This morning I read an entry from my journal from over 20 years ago. It said, “We can’t make plans for God. Sometimes we cannot even know His plan. We just have to pray, wait and obey.” I was pretty young when I wrote that, but it has proven true. So I ask you, have you prayed? Are you obeying Him? Then rest from your worries and wait with confidence on the Lord. We all have anxieties, and it’s good that we face them rather then try to ignore them. But, the question is, have we cast them on the One who cares for us?

Have you ever known someone who doesn’t seem happy unless they are miserable? I realize that I do not have a nature to worry, so I say this with respect to those of you who consider worry a spiritual discipline. Do you really trust God to do what is best? Has He possibly left some details for you to cover that are too much for Him? Seems to me that it may be a matter of trust. If we really trust Him we will put our confidence in Him. When you embrace God’s will for your life even a storm can be trusted to His care.

1 Peter 5:7 gives you a reason to trust because Christ cares about you. He cares so deeply that if you were to know how much he cares it would touch your heart and bring peace to your soul. He is working out a plan for those who love Him and it is a good plan. You’re gonna like it. So stop rubbing your feet together like a child impatient to get up from a nap. Turn your worry into preparation for the journey, but stop stewing about the details. That’s for Him to decide.

Our only worry should be the matter of our sin. If our sin has been covered by the blood of Christ we are assured to find peace at His “mercy seat.”

While you think about that why don’t you read these lyrics and listen to my arrangement for the “Overshadowed” collection of my Lord’s Day Meditations. I hope it will help you relax and find the grace to trust Him and let Him relieve you of your worries. – Nathan

“All Your Anxiety”
Is there a heart o’er-bound by sorrow?
Is there a life weighed down by care?
Come to the cross–each burden bearing,
All your anxiety–leave it there.

No other friend so keen to help you,
No other friend so quick to hear;
No other place to leave your burden,
No other one to hear your prayer.

Come then at once–delay no longer!
Heed His entreaty kind and sweet;
You need not fear a disappointment–
You shall find peace at the mercy seat.

Refrain:
All your anxiety, all your care,
Bring to the mercy seat–leave it there;
Never a burden He cannot bear,
Never a friend like Jesus.
by Edward Henry Joy, 1920;
Arranged by Nathan Shipley Pierpont Copyright 2005

I know my folks would go to the ends of the earth to make sure I lived for Christ. I am committed to loving my kids as long and as far as I have to. I will never, ever give up on them. They have been given back to God and regardless of the struggles they may face, I will love them as long as it takes.

One of my children’s friends just caught on the other day that I didn’t do concerts in huge concert halls to thousands of screaming fans, but to crowds of 30-300 people in churches throughout the Midwest. I rarely performed for more then 400 people at a time, but we reached nearly 10,000 people a year.

In 1995 we began as humbly as you can. An opportunity to perform a concert in my grandparents church, a humble demo tape, a two-bedroom apartment, a mailing to a handful of churches. One or two funny stories, a couple of my own songs and a collection of my own piano arrangements.

After a mailing generated nothing, we realize that we were better off to call Pastors on the phone and patiently form relationships with these faithful stewards who carefully managed what they asked of their people. Pastors were so gracious. We began to receive invitations and the schedule began to fill. After two years of work we enjoyed a full year of 72 concerts. We had some wonderful experiences and were almost always invited back again. The last year we did the ministry full-time we mostly performed in churches as returning guests. It was nice to know that we already had friends where we were going. It was also nice to know ahead of time the best way to set up my equipment on the platform.

It was a couple years before Elisabeth and Jonathan began singing with me, but now they are a special feature of our concerts.

Before we joined the pastoral staff at Northeastern we produced a couple of recordings. I still come across people who remember some of the lyrics to my songs as well or better then I do. I hope to produce a piano CD and eventually a trio CD with Lissy and John.

Though we are committed on Sundays, we still take every opportunity to minister in other churches for special meetings or concerts. Feel free to contact us if we can share ministry with you, especially if we’ve been to your church before.

In his book, Then Sings My Soul, book two, Robert Morgan tells the story of another Midwest songwriter, George Young, who had a dream of building a country cottage. After years of traveling from church to church in revival efforts and pinching pennies they were finally able to build their modest dream house and find a sweet place of rest between revival meetings and travel. One day they returned from a ministry trip to find their home in ashes. Someone had been offended by George’s preaching and decided to seek revenge. Looking over the ruins, a few words of a hymn began to form in George’s mind.

“In shady green pastures, so rich and so sweet, God leads His dear children along;
Where the water’s cool flow bathes the weary one’s feet, God leads His dear children along.
Some thru the waters, some thru the flood, Some thru the fire, but all thru the blood;
Some throu great sorrow, but God gives a song, In the night season, and all the day long.”

Brother Morgan goes on to tell how years later Dr. Lillenas discovered that George’s widow lived in a Country Poor House. Deeply troubled by the news he found her and spoke with her. This is the story Robert Morgan tells of her words to Dr. Lillenas.

“Dr. Lillenas, God led me here! I’m so glad He did, for you know, about every month someone comes into this place to spend the rest of their days, and so many of them don’t know my Jesus. I’m having the time of my life introducing them to Jesus! Isn’t it wonderful how God leads?”

Instead of retiring to a country cottage, Mrs. Young was still joyfully accepting the Lord’s leading wherever He might lead.

Heavenly Father,
Forgive my idolatrous heart for setting any part of it on an earthly cottage. My heart is set on the joy of knowing You and the companionship of the ministry of Your gospel. I will not look to a retirement home unless it is the place You choose to let me burn out for You. Then, in Your grace, when I have served my purpose, let me come swiftly into the presence of Your glory. There I will realize the fulfillment of a longing You have placed within all Your own, the longing to dwell with You in that home with many rooms You have been preparing.

Listen to “God Leads Us Along” — Another arrangement for the collection I call, “Lord’s Day Meditations.”

“God Leads Us Along”
Words and Music by George Young
“God Leads Us Along” (2 MB)

“Overshadowed”
Words and Music by H. A. Ironsides and George S Schuler
MP3 (3.2 MB)

“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
Hymn Text by Thomas O. Chisholm
Traditional melody by William M. Runyan
MP3 (750 kb)

“All Your Anxieties”
Hymn text and music by Edward Henry Joy.
MP3 (531 kb)

“Tis So Sweet to Trust In Jesus”
Hymn text by Louisa M. R. Stead
Music by William J. Kirkpatrick
MP3 (939 kb)

“Day By Day”Hymn text by Carolina Sandell Berg; translated by Andrew L. Skoog
Music by Oscar Ahnfelt
MP3 (868 kb)

“Abide with Me”
Hymn text by Henry F. Lyte
Music by William H. Monk
MP3 (1.22 MB)

“Others Medley”
Copyright 2005 Nathan S. Pierpont
MP3 (4.86 MB)
This is a collection of songs I sing to myself on the way to church about 7:00 a.m. preparing my heart for leading worship at 8:15 a.m.
“Others”
“Make Me a Channel of Blessing”
“Make Me a Blessing”
“Channels Only”
“May the Mind of Christ.”

This last one ends with these words.

May His beauty rest upon me
As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel,
Seeing only Him. ~ Kate B. Wilkinson

As Promised, here’s the “Friend Medley”
“I Am His and He is Mine”
words by George W. Robinson/music by James Mountain
“Now I Belong to Jesus”
words and music by Norman J. Clayton
“What a Friend We Have in Jesus”
words by Joseph M. Scriven/music by Charles C. Converse

“I am His and He is Mine,” “Now I belong to Jesus,” “What a Friend we Have”
MP3 (5.44 MB)

“No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus”
wma sample