Lyrical Devotions - Healing Rain Series - "By Your Side"

Healing Rain Series

His Relentless Love

"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:38-39


By Your Side - Tenth Avenue North

"Why are you striving these days?
Why are you trying to earn grace?
Why are you crying?
Let me lift up your face,
 just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love?
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough?
To where will you go child?
Tell me where will you run,
to where will you run?

'Cause I'll be by your side
wherever you fall
In the dead of night
whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Look at these hands at my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in and give you life
I wanna give you life

And I'll be by your side
wherever you fall
In the dead of night
whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

'Cause I, I love you, I want you to know
That I, yeah I love you, I'll never let you go
No, no

And I'll be by your side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you"

But you, O LORD, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.
                                              Ps. 3:3

If you have children, or can remember back to your childhood, this may ring a bell with you. Earlier today, my daughter was upset about something. I just wanted to find out why she was crying so I could help her. I asked her to look at me and tell me what was wrong. She would not. So I put my finger under her chin and gently turned her face up to mine. She jerked her head away in the opposite direction. Frustrating for a parent when we want so badly to comfort and help our child.

But when I stop and think about it. I sometimes do the same thing. I pout. And even when my husband is wanting to comfort me or help me, I'm not ready to stop pouting yet. I may not use the exact same "jerk away" movements (usually), but inside I'm not ready to take the hurt or frustration and place it in the hands of someone else. I still want to play martyr.

I think we do that to God sometimes too. We have hurts and frustrations. He asks us to cast all our care upon Him, and He gently lifts our face up to Him. And what do we do? Jerk away. We're not done with our pouting martyr fest. We want to revel in our own self pity. He attempts to embrace us, and we fight it.
But you know what? He never leaves our side. He's right there, wherever and whenever we fall and wherever and whenever we call. He loves us too much to leave us when we push Him away. He follows us around like an "annoying", caring spouse or parent.

Let Him lift up your face. Let Him hold you. He gave His life for you. Took on your sin. Spent three days in the grave for you. So He could give you life. Not just an ability to breathe, but a full and abundant life. Let Him give you life.

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Every year, I create a playlist centered around that year's theme. The first year I did this was 2008. It was a very painful time for me. I was in need of some major healing. God used a lot of songs to minister to me during that time. That's how the very first "year in review" playlist was born. I called it Healing Rain, and sorted it into five categories - His Relentless Love, His Healing Touch, His forgiveness, His Powerful Work, and His Wonderful Glory . I will share with you these songs and why they mean so much to me over the next several weeks.