Southern Gospel World
Southern Gospel Reviews and Inspirational Insights

In the Valley … He Restoreth My Soul

• June 6, 2019 at 8:40 pm in
  • Reflection

For a while now, I have been singing this song that Dottie Rambo wrote but, at the time, I wasn’t going through a valley. It is just the song that God kept bringing to my mind. Today, I find myself going through a minor trial, and I am once again focusing on the words of this song and thanking God that He is near.

I would like to be able to tell you that I am continuously rejoicing and fully resting in God’s will for my life but I confess this is still a process. I do believe that I have made progress in the last 20 years or so but the work is not completed, and I expect that this is one reason that I keep going through these things.

They say that trials can make you bitter or better. I understand this as, with each trial that comes my way, I have a choice: Do I let God handle it and trust Him to work it out, or do I lean on my own understanding and fight my way out, convinced that I could do a better job than He seems able to do? Giving up control can be difficult and yet God has shown me time and time again how much He loves me. If this is true, why would I not surrender every part of my life to Him? After all, as Dottie also said, “He ain’t never done me nothin’ but good.”

I don’t know what you’re going through right now but I encourage you to give it to Jesus. Maybe you’re being slandered, or you’re grieving the loss of a loved one, or you’re going through a debilitating illness … you are not alone. God is waiting for you to turn to Him. He may not change your situation but He will carry you through it. I would much rather walk with God through the valleys than walk on the mountaintop alone. How about you?

Just Do It

• May 4, 2019 at 9:15 pm in
  • Reflection

Back in January, I was visiting my aunt, and we were talking about how easy it is to not reach out to others because you don’t know what to say and you don’t want to look stupid. I find that it doesn’t take much to paralyze me in regards to helping others if I think too much about it. I worry that I’ll do something wrong or they won’t appreciate my attempt. My aunt encouraged me to not be afraid to do even little things since they may mean more than I realize. I expect this will continue to be a process but there is wisdom in her words, and I want to pass that on to you.

Colossians 3:23 tells us, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men.” I think this is what we lose sight of. This actually hit me years ago when I was thinking way too much about my actions that I let opportunities pass me by. I finally realized that, if my focus is on God and my desire is to please Him, I don’t need to worry so much about what others think.

I expect this is going to be a long process of learning this lesson but it is one I pray to achieve, and I would like to encourage you to as well. Don’t let insecurity keep you from being a blessing to others. Pray for a sensitivity to the Spirit, a heart of humility, and a willingness to serve. I anticipate that God will answer those prayers, and people will be drawn closer to the Lord through our obedience.

A Tribute to Grandma

• April 22, 2019 at 8:25 pm in
  • Reflection

My grandma isn’t well known. In fact you may be wondering why I would write a tribute to her when I typically feature Southern Gospel artists. Well, as with parents, grandparents can help to contribute to how a person turns out. They can pass along their interests and other genes which help to form our young and, ultimately, old lives.

I didn’t know my grandparents before they came to know the Lord but I heard that the difference was night and day. Whereas they would play and sing in night clubs before, they chose to only sing in churches after they were saved. They would sell their records for $5 or “whatever you can afford.”

Grandma was young when I was born so she would play ball with my brother and me, take us for ice cream, do typical grandma things, but she would also encourage me to obey my mom, honor the Lord, etc. She wanted to be a positive influence in my life.

For the first 17 years of my life, we didn’t live close but, when we would visit, I spent every moment I could with Grandma. I would go with her to “help” make the church breakfast, fold bulletins, run errands … whatever Grandma was doing, there was I in the midst of it. Whenever she sat down, I was on her lap before she could get comfortable.

When we moved closer to my grandparents, Grandma would drive a couple hours to help us with a collating project. She was a quick collater too.

A number of years ago, we began to suspect that Grandma had dementia. It began to get worse and worse until we could no longer ignore the fact. We also knew that it was becoming more than Grandpa could handle on his own. So in 2017, we made the difficult decision to move our grandparents to Arizona where their daughter and grandson could care for them. We no longer saw them on a weekly basis but we were able to visit them twice, the most recent visit being in January. I will always be thankful for our time together as Grandma joined me in singing for the last time. We spent a lot of time together and, in spite of her not feeling well, she hadn’t lost her sense of humor.

We buried Grandma on Good Friday. I dreaded that day for so long but God’s grace truly was amazing. I have no doubt that my grandma is in Heaven. My aunt asked if I would sing at her funeral, and God gave me strength to do so with my brother accompanying me on guitar and vocals. I’m thankful for the promise that, if I remain faithful to the Lord, I will see her again. I greatly look forward to that reunion!

The Best Gift

• March 26, 2019 at 5:48 pm in
  • Reflection

I am not a Barbara Streisand fan, but I grew up listening to her Christmas album. On that record, she included a song titled “The Best Gift” in which she goes on to describe the best gift that she ever got. At the end, she reveals that this gift was “a tiny newborn child.” (If you need me to explain what a record is, let me know.) 😉

Although I have received a lot of nice gifts in my 45 3/4 years of life, the best gift I ever received was the gift of salvation, made possible by Jesus Christ coming to earth and being willing to die a horrendous death on a cross. If you have never studied crucifixion and why it was the Roman’s choice of death, I encourage you to do so. It isn’t a pleasant study but it makes Jesus’ death even more meaningful. It wasn’t like a lethal injection where you die in a matter of minutes. Rather, it was a form of torture in which criminals died a slow, painful, suffocating death.

I realize that it’s not even Palm Sunday yet but I think it’s a good time to begin to think of Christ’s sacrifice, to thank Him for choosing us to be His children, and to ask Him how we can serve Him better.

I started this back in December around Christmastime but I think it’s perfect timing to finish it now. If you take communion in the next few weeks, don’t do it out of routine. Really think about the event that you are commemorating. Picture Jesus on the cross, beaten beyond recognition, blood streaming down His body, looking at you. Then think of the things you allow in your life that is the equivalent of spitting in His face. God’s grace is not cheap. It cost Christ a lot. How can we be so selfish as to not give Him every part of our lives?

For the Broken

• March 11, 2019 at 8:38 pm in
  • Reflection

Last year, my most-read post was one I wrote in 2014 titled “I’ve Been Broken (but I’ve Been Blessed).” Broken people are not just out in the world somewhere; they are also in the Church. The fact that a post from 4 1/2 years ago is still my post popular proves that fact.

I think of the old song that said:

He never said you’d only see sunshine
He never said there’d be no rain
He only promised a heart full of singing
And at the very things that once brought pain

(from the song Give Them All to Jesus written by Phillip Johnson & Bob Benson, Sr.)

I don’t actually remember a verse where God promised that, but I do know from experience that He often grants that. It’s when we trust Him in the bad times that we realize as Henry and Hazel Slaughter sang that we “don’t need to understand; we just need to hold His hand.” That is where true joy comes from, along with the peace that passes all understanding.

I wasn’t thinking of this when I started this post but, in closing, I would like to ask prayer for fellow blogger David Bruce Murray whose father passed away on Saturday. The funeral is tomorrow (Tuesday). I’m thankful that I have not yet experienced the loss of a parent but I can imagine how heartbreaking that must be. And yet, what a blessing to know that we will be reunited one day with those who love Jesus. David is the founder of Music Scribe, where I write a Sunday devotional when I’m able. He’s been supportive of my writing and some of my other business ventures, and my heart goes out to him and his family during this difficult time.