A night with Hillsong United at Target Center

Tonight was a powerful evening spent with good friends. The evening consisted of Hillsong United of Australia leading 15,000 people in worship of God Almighty. I suppose the word 'powerful' would be an understatement.

Putting aside all the bells and whistles of the laser beam lights and the booming bass, God truly showed up tonight. It wasn't the crescendo and decrescendo between the verses and chorus or the culmination of all the instruments during a chorus line. But what spoke to me were the lyrics that were posted for us on the large screens so we could sing along, praising God in unison.

The songs were primarily from Hillsong's new album titled 'Zion'. The mission for this album, according to Hillsong Zion's website, is to create music that reveals the truth of who Jesus is. Their mission was accomplished in me tonight. The lyrics pointed me to a Jesus that I knew was there but haven't thought about in a while. The following lyrics in the song 'Oceans' spoke to me tonight.

Oceans (Where my feet may fail)

Spirit lead me where my trust is without border

Let me walk upon the waters

Wherever you may lead me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my faith would be made stronger

In the presence of my Savior

I felt God calling me to put aside things that keep me from 'walking on the waters that are deeper than my feet could ever wander.' A sort of fasting of the thing(s) that take the place of God in my life. I want to be in the place where affection can grow deeper than I would allow if those sort of idols are there. I am excited to see what God can do when I put those things aside in a sort of sacrificial manner. I know, however, that it will not be a sacrifice because God has so much more for us than those things can offer because I have been in that place before. I may not be really doing anything in life that can be compared to 'walking on water' but if I can have the fruits of the Spirit of Love, Joy, Peace, etc . . I will have far more than most.

God wants what is best for us. Not to use Joel Osteen's expression, but He truly does want our 'Best Life'. He wants us to have unsurpassed joy that is not explainable by anything other than coming directly from a heart relationship with Him. He wants us to 'walk on water' and to accomplish what He has set out for us. He wants us to have the kind of peace through troubles that only He can offer.

Now I know that just by stating those things, opposition will come. So I will need to be on guard and in prayer against such attacks to derail from God intends for me. 

On the way home, I asked the girls what they felt or took home from the concert. I was excited to hear Gracie's response. Besides just saying, "It was really good," she added, "It was good to know that we are not alone."

You can't go wrong in bringing your daughter to a place where 15,000 voices are praising God in one place at one time.