We introduced this song a few weeks ago and I’ve wanted to write about it for a while. You can hear from the artist briefly in the video to the left.

Songs like this don’t take a whole lot of explanation to justify why we sing them. These lyrics speak for themselves but I want to ground the ideas of this song in scripture. For me, knowing that the songs I sing are rooted in the ideas of scripture helps me to sing them with deeper joy and conviction.

I count 25 occurrences of the phrase, “unfailing love” in the psalms. Texts like Psalm 13:5 say, “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.” In Titus 1 Paul opens his letter with this statement that God promised salvation and that He (God) cannot lie. God’s love for us is secured upon the foundation of His nature. When we step into relationship with God through Jesus, God stakes his reputation on loving us well. Yeah, his love for us is pretty strong! This song says, “sure as the sun, the moon, the stars remain Your love for me will never change.” The reality is God’s love is more sure then the sun, moon, and stars.

I also love the line, “when seasons change and stories end.” If God’s love is so sure and steadfast then IT and ONLY IT will never change. Everything else in life is in flux but there is nothing in heaven or on earth that can change the “steady love” of God. If the texts I already shared don’t convince you, check this one out:

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

(Romans 8:37–39 ESV)

Yeah, it’s pretty steady love!

I’m not going to focus on every line of this song but I do want to highlight one more. In the final verse it says, “there is a strength that rises up in me to know that You’ve been here before me.” This idea is one of the great benefits we have as christians. There are at least two ideas I see here.

First, we know that God sees all our circumstances and their ultimate purpose in our lives. He has been there before us. This truth mingled with the depth of his love means we can face all situations safe in God’s plan. Second, we actually have a God who knows what it is like to be human. The incarnation (thats the theological term for when God became human in Jesus) is beautiful because we have a God who understands our frailty. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).” God doesn’t put us through hard things without understanding the difficulty of them.

Let’s sing this song and remind ourselves of these truths.

So let my heart tell You again
When seasons change and stories end
Your steady love
It will sustain me through it all
Je – sus, Your love

So let my heart tell You again
When seasons change and stories end
Your steady love
It will sustain me through it all
Je – sus, Your love

There is a strength that rises up in me
To know that You’ve been here be – fore me
A strength beyond what I can see
Jesus, Your lo – o – ove
Je – sus, Your love

So let my heart tell You again
When seasons change and stories end
Your steady love
It will sustain me through it all
Je – sus, Your love

In the Old Testament God’s people (the Israelites) were divided into 12 tribes. Each tribe was unique for one reason or another. After rescuing His people and bringing them into a land he had promised to them, God divided up the land and gave it to each tribe. All the tribes accept one receive a land portion. The Levite tribe was the priestly tribe and their portion was the Lord. “The Levites have no portion among you, for the priesthood of the LORD is their heritage (Joshua 18:7).” I love that idea! Later in the New Testament we learn that all Christians are, “a kingdom of priests, God’s holy nation, his very own possession (1 Peter 2:9).”

That is why I love this song. The first verse of the song starts like this, “Christ is my reward.” The rich lyrics of the verse erupts into the declaration, “Christ is enough for me.” There are days when those words are all a believe has to cling to. I pray that as we sing this song we would believe that declaration more and more.

Finally, the bridge is the lyrics of a great old song, “I Have Decided.” This song holds reality and longing in tension. Sometimes we must decide to let Christ be enough every second of a day. Other times it is easier to remember that our portion is Him.

Lyrics

“Christ Is Enough”

Christ is my reward
And all of my devotion
Now there’s nothing in this world
That could ever satisfy

Through every trial
My soul will sing
No turning back
I’ve been set free

Christ is enough for me
Christ is enough for me
Everything I need is in You
Everything I need

Christ my all in all
The joy of my salvation
And this hope will never fail
Heaven is our home

Through every storm
My soul will sing
Jesus is here
To God be the glory

I have decided to follow Jesus
No turning back
No turning back

The cross before me
The world behind me
No turning back
No turning back

My Lighthouse by Rend Collective. This song is a beautiful juxtaposition. Some of the most important things in the world are both difficult and beautiful. My Lighthouse is actually about walking through trials but the musical style is upbeat and fun. I think that is one of the beautiful parts about seeing trials through God’s eyes. Our Father is always in control, always stable, always strong, never tired, never confused, and he loves us. those truths give us an amazing amount of strength to withstand what life sends our way.

The reason I want to sing this song as south is simple; it’s true. The lyrics don’t deny the hardships of life or the pain of them. Just like the psalm writers often languished under the pressure of life, this song acknowledges the pain. Just like the psalm writers almost always ended their laments with strong shouts of praise in their stable God, this song does the same. My hope and prayer is that a song like this would serve as a reminder that pain is not a sign that God doesn’t love us.

 

Lyrics

“My Lighthouse”

In my wrestling and in my doubts
In my failures You won’t walk out
Your great love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea
You are the peace in my troubled sea

In the silence, You won’t let go
In my questions, Your truth will hold
Your great love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea
You are the peace in my troubled sea

My Lighthouse, my lighthouse
Shining in the darkness, I will follow You
My Lighthouse, my Lighthouse
I will trust the promise,
You will carry me safe to shore (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
Safe to shore (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
Safe to shore (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
Safe to shore

I won’t fear what tomorrow brings
With each morning I’ll rise and sing
My God’s love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea
You are the peace in my troubled sea

Fire before us, You’re the brightest
You will lead us through the storms

Ryan recently introduced me to this song. I want to add it to our church repertoire. I want to sing this song in a special way as a church. I want to sing with conviction, I want to sing with zeal, I want to sing as sinners redeemed, I want to join voices with the angels and all the generations past who put their trust in the glory of a our gracious God. There is an intangible power in a gathered community of believers when they sing. We as American’s are naturally more individualistic then many cultures who think more communally, but we must press beyond that and recognize that our praise is contagious. I want to taste a glimpse of heaven when we will all gather with saints form every tribe and tongue to sing, “WORTHY IS THE LAMB.”

This type of song points us up to the highest meaning human existence which magnify the Glory of God. PLEASE PLEASE get a copy of this song and learn it. I am challenging the whole church to practice this song so that we can sing it from the heart. I plan to play this song on easter sunday as a demonstration to all who walk into this church what we are about. We are about God’s glory. I want to sing in such a way that every visitor, every sceptic, and every wayward Christian, must wrestle with the reality of our worship. There are more resources about this song here.

Get it on iTunes  Get it on Amazon

Here is a video explaining where the song came from

 

Grace So Glorious

CCLI # 7011444

Written By: Pastor Steven Furtick, Israel Houghton, Chris Brown

VERSE 1:

Beneath the cross of Jesus Christ

No shadow remains for shame to hide

Redemption shone for all to see

Perfection bore our penalty

With a grace so glorious…

VERSE 2:

Immortal day the veil was torn

When mercy donned a crown of thorns

As law gave way to liberty

And freedom for humanity

With a grace so glorious.

PRE-CHORUS:

Oh the glory of the Savior’s love

Surrounding our surrender

To know forever we are welcomed home

CHORUS:

Crowned in glory to glory

Worthy is the Lord of all

The glory forever

Holy is the Lord

VERSE 3:

Triumphant praises without end

All hailing the King of righteousness

And every eye beholds the One

Our hearts were undeserving of

With a grace so glorious

VERSE 4:

O wondrous day when I will see

The face of Him who ransomed me

I’ll fall in worship at His feet

And rise to reign eternally

In a grace so glorious

In a grace so glorious