“Tim Hughes wrote one of the most known Contemporary Christian worship songs called, "Here I am to Worship," that was released in Two Thousand One. This was an exciting time for the Worship Music industry; as a movement of some of the best songs, worship leaders, and Christian conferences started. Men like Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, and groups like Hillsongs, Passion, Delirious, and others began flooding churches with songs of worship to God. In his song, Tim had been reading God's word and Philippians Two Five spoke to him, as he was messing around with chords on a guitar. He recorded the verse but was not happy with the song, so he stopped writing it. He picked it up months later as he says, "Sometimes when God meets with us we don't quite know how to respond properly. It's often too much for us to take in. Hopefully in a small way the chorus captures that: "Here I am to worship, Here I am to bow down, Here I am to say that You're my God, You're altogether lovely, altogether worthy, altogether wonderful to me." He played it for Matt Redman who told him, its okay, so he didn't play it again for a while. While practicing one day, his pastor heard it and told him, man you should start playing that in church, and the rest is history as they say.
I think of all the times I have not listened to God, and what I could have written or sung that would have blessed me, blessed another, or even millions like Tim Hughes song. I think of Saul and how he was chosen by God to be the first human king of His people, the Israelites. He was handsome and strong and given the Spirit of God to rule His people and yet, like me and so many, he couldn't get out of his own way. His pride and jealousy of David began his down fall;
that eventually he turned from God into sorcerers and being bitter, that he ended up taking his own life. First Samuel says,
“The word of the Lord came to Samuel: "I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments." And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night.” (ESV)
It's easy to pat ourselves on the back and feel so high and mighty when we write a song, or give a powerful sermon, or a battle is won. We had no business winning, and instead of humbling ourselves like Jesus did. We gloat, go on book tours, perform at worship conferences, and become self absorbed, and end up pulling a muscle while patting our backs. In the process we let God down, hurt ourselves, those who mentored, loved and encouraged us, and yet we don’t care, because of our sin. God regretted, not because God is shocked by anything we do, but because His love for us is so great, that when we rebel, it’s a sad thing to Him. Remember Jesus wept when Mary fell at His feet after Lazarus died, and in Luke twenty beginning in verse it says,
“And when He (Jesus) drew near and saw the city, He WEPT OVER IT, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.” (ESV)
Jesus had just entered Jerusalem triumphantly into the final week on earth physically, and He wept because His own had rejected Him as Messiah, and it broke His heart. This is not that God is soft or a coward, because God isn’t human, but the beauty of it is that He shows us how great His love is, by having experienced everything we do and will go through. The writer of Hebrews puts it best in chapter four beginning in verse fourteen,
“Since we have a great High priest, Jesus the Son of God, who has gone into heaven, let us HOLD ON TO THE FAITH we have. For our High priest is ABLE TO UNDERSTAND OUR WEAKNESSES. He was TEMPTED IN EVERY WAY THAT WE ARE, but He did not sin. Let us, then, feel very sure that we can come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we can receive mercy and grace to help us when we need it.” (NCV) (Emphasis added)
The song was written based on Philippians two that says,
“In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus. Christ Himself was like God in everything. But He did not think that being equal with God was something to be used for His own benefit. But He gave up his place with God and made Himself nothing. He was born as a Man and became like a Servant. And when He was living as a Man, He humbled Himself and was fully obedient to God, even when that caused His death—death on a cross.” (NCV)
Do we only walk, believe, trust, and love God when things are good and peaceful? We can all cry, “Here I am to worship,” but if our heart isn’t in it, if it’s only a song, or an act, we too can make Jesus cry that we reject Him. Jesus was obedient unto death, and many have fallen and will fall away, because it will get too hard to follow Jesus.
God desires our hearts above everything else and regardless of what we do and how we do it, we should give Glory to God for it all. I know I have failed many times in this area, but instead of living in the what if, I live in the thank You Lord for not abandoning me, thank You Lord for always picking me up from my mire.
So my question is to you, where have you failed and what do you need healing from? It's as simple as returning to God or coming to Him for the first time. The chorus is written and God is waiting to sing it to you, don't put it away forever, don't leave it hidden for others to not enjoy the blessing, but come and let God be glorified with our humbleness. Peter who knows what it was to reject Jesus publicly and there physically in front of Him, but also to repent and come back to Him, wrote in First Peter five beginning in verse five b,
“God is against the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.” Be humble under God’s powerful hand so He will lift you up when the right time comes. Give all your worries to Him, because He cares about you. Control yourselves and be careful! The devil, your enemy, goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat. Refuse to give in to Him, by standing strong in your faith. You know that your Christian family all over the world is having the same kinds of suffering.” (NCV)
The enemy is prowling, devouring, and though it can be tough, Peter is saying not only are we not alone because other believers are experiencing pain and surfing, but when we humble ourselves, Jesus picks us up. Not when we think it’s too much, but at the right time, in His timing, because He is good. Remember, "He's altogether wonderful!" Jose Barajas
0 comments:
Post a Comment