It is a question that comes up more often than you might realize. So we are attempting to provide some explanations for why we choose to sing the songs we do in our congregational worship gatherings.
Why That Song?
Why That Song?
Lord I Need You | Matt Maher, Et Al.
I love this song because it is a newer song, written in just the last 10 years, but it is based on the old Hymn I Need Thee Every Hour which was written by Annie Hawks in 1872.
The Core idea of both songs is Beautifully Simple:
Every Moment of Every Hour of Every Day We Need the Lord’s Love & Grace.
In Hebrews 4 we are told that although Joshua did lead the People of Israel into the land of Promise, he did not bring them into GOD’s PROMISED REST. Instead, the Promised Rest can only be found in JESUS HIMSELF. He is our High Priest, the King of kings & Lord of lords, and through Him we have access to the very Throne of God… And that is the Promised Rest.
In Jesus we are REDEEMED from Slavery to Sin!
We are RECONCILED to the Heavenly Father!
And we are RESTORED as His Image!
Thus, in the Gospel of Matthew (11:25-30), as Jesus reflected on the response of some to His Ministry and the Miracles:
“O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike…“
“…Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
Do you want to experience the best possible Life? Are you tired of all the struggle just to get by? Are you exhausted from trying to prove yourself constantly? Are you weary of having to pretend like things are okay even when they are so obviously not okay?
This song is a reminder that when we COME TO JESUS LIKE A CHILD… We find that He is better than we ever could have imagined and that His Promise of Rest allows us to LIVE IN HIS LOVE & GRACE, Every Moment of Every Hour of Every Day.
And that is why I love this song.
He Leadeth Me | Joseph Gilmore
I love this song because it is an old Hymn written almost 160 years ago that declares a truth as important today as it was then:
That GOD IS ALWAYS LEADING HIS PEOPLE FORWARD!
When Pastor Joseph Gilmore penned the words of this song on March 26, 1862, almost 1 year into the Civil War, he understood what we all must understand… That God needs to lead us away from what is familiar & comfortable for us if He is to bring us into His best for us.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for His NAME’s sake.” ~ Psalms 23:1-3
As Jesus told His disciples in John 10:10, He came to give us everything we need to LIVE OUR LIVES TO THEIR FULLEST.
“The Glory of God is Man fully alive.” ~ Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, 185 AD
But let’s be honest, THE STRIPPING AWAY OF WHAT IS FAMILIAR & COMFORTABLE IS ALWAYS PAINFUL… It may not require a national Civil War, but it will always result in A CIVIL WAR OF THE SOUL.
“The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong… I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a wretched man I am! Who will free me from this Body of Death?” ~ Romans 7:14-16, 22-24
But when we allow Him to Lead us, GOD IS ALWAYS FAITHFUL to bring us to a place that is far better than we could have ever dreamed of on our own.
And that is why I love this song.
Another in the Fire | Hillsong UNITED
I love this song because it highlights the Biblical truth that while God has promised that ALL THOSE WHO CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED (cf. Psalm 18:3 / Psalm 50:15 / Psalm 86:5 / Genesis 4:26 / Genesis 12:8 / Genesis 26:25 / 2 Samuel 22:4 / Jeremiah 33:3 / Joel 2:32 / Acts 2:21 / Romans 10:13)… Very often, God does not show up WHEN or HOW we want Him to. We suffer, we hurt, and we ache for rescue… And sometimes His salvation neither looks nor feels like we want it to.
So referencing the Fiery Furnace in Daniel 3, the parting of the Red Sea in Exodus 14, along with the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus; this song declares that even when we find ourselves in the midst of the worst of circumstances, we can trust that GOD IS WITH US AND HE IS ACTIVELY WORKING TO MAKE A WAY FORWARD FOR US.
This DECLARATION is important because when we orient our minds to this TRUTH, then the mercy of our Heavenly Father through Christ Jesus can produce its full effect in our lives, BRINGING US INTO FULL PARTNERSHIP WITH HIM AS MINISTERS OF RECONCILIATION (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 & 4:7-5:21).
Thus, our SUFFERING PRODUCES JOY because it is in our trials that everything which keeps us from our God – all of our transgressions, our failure to walk in partnership with Him, our pathetic attempts at making life work on our own – it is all stripped away until all that is left is Him… His MERCY to cover our Past and His GRACE to empower our Future…
And so we Worship, Calling upon His Name and declaring His Greatness.
And that is why I love this song.