Two Songs

So, there have been two songs coming to my mind lately. Any one remember the Ray Boltz song, Feel the Nails? More than once, during my childhood, that song was shared in our church. I cried everytime I heard it. It made me feel really guilty for all the sin I had committed. The trouble is...the next time I was faced with temptation, that song did not pop into my head and make me want to act righteously. In fact, it didn't come to mind at all.

Now that I think back on the words of that song, I find it a little ridiculous. No, I really don't think He feels the nails every time I fail. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. Sorry Ray.

(Hebrew 9:24-28)

As God brought this song to my mind, I felt that He was saying...Stop trying to muster up enough guilty feelings to help you stop sinning. It isn't going to work. Romans 2:4 tells us that the KINDNESS OF GOD brings you to repentance. It is only His loving kindness that will give us the strength to choose rightly. Psalms 18 starts out with "I Love You, O LORD, my strength." Notice this verse starts with our love and ends with His strength!

This brings me to song No. 2, which is really popular right now...Thanks to David Crowder Band, although I really like to hear Kim Walker sing it too. HE LOVES US O, HOW HE LOVES US...Yeah I belt it out when its just me and the kids in the house.

This song is so profoundly true that it rocks me to my core. But it has not been coming to my mind simply because its played on the radio often, in fact, I don't really listen to the radio. I believe God has been highlighting this song to me because this is His urgent message to the Church at this hour in history. Yeah, I said Church. Yes, Jesus loves everyone. This is His message to everyone at all times. But I believe God chooses specific times in our lives and in history to really drive home a message of particular importance. We as Christians love this song because we know its true, and yet God is saying 'you still don't get this.' Most of us are enjoying this song, even raising our hands, closing our eyes and singing at the top of our lungs the words, "HE LOVES US" and at the same time, what we are believing in our Spirit, what we are living out as truth are the words, "HE PUTS UP WITH US, O HE PUTS UP WITH US." Beloved, this is NOT TRUE.

Later, I realized that this post was really about 3 songs.

Song of Solomon is a beautiful picture of Jesus as our Bridegroom King and the journey of maturity in a believer. When she was still very immature, the Bridegroom looks at His Bride and says, "you have made my heart beat faster with a single glance of your eyes."(Song of Songs 4:9) Even in our immaturity, Jesus loves us with such delight! Did you hear that!?! We are a delight to Him! Even when we mess up. When we fail, He doesn't say, 'Ouch, you hurt Me again!" He says, "I'm so proud of you for even trying!! The fact that you bother to struggle over sin is a testimony of your love for Me...even when that struggle is just a 'single glance from your eyes' and it ravishes my heart!!"

As believers, we need to step into this love. We need to live like we believe it! But we cannot love Him unless we let Him love us! Choose today to believe He loves you. Sing song No. 2 like you mean it!

Many waters cannot quench this love

Song of Songs 8:7