Somewhere Over the Rainbow

"I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears. 

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.  Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all."  (Psalms 34:4, 18-19 NAS95S)

Observation: I was getting ready to journal on this passage, and for some reason I took a detour to Connie Talbot singing the song Somewhere Over the Rainbow. 



In reflecting on this... in reading the verse "The Lord is near the brokenhearted..."   Well, I can't help but think of the young talents that have been chewed up and spit out by the industry of entertainment.  We are a consumer culture that truly does consume our kids.  And part of me tears up because of this.

Part of me tears up because I see in Connie, along with so many others, something we all long for.  All of us, within our inner core, in the depths of our heart, wants to be loved, and praised, and affirmed.  We want to know we are innocent, pure, child like.  

"But we have sinned and grown old... and our Father still waits and He watches down the road to see the cryin' boys come running back to his arms, and be growin' young..."  --Rich Mullins

O man, o man, o man... Do we realize that this is it.  That He wants to bring us home.  Do realize that he weeps for all the broken kids who have walked down the path of stardom and fame and are now just throw aways... shells of the people they were...  robbed of their innocence and youth...  This is our modern child sacrifice... Offered up in the flames of consumeristic passion... Offered up in the lust for the lastest, the hippest, the greatest.

O God forgive us!

And yet, there is a silver lining to it all.  It is this:  The Lord is near the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in Spirit.

Yes the Lord is near all the Hollywood heart throbs who are dying of a broken heart.  He sees them when their Spirit is crushed.  He is reaching out in the love, the grace, and unconditional acceptance they have always longed for.

He is the audience of one who can truly bring joy, peace, and true satisfaction.  

Prayer:  O Jesus bless the stars.  Redeem them.  Call them by name.  Capture them as jewels for their crown.  Rich Mullins, once wrote:

Sometimes I think of Abraham, how one star He say had been lit for me.

Lord You have lit a star for every actor of Hollywood, for every singer from Motown, and every crooner from Nashville.  It is a star of acceptance, a star of grace... it is more than just a star in the heavens... although it's that too.

Ultimately, You sent the bright and morning star who came into this dark world... The only One who is worthy of all our praise... The Son of Righteousness who shall rise with healing in His wings.  

O Jesus rise in the hearts of the stars... Let them see they are really just moons.  Created to reflect Your glory.  Called to display Your splendor.  You are the bright and shining star lit for us.  You have always been, You always will be.

And if we could just make our orbit around Your grace... If we could live to reflect Your love, that would be enough... O Jesus... make us like a child again.  And may we be Your love song to a world that is lost.  May our eyes sparkle with the good news that we are loved, and with the wonder of our Father who loves our great big world too!