I was driving home tonight from a rehearsal contemplating all the things about my character that would disappoint God. Basically, blaming myself for not achieving better results in my walk with God. Trying to finagle my mind into reworking my emergencies into well compartmentalized and strategized timely tasks, so that I could THEN give God the time and effort He deserves.
Funny, isn't it? Trying to "be all that I can be" so that God would love me more or listen to my cries and prayers more closely?
In my time of reflection, a song came on the radio that I had never heard before. It is called "I'm Singing" and is by an artist name Kari Jobe.
Allow me to quote a portion of the song:
And I'm singing to the God
Who brings redemption to the nations
Kings and oceans bow to Him in praise
And I'm singing to the God
Who wrote the book on our salvation
To the One who covers me in grace
I'm Singing
Only one word in the beginning
Only one truth will prevail
Only one love brings you freedom
Only one Man took the nails
When I heard this song, my first reaction was to switch the station because it is somewhat repetitive and not lyrically very deep. You see, as a worship leader there is this constant ebb and flow about songs being too shallow and not meaty enough contrasted with songs being so deep that they are beyond common understanding.
I get caught up in one end or the other and sometimes fail to grasp the only thing that really matters... can I/am I giving God His due respect and worship with the song, regardless of depth of content?
Kari's song was simple, but the more it played (it really is a great song, in spite of my initial response) the more I realized that there was extreme depth of heart in the simplicity of the lyrics.
I'm singing to the God that brings redemption to the nations
When I'm worshiping God in song, I'm not singing to a figment of my imagination, I'm presenting praise before the King of all of the heavens and all of the earth. I'm singing to the God to whom the very rocks will cry out if we do not give Him praise.
Tonight, in my time of disgust with who I am as a person, God reminded me through a simple song that He's not after my achievements. He's not after the deepest theological song I can find. He's not after the finest crafted words I can compose.
He's after a depth of heart. He's after a man that is willing to praise Him in simplicity as well as complexity. He's after whatever it is I have to offer Him right now... big or small.
The bottom line is, I need to be before God where I am now. Not once I have things figured out and back in order... but right now. I need to be "singing" to my God.
Maybe you can relate. Maybe you've been distant from God as you've been trying to "right your life" in one form or another. As Kari sings in her song...
Only one word in the beginning
Only one truth will prevail
Only one love brings you freedom
Only one Man took the nails
I for one am ready to stop hearing from me and start hearing the only one... from God.
In Him,
Jim
