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“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

The first time I heard Come As You Are by David Crowder was after I had been asked to lead worship at a friend’s church. They requested the song, and as I listened to it for the first time, I was immediately seized by the first two lines: 

Come out of sadness, from wherever you’ve been
Come, broken hearted, let rescue begin

I was hooked. Not because the melody is beautiful (it is) and not because the arrangement is powerful (it is). I was hooked because of the simple but profound message of the song: Come as you are.

As someone who loves to share my faith, this message is one of the most important messages anyone could ever share. We all know—because we’ve seen, heard or experienced it first hand—how often folks feel disqualified from ever entering God’s kingdom. They’ll have a list of reasons, but likely most of these folks aren’t familiar with: 

• The rest and easy yoke offered by Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30
• The gentle, restorative hand of the Good Shepherd from Psalm 23
• One small but vital word in John 1:11-12 – ALL: “He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (emphasis added).

These are just a few of countless other passages that make it clear that qualification, purification comes from Jesus AFTER we accept Him. It does not come from us BEFORE we approach Him. Jesus qualifies the unqualified. He knows the sin that clings to us as we approach, but like the father in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), God’s love for YOU is so great that He runs to you and throws a celebration in your name when you come to Him, baggage and all. Why would He do that? Those answers become clear in time, but all you need to know today, beloved, is that He already loves you. You don’t need to get yourself together, clean yourself up or try to earn His love. So as the song says, come out of sadness, from wherever you’ve been. The Savior is ready for you: Come as you are.

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Come As You Are

Come out of sadness
From wherever you've been
Come broken hearted
Let rescue begin
Come find your mercy
Oh sinner come kneel
Earth has no sorrow
That heaven can't heal
Earth has no sorrow
That heaven can't heal

So lay down your burdens
Lay down your shame
All who are broken
Lift up your face
Oh wanderer come home
You're not too far
So lay down your hurt
Lay down your heart
Come as you are

There's hope for the hopeless
And all those who've strayed
Come sit at the table
Come taste the grace
There's rest for the weary
Rest that endures
Earth has no sorrow
That heaven can't cure

So lay down your burdens
Lay down your shame
All who are broken
Lift up your face
Oh wanderer come home
You're not too far
So lay down your hurt
Lay down your heart
Come as you are
Come as you are
Fall in his arms
Come as you are
There's joy for the morning
Oh sinner be still
Earth has no sorrow
That heaven can't heal
Earth has no sorrow
That heaven can't heal

So lay down your burdens
Lay down your shame
All who are broken

This is what the Lord says—
    he who made a way through the sea,
    a path through the mighty waters,
who drew out the chariots and horses,
    the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again,
    extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:
“Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:16-19

I often wonder how the Israelites must have felt as they approached the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s mighty army in hot pursuit. The story, found in the 14th chapter of Exodus, is a dramatic illustration of God’s omnipotent providence and His promise to weave all things together for the good of those who love him.  On the surface, one might think that God merely plucked the Israelites from a crushing defeat at the last excruciating moment.  The truth is that God held every heart-pounding instant in His almighty hand for the purpose of His glory. From commanding the Israelites’ flight from Egypt to the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart which led to his overwhelming pursuit of them; and from the Israelites’ incredible deliverance and safe passage through the Red Sea to the great victory over Pharaoh’s army with “all of the horses and chariots” resulting in an indisputable recognition of God’s unmatched might, God always finishes what He begins. Always.

God is faithful.  And when He is for us, no one can stand against us. (Romans 8:31).

It is my desire that as we sing this song together as a church body, we will enter into a bold and confident moment of declaration and thanksgiving for who God is: asking Him for nothing, but praising Him for the great things He has done (Psalm 126:3) and is yet to do.

He is with us. (Joshua 1:9)

He is for us. (Psalm 56:9)

He is faithful. (2 Thes 3:3)

He is our healer. (1 Peter 2:24)

He is our savior and redeemer. (John 3:16)

He is the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6)

He is the light. (John 8:12)

He is the miracle worker.  (Luke 1:37)

He is the way maker. (Isaiah 43: 19)

————–

Way Maker

You are here
Moving in our midst
I worship You
I worship You
You are here
Working in this place
I worship You
I worship You

You are
Way maker, miracle worker
Promise keeper, light in the darkness
My God, that is who You are

You are here
Turning lives around
I worship You
I worship You
You are here
You're healing every heart
I worship You
I worship You

You are
Way maker, miracle worker
Promise keeper, light in the darkness
My God, that is who You are

Even when I don't see it, You're working
Even when I don't feel it, You're working
You never stop, You never stop working
You never stop, You never stop working

Way maker, miracle worker
Promise keeper, light in the darkness
My God, that is who You are