by Bethel Music & Paul McClure Lyrics
(interspersed throughout and set apart in this post by the use of a blue font
I am not the sum of the failures in my past
I am not defined by what I do or do not have
The measure of His mercy I cannot understand
Somehow it all adds up to grace
Oh what love, oh what a love
What a perfect sacrifice
I will spend the rest of my life to testify
Just how deep and just how high
Is the love I found in Christ
Oh what love, oh what a love I found in Him
Mm, what a love, what a love I found in Him
Of song and shouts and HIM…amen!
“For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
Zephaniah 3:17 NLT
I can’t fully comprehend how much the Father gave
It’s only by His kindness I’m healed and I am saved
He lifted up my head and He lifted off my shame
Thank You, Jesus
That this is overwhelming grace
I’ve often wondered what God’s Song over me might sound like. In some Bible translations the above referenced verse doesn’t use the word ‘song’ at all but the word ‘shout’ and for the longest time I couldn’t connect, that word didn’t leave a very good connotation in my mind. As I have continued to grow in my relationship with GOD thru Christ, I’ve found that as I’m becoming better acquainted with the ways of His Heart; I’m beginning to see and feel and process a lot of things differently. For instance now, when it comes to the word ‘shout’, my mind throws up images of the battle cry of David as he runs forward to meet Goliath, the great, thick walls of Jericho as they come tumbling down, Jesus shouting out for Lazarus to come forth at the entrance of His friend’s tomb, and our LORD’S final breath and the Sound He made as He gave to the Father His Spirit after hanging for six torturous hours on that cross.
No matter which of the words is applied and gets used… a song…or a shout… either shapes a mighty powerful tool and weapon in the ways and manners of GOD; a gift given and Gifted by the greatest Love man has or ever will witness and experience! Grace, upon grace, in never ending waves of Generosity stretched out and spanning across every imaginable story; in His hands made and epic epoch!
Come, see for yourself!
And oh what love, oh what a love
What a perfect sacrifice
I will spend the rest of my life to testify
Just how deep and just how high
Is the love I found in Christ
Oh what love, oh what a love I found in Him
Come one, come all…hear for yourself!
Oh what a love, what a love You gave
Da da da da da da
Oh what a love, what a love
The love of the Father
How deep the Father’s love for us
How great the Father’s love for us
Come on, would you sing it with me
Nothing could separate
My imagination has often drifted to The Place where I’m held so close to the heart of Jesus; the sound and rhythm of His heartbeat in His Breast becomes a song in and of itself. His deep compassion and relentless pursuit of my soul from even before I knew His name or understood anything much of what He was about; The Tender Fierce of His Expression as He gazes down at me and reaches out from that cross!
Oh nothing could separate us from Your love
And who else could do the things that You have done
Oh nothing could separate us from Your love
And who else could do the things that You have done
Oh nothing could separate us from Your love
And who else could do the things that You have done
I’ve also imagined Father God comforting me as I lay in a bed wet with tears as the shadows of night close in all around; the weight of His embrace as He gently rocks, and begins to speak a lullaby in hushed tones.
And oh what love, oh what a love
What a perfect sacrifice
I will spend the rest of my life to testify
Oh just how deep and just how high
Is the love I found in Christ
Oh what love, oh what a love I found in Him
Yes. Oh, what love! Oh, what a love I found in Him
There, too, Holy Spirit, permeating the atmosphere with celestial notes, much like tiny grains of pollen, shaping a personal pollination, a collective one, too…a baptism, a moving, a making of a way…as an itty bitty bit seed gets spoken, buried in rich soil, and eventually brought to fruition. The entire picture of Life becomes a Portrait of Saturation!
Mm, oh what a love I found in Him
Thank You, Jesus, thank You, Jesus
A love that saw beyond my failures
A love that’s bigger than my past
Thank You, Jesus
A love that’s greater than any regret
Thank You, Jesus
It’s Your love, it’s Your love, it’s Your love
And it was nothing I could earn
‘Cause it was You who loved me first
It was nothing that I could earn
‘Cause Jesus You loved me first
It was nothing that I could earn
‘Cause Jesus You loved me first
It was nothing that I could earn
‘Cause Jesus You loved me first
It was nothing that I could earn
‘Cause Jesus You loved me first
It was nothing I could earn
‘Cause Jesus You loved me first
“For as the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth, making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so will My word be which goes forth out of My mouth; it will not return to Me void (useless, without result), without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:10-11 AMP
GOD, bless all the fruits of Heavenly Inspiration! All the teachers, sharers of knowledge, givers of encouragements, sharers of insights, believers filled with comfort and aid, helpers used to point The Way of Holy Word and Scripture, thru prophecy and song!
I simply cannot imagine my life apart from the rich, life giving, abundant promises of my GOD! He has moved in and cleansed, redeemed, redefined my past, healed my present and rewritten my end! A far, FAR greater good to me than any other pursuit, being or thing!
And oh what love, oh what a love
What a perfect sacrifice
I will spend the rest of my life to testify
Just how deep and just how high
Is the love I found in Christ
Oh what love, oh what a love (I found in Him)
Come on, raise your hands across the room
Sing it one more time
A Quiet Word given this past Sunday. I wrote it in on my calendar, Monday, for the purpose of meditating and praying upon it more.
A visual aid, literally pulled out of my pocket, reminds me of sin’s tight grip…and Grace’s remedy!
I can do naught but share what Yahweh so generously shares with me! And though I don’t entirely grasp the entirety of its content, I trust in His plan and have given everything over to Him! He can prompt and provide, use it how and when He wants to!
Yes oh what love, oh what a love
What a perfect sacrifice
I will spend the rest of my life to testify
Just how deep and just how high
Is the love I found in Christ
Oh what love, oh what a love I found in Him
Yes oh what love, oh what a love (I found in Him)
Oh what love
Yes oh what love (Oh what a love I found in Him)
I carry a new mantra inside, mentally editing 1 John 1: 9, using the first person pronoun, I make sure to utter in the Amplified Version!
“If I freely admit that I have sinned and confess my sins, He is faithful and just, true to His Own nature and promises, and will forgive my sins and cleanse me continually from all unrighteousness; my wrongdoing, everything (in thought, word, and deed) not in conformity with His will and purpose.”
Therein, lays true grace and peace. Not as the world would proclaim and teach but as Jesus came to preach!
“Oh What Love!”
My prayer for you, friend, is that you’ll be able to feel GOD’s saturating presence in your life; that all the crushing no-so-great moments will becomes washed, cleansed and revealed as ReScripted, used by GOD, to introduce and build His Kingdom! Yes, LORD, do even greater than we can even think, imagine or ask for ourselves! Use us, JESUS, to boldly and passionately reach out into this world of people yet gripped by darkness and in despair! A Great Light, indeed, has risen and shines upon us! May we rise up a MIGHTY CHORUS, lifting Our LORD and SAVIOR, Christ Jesus, Who both leads and guides and shows each The Way! GOD grant us powerful insights of Your wisdom to be spoken audibly and lived out aloud in the course of our every interactions! May Your children gather together in Unity, sing and shout and make glad Your Heart with our marriage procession!
“You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!”
Isaiah 55:12 NLT
“Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the Lord’s name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”
Isaiah 55:13 NLT
Bless all Your clay jars, LORD! Yes, there are so very many! Filled and filling now to the brim with water, wine, oil and gems…and the Sweetest, SWEETEST Fragrance ever realized by man! Saturate the Atmosphere, using all of us! The fields are white, the crops are ready! In Jesus’ name we bless, we work, we pray!
Let all Your church join together to live a loud…Amen!