Bring your thirsts, for he will quench them

Saturday night I didn't fall asleep til 6am... I had absolutely zero motivation to get up at 8 to go to church but for some reason I felt like I really had to go. So I got up and went and was praying that I wouldn't fall asleep during the sermon.

And I now have a new favorite hymn.

Come away from rush and hurry to the stillness of God's peace;
from our vain ambition's worry come to Christ to find release.
Come away from noise and clamor, life's demands and frenzied pace;
come to join the people gathered here to seek and find God's face.

In the pastures of God's goodness we lie down to rest our soul.
From the waters of God's mercy we drink deepy, are made whole.
At the table of God's presence all the saints are richly fed.
With the oil of God's annointing into service we are led.

Come, then children, with your burdens, life's confusions, fears and pain.
Leave them at the cross of Jesus; take instead His kingdom reign.
Bring your thirsts, for he will quench them, he alone will satisfy.
All our longings find attainment when to self we gladly die.

I have been reading the text of this song since church ending on Sunday... and I have been trying to wrap my brain about what it means to die to self... not only that but to do so gladly. I have to say I'm not so good at this. I'm not good at leaving things at the cross either. Or sometimes, I place my burdens at the cross and then decide to take them back and handle it on my own (STU-PID). My Jesus alone is what satisfies. My Jesus alone is the One who is always there and my Jesus alone is the One that heals, restores, strengthens, comforts, and loves like no one else. I have been clinging to the promises in this hymn this week... and the week is going pretty well! (Granted I know it's only the second day but still). Sometimes it's so easy to forget these promises that we've learned since we were 5 in Sunday School are still relevant and true as adults.

I want to die to self. And I want to do so gladly. I want to see that I can take my burdens or confusions or fears or doubts to the cross... and leave them there. What a precious and wonderful gift! Why is it so hard to let go though? ...Pride. Self-centeredness. A lack of humility. But I want my relationship with God to go deeper and farther then it ever has before. It's hard as a college student I think to know how to do that. How do I make time for God, classes, friends, alone time, homework and studying? etc. I'm not quite sure what that looks like but I'm taking baby steps and trying to figure it out.

An example of that, is that I started listening to Christian music again... I had gotten away from it for a while and today I listened to Shane & Shane and Bethany Dillion and I had forgotten how much this music inspires me. I was driving up the mountain alone just blaring the radio with a huge goofy smile on my face - it was wonderful!

This is a good yet crazy hectic semester... but I am determined to leave my cares and my anxieties about classes, family, stress, at the foot of the cross of Jesus. And pray that I leave them there. I am determined to get closer to my Savior and STOP making excuses as to why I can't read my Bible everyday, pray or journal everyday, etc. I am determined to have my thirsts quenched by the One who gave His life for me, so that I could live my life for Him.

I am determined to live my life in such a way that pleases Him... and leaves me to fall in love with my precious Jesus all over again.