In college, I was a part of an acapella group called Lifeline. We would sing 4 and 5 part harmony covers to several arrangements of gospel and Christian based songs. We’d sing at festivals, church events, and even dropped an album in 2008 or 2009. One of the songs we sang was a song originally recorded by Vocal Union. The lyrics go like this:
mmm Will you fill me up?
Bread of Heaven, fill me.
Enlighten, bright and morning Star.
Build me up.
Master, build me.
Empower me, Mighty Great I Am.
Psalm 103:5 says, “He fills his life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
When you have the stomach virus and can’t keep anything down, it might be the case that you wind up in the ER and have to get fluids. Why? Because being filled up with fluids helps your body with energy and nutrients that will restore yourself to its best state.
We got through two types of seasons as Christians: a season of filling up and a season of using our resources. This week, I had the blessing of working with several 13 year old girls at Maywood Christian camp. For about 30 minutes each day, they would work on memorizing verses in the Bible. Some girls had almost 100 verses memorized by the end of the week. What’s the point of this? They are filling up with wisdom from scripture so that when the “virus” came, they would be stored up with fluids to protect them.
A good friend of mine called me yesterday to inform me that she was informed that she could potentially have a major health issue. Her doctor discovered some abnormalities and she’s got to go in for testing next week. While we were talking, she said, “I’ve been working on my June scriptures in my journal. This whole month the scriptures have been based on the theme of finding joy in the trials. Do you think that’s coincidence?” Not at all. I believe that God provides fill up stations before the trials.
Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “The Lord Himself will go ahead if you. He will be with you. He will never leave you. He’ll never desert you. So don’t be afraid. Don’t lose hope.”
God is wonderful to provide opportunities to use what you are studying in a way to glorify Him. There are so many times that I’ll be studying something, and I’ll think, “This would make a good blog,” or “This would be an awesome book.” But when I would start to write or organize the details, I just couldn’t get it together. Not long after the failed attempt to write, I’d have a student come in my office with a situation that needed the exact resources the Holy Spirit provided me with in my Bible study. It was like, “Oh!!”…a very A-ha moment.
It makes a little more sense when James says to, “Count our trials as joy,” (James 1:2) because we know that during our trials we are able to see God’s will play out right in front of you.
Whether you are in a fill up station or at a release station, look for opportunities to watch God’s will unfold. The last chorus of the song my acapella group used to sing goes like this:
“Heal me up.
Great Physician, heal me.
Inhabit me, Gentle Comforter.
Use me up.
Holy Master, use me.
Empower me, Might Great I Am.”
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