You Never Let Go

I have not knowingly walked through the "valley of the shadow of death".  Perhaps I have and God protected me from harm as I went on my way totally ignorant of danger.  That probably did happen many times when we lived overseas as missionaries.  He was watching over every step.

And I do not really feel that I've experienced many "storms" in my life. There have been little thundershowers, days and days of dreary rain and discouragement.  I think of a "storm" in someone's life as a terrible event or tragedy. A death in the family, financial ruin, kids going down the wrong road, etc.  Maybe even a crisis in faith.  

The song "You Never Let Go" has been on my mind quite a bit lately.  Our minister of music at church has quite the gift of selecting songs that become valuable and meaningful to us as a choir and to members of our congregation.  The songs always seem to touch someone at a time when they need to hear a word from the Lord, of encouragement, of hope, of forgiveness.  We sang this song recently in our service and I loved the tune and the harmony and the joy in it but was not paying much attention to the actual words til just this week.

YOU never let go through the calm and through the storm.  Could a storm also mean a "besetting" sin?  Besetting means "constantly present and attacking".   I am going through that storm at the moment and have been for weeks now.  I won't go into the details of  it except to say that I struggle against it daily.  Some days I defeat it with God's help. Other days I am defeated because my eyes were not where they should have been...on Jesus.  Many people might not consider a "besetting sin" as a storm but it takes away from my daily should-be, would-be tranquil and victorious life.  Therefore, it is a storm in my life.  But He never lets go...He waits patiently, holding on to me until I'm willing to give Him the problem back after I've taken it on my shoulders AGAIN.  There will be victory over it....a day at a time.

You Never Let Go (Matt Redman)

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

Your perfect love is casting out fear

And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life

I won't turn back

I know you are near

And I will fear no evil

For my God is with me

And if my God is with me

Whom then shall I fear?

Whom then shall I fear?

(Chorus:)

Oh no, You never let go

Through the calm and through the storm

Oh no, You never let go

In every high and every low

Oh no, You never let go

Lord, You never let go of me

 ¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart"  Hebrews 12:1-3