"I Know a Place"

 Sitting around with a group of friends or colleagues and the topic of discussion turns to where are we going to grab a bite to eat, inevitably someone in the group will comment, “I know a place". Their recommendation will be based on a personal experience, or it could be that someone else gave them the point of reference. Regardless, when someone recommends a place to eat they are basically telling you "I went, I tried it, and I liked it, you should give it a try!" 

Currently, there is a song out on the airwaves that made me think about the whole idea of sharing a good recommendation. Contemporary Christian artist Leanna Crawford's song "I Know a Place" shares a similar message to one of a friend recommending the chicken parm at a new Italian restaurant. In Crawford's song she references a metaphor found in Psalm 34:8 in which David encourages us to "Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the one who takes refuge in him." Throughout the song we are reminded that there is a place where we can find hope and peace for our weary souls. "Are you stuck on hopeless? Does everything end up broken? I know, I've been there too, let me tell you. Has your soul been shaken? Do you need a new foundation ..." The list goes on and on, but the response remains the same and never changes, when you feel hopeless, "I know a place". You may feel like your life is broken with nowhere to turn, but "I know a place", a place where mending your broken heart is the norm. When that figurative earthquake hits you or your family and your soul feels like it has been shaken to its foundation, we can find peace and rest because we know a place!

If you know God then you know where this "place" is, God's peace and restoration are promised to us in a conversation between Jesus and His disciples. Jesus stated to the disciples, “... if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." We may experience challenging situations in this present world, Jesus pretty much guarantees that will be the case, but within the challenges of this world, Jesus tells us that He has overcome this world and we will one day move from the place we are to a place that God has promised us, (John 16:33). 

If you feeling overwhelmed, remember God offers a place of peace. If the waves and winds of life's storms are making you feel like your ship is about to sink, know that God has a place of comfort and rest. If you are hungry or thirsty, the message is clear "come taste and see" I know a place!

Coach Carter