my weakness,
When my need for pow'r is plain,
And my own strength is exhausted once again,
Then my Lord has made provision
For the day of my despair,
And His precious Holy Spirit hears my prayer, my prayer,
Then my Lord has made provision
For the day of my despair,
And His precious Holy Spirit hears my prayer.

Holy Spirit! Promised Presence fall on me.
Holy Spirit! Make me all I long to be.
Holy Spirit! Holy Spirit!
Give your pow'r to me,
O Holy Spirit.

When the darkness falls around me,
When bewildered and afraid,
When I feel the most deserted and betrayed,
Then my ev'ry need is answered
By God's providential care,
And His precious Holy Spirit hears my prayer, my prayer,
Then my ev'ry need in answered
BY God's providential care,
And His precious Holy Spirit hears my prayer.

Nothing now can rob God's servant
Of the peace that He bequeaths,
Nothing take away the strength His presence breathes,
Of the EVERLASTING ARMS OF LOVE I'M DAILY MADE AWARE,
And His precious Holy Spirit hears my prayer, my prayer,
of the everlasting arms of love I'm daily made aware,
And His precious Holy Spirit hears my prayer.

In conclusion I just want to leave the highlight me favourite words in this song:

When the darkness falls around me,
When bewildered and afraid,
When I feel the most deserted and betrayed,
Then my ev'ry need is answered
By God's providential care,
And His precious Holy Spirit hears my prayer.

These words are so reassuring to me, I hope they are reassuring to you too.

The Way Ahead

When We Cannot See Our Way

When we cannot see our way,
Let us trust and still obey;
He who bids us forward go,
Cannot fail the way to show.

Though it be the gloom of night,
Though we see no ray of light,
Since the Lord himself is there,
‘Tis not meet that we should fear.

Be it ours, then, while we’re here,
Him to follow without fear,
Where he calls us, there to go,
What he bids us, that to do.

There have been many times during the last few years when my life has not been very easy and I have questioned "why?". At these times a number of folk have directed me to the above song. I thank them for that as the words of the the 3 verses I've written above have brought comfort and reassurance to me during the darker times in my life.