Today’s Always Uplifting Verse and Devotional to start your day off right!

God Doesn’t Waste Broken Places

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Ephesians 2:9-10 — Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

There’s a building in Spokane, Washington, that used to glow with neon lights for all the wrong reasons.

People drove past it for years, knowing exactly what was happening inside.

Brokenness. Addiction. Exploitation. Stories most people never heard because the women living inside those walls often felt invisible.

Then God started rewriting the story.

A friend of mine named Taylor, who also works in Christian radio, sent me the story. I had tears rolling down my face, and honestly, I just haven’t stopped thinking about it.

There’s a ministry called Helping Captives. They bought that former strip club, paid it off completely, and now they’re turning it into a Freedom Center for women escaping human trafficking.

Same building.

Different purpose.

One woman who was rescued from trafficking said she had worked in that very club before.

Can you imagine standing in a place that once represented your pain and watching God turn it into a place of healing?

Maybe that’s what feels so much like Jesus to me.

God has always loved taking what looks ruined and giving it a purpose the world never saw coming.

He turns messes into masterpieces.

And that’s where Ephesians 2 speaks so deeply to me.

Grace is not something we manufacture. It’s not something we earn by being good enough.

Salvation is a gift.

And when God makes us new in Christ, He doesn’t just rescue us from our past. He gives our lives a new purpose. He prepares good things for us to do for His glory.

So maybe you needed this reminder today:

Your past may explain part of your story, but it does not get to write the ending.

The world may look at something and see what it used to be.

But God sees what He can make it become.

So pause today and ask Him to show you one place in your life that feels too broken to matter anymore.

Bring that place into His hands.

Because you are not defined by what you were.

In Christ, you are being made new.

And Jesus is still in the business of turning broken places into stories of redemption.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Is there a part of your past that you’ve allowed to define you? What would it mean to let God write a new chapter there?
  • Where in your life do you feel “too broken to matter”? What would it look like to place that area in God’s hands?
  • How does knowing that salvation is a gift—not something you earn—change the way you see yourself and God?
  • Ephesians 2:10 says God created us anew so we can do good things He planned for us. What might He be inviting you to do in this season?
  • Where have you seen God take something painful or broken and give it a new purpose?
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Trust God With Today

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Matthew 6:34 — Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. 

There’s something about the words “what if?”

What if this happens?

What if that falls apart?

What if I can’t handle what comes next?

What if… what if… what if?

Those two little words can steal so much peace.

So if that’s you right now, take a deep breath with me.

Because worry has a way of living in the future.

Anxiety can feel like this little monster that runs ahead of us, walks into tomorrow, and comes back carrying a report about everything that might go wrong.

But God’s peace lives here.

In this moment.

In this breath.

Today.

God is the only One who knows what tomorrow will actually hold. And because He is already there, we don’t have to pretend we are.

Jesus doesn’t tell us that tomorrow won’t have trouble. He knows it will.

He simply reminds us not to carry tomorrow’s trouble today.

Tomorrow has enough of its own.

And today belongs to God.

So come on.

Take another breath.

You don’t have to solve your whole future before lunch.

Faith doesn’t require you to know what happens next. It invites you to trust Who is with you now.

One step.

One breath.

One prayer at a time.

That’s enough for today.

And when those two little words come knocking again—“What if?”—maybe answer them with something stronger:

What if God is already there?

What if He really is holding the future I’m afraid of?

Take one more deep breath.

Let tomorrow stay where it belongs.

And trust God with today.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What “what if” has been taking up the most space in your mind lately? What are you afraid might happen?
  • When you find yourself worrying about tomorrow, what usually happens to your ability to be present today?
  • What would it look like to trust God with something you cannot control or know yet?
  • What is one thing you can do today—one step, one prayer, one breath—instead of trying to solve tomorrow?
  • How does it change your perspective to remember that God is already in the future you’re afraid of?
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Stuck Is Not Your Story

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John 12:26 – Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.

There’s a line in CAIN’s song Rise Up that gets me every time:

“Are you too scared to move and walk out of this tomb?”

That’s a striking question because sometimes what holds us back isn’t that we don’t know we’re stuck.

It’s that the stuck place starts to feel like the new normal.

Familiar, even.

Isn’t that relatable?

But let me tell you, you’re in good company.

In the Bible, Lazarus knew something about being stuck, too.

He had been dead for four days when Jesus arrived. There was a stone over the tomb, his sisters were devastated, and there was absolutely no reasonable expectation that Lazarus was coming back.

But then Jesus called his name.

I love that detail.

Jesus didn’t shout some generic instructions into the cemetery.

He called Lazarus.

And Lazarus came out.

But here’s what I don’t want us to miss: Lazarus didn’t come out of the tomb just to wander around and eventually find another tomb to hide in.

His new life meant a new relationship with Jesus.

In fact, John 12 tells us that Lazarus was sitting at a table with Jesus shortly afterward.

And then, in that same chapter, Jesus says, “Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am.”

Now, I can’t say with any certainty that Lazarus was still in the room when Jesus said those words. I’ll leave that part to your imagination.

But don’t miss the bigger picture.

Jesus doesn’t just call us out of something.

He calls us after Him.

Maybe you’ve spent a long time believing the lies, carrying the shame, or living inside a pattern that feels impossible to escape.

Maybe the place that once felt like a prison has simply become familiar.

Hear Jesus’ voice today.

The grave isn’t your home.

And when Jesus calls you out of the grave, He isn’t just calling you away from your old life.

He’s reaching out His hand and saying, “Follow Me.”

So, rise up.

Take off your grave clothes.

And follow Jesus.

He’s calling.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What is one area of your life where you’ve felt stuck for so long that it has started to feel normal?
  • Are there lies, shame, habits, or patterns that Jesus may be calling you to leave behind? What makes it difficult to step out?
  • What does it mean to you that Jesus doesn’t simply call you out of something—He calls you to follow Him?
  • What might “taking off your grave clothes” look like in your life right now? Is there something from your old life you keep putting back on?
  • If Jesus is saying, “Follow Me,” what is one step you could take today to move toward Him?

 

 L Y R I C S

Rise Up (Lazarus)
Come Forth
Dead man open your eyes
The Lord ain’t finished with you
Wake up You sleeper
Watch what he can do
Dead man open your eyes
Jesus is calling for you

In the dark and all alone
Growin comfortable
Are you too
Scared to move
And walk out of this tomb

Buried underneath
The lies that you believed
Safe and sound
Stuck in the ground
Too lost to be found

You’re just asleep
And it’s time to leave

Come on and rise up
Take a breath, you’re alive now
Can’t you hear the voice of Jesus calling us
Out from the grave like Lazarus
You’re brand new
The power of death couldn’t hold you
Can’t you hear the voice of Jesus calling us
Out from the grave like Lazarus

When He said your name
The thing that filled your veins
Was more than blood
It’s the kind of love
That washes sin away

Now the door is open wide
The stones been rolled aside
The old is gone
The Light has come
So…

He’s calling us to walk out of the dark
He’s giving us new resurrected hearts

/by

The Treasure You Can’t See

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Colossians 3:1-3 – Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.

Helen Keller once said, “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.”

And isn’t that true?

You can’t hold peace in your hands. You can’t put love in a jar. You can’t wrap up hope with a bow or measure kindness.

Some of the most valuable things in life are the very things you can’t see or touch.

But we live in a world that constantly tells us to chase bigger houses, newer cars, better things, and more stuff. It’s easy to spend our lives searching for things we can touch, see, and point to.

But the things we can hold aren’t always the things that hold us together.

Think about the joy of a child’s laughter. The comfort of a friend’s prayer. The reassurance of knowing Jesus is with you, even when life doesn’t make sense.

Those are the things we remember.

That’s part of what Paul is getting at in Colossians 3. He tells believers to set their minds on the things above—to keep looking toward Christ and the realities of the new life we have in Him.

Because our real life is now hidden with Christ in God.

In other words, what is visible may or may not be impressive, but what is eternal is what truly lasts.

That doesn’t mean the things we see are bad. A home can be a blessing. A car can be useful. Beautiful things can bring genuine joy.

But they were never meant to carry the weight of our identity or become the measure of a meaningful life.

So today, pause long enough to notice what you might normally overlook.

The love you’ve been given.

The peace God has provided.

The people who have prayed for you along the way.

The hope you have because of Jesus.

Set your sights there.

Because the things that matter most may not be the things you can see or hold.

They’re the things that hold you together—and they are found in Christ.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What are you spending the most time thinking about or chasing right now? Does it reflect the things Paul says to set your mind on?
  • What is something invisible—peace, love, hope, faith, friendship—that has meant more to you than something you could buy or own?
  • Are there earthly things you’ve allowed to carry too much weight in your identity or sense of worth? What would it look like to place that weight back on Christ?
  • What is one blessing in your life that you might normally overlook? Take a moment today to thank God for it.
  • What would change in your day if you intentionally “set your sights” on Christ before everything else?
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Healing the Hidden Hurt

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Isaiah 61:1 — The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.

One weekend recently, I got to help my friend Laura at her daughter Hosanna’s wedding. Hosanna is a girl I adore, and she had me doing all those little wedding details I absolutely love.

There were tables to set up, decorations to arrange, and a hundred other little things. Even a dessert table. And I love doing dessert tables!

But as I stood there working, I realized just how good God really is.

Just a few months earlier, when my son got married, I was supposed to help set up that day too. But at the last minute, I wasn’t allowed to.

And if I’m honest, it hurt so much.

I left that wedding reception in a panic, feeling invisible and unneeded. It was heartbreaking to feel like I was just a name on a birth certificate.

But now, months later, I was standing at another wedding, doing every single thing I had dreamed of doing for someone I love.

And Hosanna had no idea what had happened before. I hadn’t told her my story. She simply asked me to help.

And somewhere between the decorations and that dessert table, I remembered something about God:

He comes near to the brokenhearted.

Isaiah 61 is a beautiful picture of the ministry of Jesus. He came to bring good news, to heal what is broken, to bring freedom where people have been bound by pain, sin, shame, and sorrow.

And sometimes, healing doesn’t happen all at once.

Sometimes God meets us months later, in an ordinary moment, and lets us realize, “Look what I’ve done. Look how I’ve cared for you. Look how I’m restoring something you thought was lost.”

I’m telling you this with tears in my eyes, but they aren’t tears of sadness anymore.

They’ve become tears of joy.

Friend, God sees the hurt you never had the words for.

He knows it. He sees it. And He is not distant from it.

God understands deep, deep agony. He knows what suffering feels like because His own Son, Jesus, willingly went to the cross for you and for me.

And maybe today, there’s a place in your heart you’ve never really talked about with anyone.

Maybe you don’t even know how to put it into words.

But you can bring it to Jesus.

Bring Him the hurt. Bring Him the disappointment. Bring Him the people you love. Bring Him the things you don’t understand.

You may not be able to find all the right words to pray.

But let me tell you something:

He already sees it.

And even more than that…

He cares.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Is there a hurt in your life that you’ve never really had the words to explain to anyone? What would it look like to bring that hurt honestly to Jesus?
  • Have you ever experienced a moment when God seemed to bring unexpected healing or restoration to something that had deeply hurt you? What did that moment mean to you?
  • Is there a disappointment you’re still carrying because you feel unseen, unwanted, or unneeded? How does it change things to remember that God sees you completely?
  • What would it look like today to bring Jesus not only your pain, but also the people you love?
  • Where do you need to remember today: “He already sees it, and He cares”?
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Stop Second Guessing

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2 Corinthians 5:7 — For we walk by faith, not by sight.

That’s not just a nice suggestion. That’s how Scripture describes the life of faith. But if I’m being honest, I think a lot of us treat it like one.

Let me prove it to you.

Think about your laundry detergent. Seriously. Go look at the cap. How much are you supposed to put in there? There are little lines inside the cap that tell you how much to use. Somebody who, presumably, knows what they’re talking about measured it out for you.

And yet…

How much do you actually put in?

Because what you should use is way less than you think it should be. Many times, it’s not even half a cap, and I look at that little line and think, “That can’t possibly be enough.”

So, I pour a little more… and then a little more. And eventually, I just pour until my heart says, “Okay, that looks about right.”

Which is funny, because they already told me!

But somehow, standing there with a pile of dirty clothes, I became the detergent expert.

And that’s where this gets a little uncomfortable, because I think we do the same thing with God.

He tells us something, and we immediately start looking at our circumstances and focusing on our feelings.

We look at the size of the problem. We look at the size of the mess. We look at everything that could go wrong, and then we look back at what God has said and think, “Okay, but… surely You meant a little more than that. I need a little more certainty and a lot more explanation.”

But faith means trusting God and learning to move forward with Him even when we cannot see the whole picture yet.

That doesn’t mean our problems are small. It means God is trustworthy even when what He has given us feels small compared to what we are facing.

So today, when you find yourself asking God for just a little bit more information, more certainty, or more explanation… pause.

Ask yourself whether you really need more information from Him, or whether you simply need to trust what He has already said.

Faith may not always let us see where the road is going, but it teaches us to keep walking with the One who does.

Maybe what He has given you really is enough.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Where in your life are you asking God for more certainty, more explanation, or more information right now?
  • What circumstances are making it difficult for you to trust what God has already said?
  • Have you ever seen God prove Himself trustworthy in a situation where you couldn’t see how things would work out?
  • What would it look like for you to “walk by faith” in the situation you’re facing today?
  • Is there something God has already given you—His Word, His promises, His presence—that you need to trust is enough for today?
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The Hot Water Test

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James 1:2-3 — Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

You’ve probably heard the saying that a woman is like a teabag—you never know her strength until you drop her in hot water.

Yeah, I feel like I have been dropped inside of a pot of boiling water lately, and honestly, I don’t really like the hot water. None of us do.

None of us ask for it. We don’t wake up hoping for illness or heartbreak or disappointment. We don’t put financial struggles on our calendars or pray for uncertainty.

But sometimes the hot water comes anyway.

When it does, it can feel like everything is being tested all at once. The things we thought we could handle suddenly feel heavier. The questions get louder. The answers seem farther away. And sometimes we find ourselves wondering how much more we can take.

But maybe there is something happening in those moments that we can’t see yet.

James tells us to consider it joy when we face trials because the testing of our faith produces perseverance.

That can be a hard thing to hear when you are actually in the middle of the trial. It’s one thing to read about perseverance when life is going well. It’s another thing entirely when you are the one sitting in the hot water.

But James isn’t saying the trial itself is good. He’s showing us that God can use what is hard to produce something good in us.

The pressure can reveal things in us that God is using to grow our faith, and maybe that’s why the hot water matters. The strength we thought we didn’t have can show up. The faith we thought was small can hold on. The trust we thought was fragile can somehow make it through another day.

And maybe you are in that hot water right now. Maybe you didn’t ask for it, and you certainly wouldn’t have chosen it.

But you are not there alone.

God is still working in you, even when you can’t see what He is producing, and the faith He is building in you may be stronger than you realize.

Sometimes you don’t discover your strength until you are tested.

And sometimes you don’t discover how faithful God has been to strengthen you until you find yourself in the heat.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What “hot water” are you walking through right now, and how is it affecting your faith?
  • When life gets difficult, is your first response to ask “Why me?” or to ask “God, what are You doing in me?”
  • Can you think of a difficult season when God strengthened your faith or helped you endure more than you thought you could?
  • What might God be growing in you through the trial you’re facing right now?
  • What would it look like today to trust that God is still working, even if you can’t yet see what He is producing?
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Don’t Rehearse The Regret

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2 Corinthians 10:5 — We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

There I was, minding my own business, and suddenly I got assaulted by my past.

All I wanted was a nice, quiet morning… but instead, I was left reliving the time I face-planted down the stairs in middle school.

It doesn’t stop there.

I get up and head to work, hoping music will drown it out, but nope. I’m replaying that conversation I completely fumbled three years ago.

By the time I arrive at the office, I sit at my desk and try to push through the project in front of me, but I’m distracted again. This time by the joke I made to my boss that made me look like an idiot.

Why do I do that?

Can you relate?

We often think of anxiety as fear of the future, but sometimes, it’s the past that grips us just as tightly. If we’re not careful, those memories can begin to shape how we live moving forward.

Anxiety can cripple us. It can affect our daily interactions and hold us back from being who Christ created us to be.

Scripture tells us to take every thought captive and bring it to Christ. That doesn’t mean we’ll never have painful thoughts or memories again. It means learning to recognize the thoughts that keep pulling us backward, bring them to Christ, and refuse to let them run the show.

When Christ died for us, He didn’t just offer forgiveness for our sin. He also gives us freedom from the condemnation and shame that can keep us trapped in our past.

The memories may still exist. The regret may still surface. The painful moments may still come to mind. But in Christ, they don’t have to control us.

They can be shadows, not chains.

That’s why the old hymn tells us to turn our eyes toward Jesus and look fully into His wonderful face. In the light of His glorious grace, the things that once seemed so big begin to grow strangely dim.

So, what if today, when that old memory comes back, you don’t rehearse it all over again?

What if, instead, you bring it to Jesus and look at Him?

His grace is bigger than the version of your past that keeps trying to resurrect itself.

Because in Christ, there isn’t just forgiveness for our past.

There is freedom from it.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What past memory, regret, or painful thought do you find yourself replaying most often?
  • When that thought comes back, what does it make you believe about yourself, your past, or your future?
  • What would it look like to take that thought captive and bring it honestly to Jesus instead of rehearsing it again?
  • Are there places where shame or regret from your past is still influencing the way you live today?
  • What truth about Jesus and His grace do you need to remember the next time your past tries to pull you backward?

L Y R I C S

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth
Will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

Words and Music by Helen Lemmel

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Look Up, It’s Not Over

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Psalm 3:3 – But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.

“He lifts us up. He’s my glory and the lifter of our head.”

I love that picture.

And if you watch sports, maybe you’ve seen something like this. Years ago, there was a championship game where a young player missed a really important shot for his team.

He hung his head, and before maybe even two seconds had passed, his teammate lifted his chin, patted him on the back, and said, “It’s not over. We’ve got this.”

I’ve always remembered that because I thought, I want to surround myself with people like that, too.

But actually, I want to be that person.

Because there have been plenty of times when I’ve noticed somebody hanging their head a little low. Maybe they’re discouraged. Maybe they’re disappointed in themselves. Maybe they’re carrying something they haven’t told anybody about.

I’ll say a silent prayer for them. But sometimes I think, Lord, I don’t just want to pray for them. Maybe You want to encourage them through me. I need to walk over there.

God is the One who lifts our heads, and I love that picture because often, we don’t need somebody to fix everything. We just need somebody to remind us to look up.

So, if you know somebody who’s been walking around with their head down lately—your sister, your brother, your coworker, your neighbor—say the prayer, and then maybe go say something to them, too.

Because I’m thankful that God lifts our heads. And sometimes, in His kindness, He lets us be the hands that help.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Is there an area of your life where you’ve been hanging your head lately—feeling discouraged, disappointed, or overwhelmed?
  • Who has been someone God used to lift your head and remind you that you weren’t alone?
  • Is there someone in your life right now whose head seems to be hanging a little low? What might they need to hear from you?
  • When you notice someone hurting, are you willing to do more than pray for them and take a step toward them?
  • Who might God be asking you to encourage today—and what could you say or do to help lift their head?
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Come As You Are

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Isaiah 1:18 — “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.” 

You know, we are surprisingly good at hiding. Aren’t we?

I think we learn it early.

If we’re sad, we say, “Oh, I’m just tired.” If we’re embarrassed, we change the subject. If we make a mess of something, we clean up the visible parts and hope nobody notices what happened.

And sometimes we do the same thing with God.

It’s easy to imagine we need to get ourselves together before we come to Him. I know I do. I tell myself, “Pray more. Do better. Stop this. Fix that.”

I tell myself I’ll do better. I’ll get my act together, and then I’ll come back to God.

The problem is… “then” can take a really long time.

But Jesus doesn’t tell us to get ourselves together before we come to Him. He invites us to come.

That’s why Crowder’s “Come As You Are” lands so deeply. It isn’t a song about pretending we’re okay. It’s an invitation to stop pretending. To lay down our burdens. To lay down our shame.

Isaiah 1:18 gives us this stunning picture: our sins may be scarlet, but God can make them white as snow.

You see, grace doesn’t require us to hide the stain. Grace is what God does with it.

So maybe faith isn’t about bringing God your best version. Maybe it’s about bringing Him the real one—the tired, ashamed, and broken version too.

Because Jesus isn’t waiting for you to become worthy enough to come.

He’s inviting you to come now and let Him begin making you whole.

So today, please hear this:

Come as you are.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What are you tempted to hide from God or pretend you have under control?
  • Do you ever find yourself thinking you need to “get your act together” before you can come to God? What makes you feel that way?
  • What burden, shame, or failure do you need to stop hiding and bring honestly to Jesus?
  • How does it change the way you see God when you remember that His grace is not dependent on you bringing Him your best version?
  • What would it look like for you to “come as you are” to Jesus today and allow Him to begin His work in you?

L Y R I C S

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
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
Come as you are

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