As you will soon come to realize through reading my blogs, I am very much a music loving person. While I am not musically inclined myself, I love to empty out my heart through songs to the Lord. Music is such an incredible gift from God. It is soothing, convicting, humbling, joyful, and many other emotions. I believe it is one of the many ways our God speaks to us.
Several months ago, during a Sunday evening service at church, our worship leader introduced a new song. It is a rendition of John Newton's hymn, Approach My Soul, The Mercy Seat. I immediately fell in love with this song. Now, it has been a while since I have heard this song but while watching the sweet two year old I get to keep, I found myself humming the tune. I couldn't remember the words, so I of course googled them. Reading the lyrics, I was reminded of why I fell in love with this song in the first place. And since the words are so awesome, I am going to post them for you to read yourself.
Approach my soul, the mercy seat
Where Holy One and helpless meet
There fall before my Judges' feet
Thy promise is my only plea, O God.
Send wings to lift the clutch of sin
You who dwell between the cherubim
From war without and fear within
Relieve the grief from the shoulders of crumbling men.
O God- Pour out Your mercy to me
My God, Oh what striking love to bleed.
Fashion my heart in your alchemy
With the brass to front the devil's perjury
And surefire grace my Jesus speaks
I must. I will. I do believe. O God.
O God- Pour out Your mercy to me
My God, Oh what striking love to bleed.
I love this song for many reasons, but for three in particular.
(1) God's promise is our only plea (line 4). Apart from His saving grace, we have no hope. We will stand before His feet one day and give an account for the lives we chose to live and whether or not they were all about us, or all about Him. I am reminded of this promise, "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them of the Father's hand." John 10:28-29
(2) Oh what striking love to bleed (line 10). What greater love do we have than this? That God in the flesh came and dwelt among men, lived a sinless life, then died a sinner's death! Why? So that we could be called the children of God! While the language is a little young, I love the way the Jesus Storybook Bible explains to kids the crucifixion. "If you were really the Son of God, you could just climb down off that cross!" they said. And of course they were right. Jesus could have just climbed down. Actually, he could have just said a word and made it all stop. Like when he healed that little girl. And stilled the storm. And fed 5,000 people. But Jesus stayed. You see, they didn't understand. It wasn't the nails that kept Jesus there. It was love.
(3) The whole last verse before the chorus repeats (lines 11-14). Fashion my heart in your alchemy; With the brass to front the devil's perjury. And surefire grace my Jesus speaks. I must. I will. I do believe. O God. It should be our daily prayer that God would continue to fashion our hearts for Him. I love that this verse is in the song. Alchemy is a term used to define a method of transmuting something of little value into something of much value. (i.e. base metals turned into gold or silver) I want my mouth to speak, my mind to think, and my actions to proclaim, I must. I will. I do believe. My life should not be a reflection of me. When people look at me, they should see Jesus. And when Jesus takes a back seat to my "spotlight", I need to be reminded that it is He who first loved me. And He does not need me, but He chose me to be set apart so that the world could see His love for us and be saved. Fashion my heart in Your alchemy, God. I am Yours.
Lord, let us never forget that it is You who bled for us. We never would of done the same for You. Thanks be to God for His unfailing love, His constant mercy, and His awesome metal shop skills. ;)
Here is the link to the song Approach My Soul, The Mercy Seat. You are definitely going to want to listen to it.
I cried when we first sang this song! I really want to see if the church down here will sing it-- also I want to download it! Love your thoughts on everything and I love getting to see your heart in writing! ;)
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