This is one of a series of devotions written for 2008 Youth Choir Tour.  This is today’s devotion.

“Blessed Be Your Name” by Matt Redman
 

Blessed Be Your Name in the land that is plentiful

Where Your streams of abundance flow blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name when I’m found in the desert place

Though I walk through the wilderness blessed Be Your name

 

Every blessing You pour out, I’ll turn back to praise

When the darkness closes in, Lord still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord, Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord, Blessed be Your glorious name

 

Blessed be Your name when the sun’s shining down on me

When the world’s ‘all as it should be’ Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name on the road marked with suffering

Though there’s pain in the offering blessed be Your name

 

You give and take away, You give and take away

My heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be Your name

This morning marks the end of Youth Choir Tour 2008.  My prayer is that it has been a fantastic trip full of God-sized moments that will thrust us forward as a group and as individual followers of Jesus.  I hope it is marked by funny videos, great pictures and amazing experiences that are like none we have had thus far.  That being said, the reality is that we are going back into the “real world” today. 

I am thankful this morning that we will all get to share in worship.  I hope that some of you are sharing your encounters with God this morning with the congregation.  We all need to be reminded of the times when “the worlds’ all as it should be.”  Because we will all have times when life is hard again.  Listen to what Matt Redman wrote about what some people have said to him about today’s song:

“´I think we’ve received more personal testimony feedback from this song than any other. I have come across some of the harshest life circumstances I’ve heard of as people have emailed in their stories of how they’ve chosen to worship our amazing God even in some of the hardest times of life. More than anything, this reminds me of how much pain there is in the world, and about how important it is to be real, honest and true (yet always remaining reverent) in the worshipping church.´ 

Basically, this song comes from the book of Job, where Job, who has lost everything, decides that God is worthy of his praise whether life is good and easy or when it is not.  Job undergoes an immense time of trial, watching his wealth go away, his children die, his body become sore and diseased.  And at the very bottom point for Job, his choice isn’t to curse God.  His choice is to bless God and his name.  Oh, that we could have faith like Job!

We have the same choice in our own lives as we come to the end of this time spent together.  Will we focus on continuing to praise God, even though we aren’t on tour?  Will our song still be his to use here in Franklin just like it was elsewhere?  Will our lives still be his to guide?  Will our hope still be found in the God who gives and takes away?  My prayer is that it will as we all continue to say “Blessed Be Your Name.” 

´The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.´