Psalm 119:54
"Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my sojourning."
Psalm 43:3-4
"Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your
dwelling! Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God."
I began thinking of how God's Word, His law, is so consistent, so true, so steadfast and comforting throughout a lifetime of "sojourning." Wherever I might be a stranger, or even just feel like a stranger, in unfamiliar places or even places I recognize and I am recognized, that longing for my true eternal home wells up within me... When the ache comes, the weary ache of sojourning, I rest on His Word. I remain. I just...stay.
God sends out His light, His truth, to lead me. Every day. Not a day goes by where He is not drawing me unto Himself and His holy altar. Sometimes I am not quick to go to His altar or follow His light, but He continues to beckon. Each day is an opportunity to worship, to abide in Him. To soak in His songs and let them lead my life. Can you feel Him sending out His light and truth before you, to lead you? Can you feel Him drawing you unto Himself and calling you to stay there? To stay for a moment. For a lifetime.
A dear friend recently sent me a note and wrote at the bottom, before signing it, "Stay." It was one word, so small, yet with a message so profound. In a world where we are urged to go and do and conform and control and perform and change, sometimes it is just a good reminder to stay. To be still and know that God is God. To stay upon His Word and Truth and let those gifts be our guiding light.
So here is a song I wrote inspired by those two verses in Psalms. I encourage you to meditate upon those chapters and to stay there for a moment. To be still and just stay in God today, and for a lifetime. This song was birthed out of weeks asking God for a worship song that would bless His holy bride, the church. I continue to pray that this song does just that.
The Lord has a sense of humor, too. We had planned 5 songs to record on video during this session...and none of the 5 we had prepared came out as we had hoped. This one was spur-of-the-moment, never practiced with just guitar...but we felt the Holy Spirit's leading. The other songs were mostly only for fun. But God desired this song of praise, of truth, to be recorded that night.
Here's the video...and below it are the lyrics. May you, in His grace and truth, ever stay.
STAY
By
Caitlin Jane © BMI 2014
Your
statutes have been like songs to me
Wherever
I have lived like a stranger
And Your
voice, it calms the storm in me
Whenever
I’ve been tempted to despair
I lift my eyes to You above the night
I lift my voice in praise, amid the fight
You’re reaching down to me with exceeding
grace
I am Yours, and on Your Word I will stay
While
the clash of angry nations war
The
disarray of my soul does not compare.
But
when the mountains and the hills are made low
I
come to find it’s Your mercy standing there.
I lift my eyes to You above the night
I lift my voice in praise, amid the fight
You’re reaching down to me with exceeding
grace
I am Yours, and on Your Word I will stay
Send out your light and truth that they may
lead me
Bring me to your altar of holiness
Send out your light and truth that they may
lead me
Bring me to your altar of holiness
I lift my eyes to You above the night
I lift my voice in praise, amid the fight
You’re reaching down to me with exceeding
grace
I am Yours, and on Your Word I will stay
I lift my eyes to You above the night
I lift my voice in praise, amid the fight
You’re reaching down to me with exceeding
grace
I am Yours, and on Your Word I will stay
I am Yours, and on Your Word I will stay
