you can't take away my God

John Chrysostum and Empress Eudoxia

“You cannot banish me for this world is my Father’s house!”

“But I will kill you!”, said Empress Eudoxia.

“No, you cannot, for my life is hid with Christ in God!” said Chrysostum.

“Well, then, I will take away your treasures!” said the Empress.

“No, you cannot, for my treasure is in heaven and my heart is there.”

“But I will drive you away from your friends and you will have no one left.”

“No, you cannot," said Chrysostum. “For I have a friend in heaven from whom you cannot separate me. I defy you for there is nothing you can do to harm me.”

~~~

All around, all of us fear has come
And so we must ask ourselves in who we trust
What we have here is not enough
So let it ring, in freedom sing

You can take away everything that I've been holding
You can take away the sum
You can take away the very air that I've been breathing
But you can't take away my God, oh my God

Waves will come, winds will blow
But it's not here, I've found my hope
My beating heart, my very soul
Is held by one who won't let go
And so I'll cling to You my King

You can take away everything that I've been holding
You can take away the sun
You can take away the very air that I've been breathing
But you can't take away my God, oh my God

A hope that can't be lost, a love that can't be bought
But you can't take away my God
Nothing high or low, nothing you can control
You can't take away my God, you can't take away

You can take away everything that I've been holding
You can take away the sun
You can take away the very air that I've been breathing
But you can't take away my God, oh my God, oh, my God

Can't Take Away - Mikeschair (Listen to it here)

~~~

     Something I recently read a poem in "Streams in the Desert" about walking with God through trials:

The hill was steep, but cheered along the way

By converse sweet, I mounted on the thought

That so it might be till the height was reached;

But suddenly a narrow winding path

Appeared, and then the Master said, "My child,

Here thou wilt safest walk with Me alone."

I trembled, yet my heart's deep trust replied,

"So be it, Lord." He took my feeble hand

In His, accepting thus my will to yield Him 

All, and to find all in Him.

One long, dark moment,

And no friend I saw, save Jesus only.

But oh! so tenderly He led me on

And up, and spoke to me such words of cheer,

Such secret whisperings of His wondrous love,

That soon I told Him all my grief and fear,

And leaned on His strong arm confidingly.

And then I found my footsteps quickened,

And light ineffable, the rugged way

Illumined, such light as only can be seen 

In close companionship with God.

A little while, and we shall meet again

The loved and lost; but in the rapturous joy

Of greetings, such as here we cannot know,

And happy song, and heavenly embraces,

And tender recollections rushing back

Of pilgrim life, methinks one memory

More dear and sacred than the rest, shall rise

And we who gather in the golden streets,

Shall oft be stirred to speak with grateful love

Of that dark day when Jesus bade us climb

Some narrow steep, leaning on Him alone.

     Do you see how this ties into the quote and song that I have at the top of this post? Everything can be taken away from us, but we will ALWAYS be walking with God. No one can take him away from us. That means that we can survive leaning on God alone! For example, friends are wonderful to have, and I'm positive I can speak for everyone when I say that it's hard not to have friends. But even if Christians don't have any friends on earth, isn't it comforting that we have a friend that sticks closer than a brother? (Proverbs 18:24) Of course, it's not always easy to apply that to our lives - to lean on Jesus alone. Honestly, it makes me long for heaven, where we won't have to walk on the narrow path at all. But while we're down here, it's nice to know that "while I carry this cross, He'll carry me" (Audrey Assad).

Coming up - a post about how my family is looking for a church home (that's the daunting post I have yet to write. . . so many emotions and the like to mix in).

-Sarah :)