Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. Isaiah 54:4-6
For me this week has been amazing as I have watched the steady hand of God answer so many prayers. Most of all, I am overwhelmed by a steadfast joy that sustains my heart with peace; yet, thrusts me out to reach a hand of love, hope, and strength to others in their pain. It is not a desire to run from the sorrows of this broken world; rather, it is the strength to walk into the fire and sit down with a hurting soul to say—God is enough! God is the treasure your heart is longing for! Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life! There is no sin outside the reaches of Grace, if only you believe and accept the atoning work of Christ on the Cross on your behalf.
This week my heart is touched as a dear friend battles cancer, another sister in Christ battles heartbreak-a widow struggling to find her way, a young mother tries to know how to guide her children with fears of not knowing how, men who are struggling to regain their life after years in prison, a dear, sweet Christian aunt dealing with recent widow hood, and a nation torn apart by despair. All of this touches my heart; yet, under-girding me remains the steadfast truth of God’s love, God’s Grace and God’s Sovereignty. The echoing sounds as I heard my son give God praise for each blessing and miracle in the midst of what others might have considered despairing times.
As I looked through the archives of my poems, I found this. I realized that this poem was a prayer of mine; which, God answered. So let me share it with all of you who are hurting today. Let me come up beside you and sit for a while to remind you—God loves you, God desires for you to find your joy in Him. He is your strength when you are weary, your hope when skies are grey, your faith when yours is failing, and your light through each dark day, He is the love to your lonely heart when it is breaking in despair, He is all in all your everything when you look to Him in prayer.
Come Quench This Thirst
I’ve been searching for love all of my life
Someone to hold when life brings me strife
A Friend, A Companion, someone who cares
About all my dreams, my life song he shares
With Broken Heart—I cried out to You
You Came and You Loved –my heart was made new
CHORUS
You are the rivers, You are the wine
Come quench this thirst with Your love divine
Hold me so tight that I can’t let go
Filled with Your Spirit-my heart aglow
Give me Your Joy far beyond measure
Until I know truth: You Are my treasure
I’ve been searching for dreams, success – a name
A message, a truth, something to proclaim
Surely the world should know I’ve been here
Hold my head high—the crowd would then cheer
Broken by failures, I cried out your name
You came and You loved – I’ve not been the same
CHORUS
You are the rivers, You are the wine
Come quench this thirst with Your love divine
Hold me so tight that I can’t let go
Filled with Your Spirit-my heart aglow
Give me Your Joy far beyond measure
Until I know truth You are my treasure
I’ve been searching for joy in so many things
Houses and cars or big fancy rings
Chasing a dream where ever it leads
Thinking these things will fulfill my needs
Drowning in debt, I turned then to You
You came and You loved—Your Glory in view
CHORUS
You are the rivers, You are the wine
Come quench this thirst with Your love divine
Hold me so tight that I can’t let go
Filled with Your Spirit-my heart aglow
Give me Your Joy far beyond measure
Until I know truth You are my treasure
I’ve been searching for You by labor of mine
If I try hard enough, surely I’ll shine
I would work so hard and make You so proud
I would stand high above the rest of the crowd
Chained in my sin, I turned then to You
You came and You loved-humbled by Grace I’m new
CHORUS
You are the rivers, You are the wine
Come quench this thirst with Your love divine
Hold me so tight that I can’t let go
Filled with Your Spirit-my heart aglow
Give me Your Joy far beyond measure
Until I know truth: You are my treasure
[bctt tweet=”When God takes everything else & we are left with Him, we find He is all we need” username=”effiedarlene”]
[tweetthis]God’s Abounding love overflows and must spill out to others in our path[/tweetthis]
[bctt tweet=”My Joy can never be complete until I am willing to humbly bare another’s sorrow” username=”effiedarlene”]
Photo used by permission: https://unsplash.com/@geetanjalkhanna
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2016
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.