Altogether Wonderful

In the early 2000s, I remember a friend on the worship team joking with me that one day, the new worship songs we were introducing to the fellowship would be the old songs that the young people would wish the old people didn’t love quite so much. Ha! It happened faster than I realized it would.

One of those songs in particular has made its way back into my heart lately, and I’d love to share it with you. Some of you might remember it, if not, I encourage you to look it up and give it a listen - "Here I am to Worship" by Tim Hughes...

​Light of the world, You stepped down into darkness
Opened my eyes, let me see
Beauty that makes this heart adore You
Hope of a life spent with You.
​
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. 

We serve a wonderful, powerful God of grace and mercy! Not only is He the infinite creator of all things, He is also Emmanuel - God here-and-now, intimately present with us. He is tuned into our daily lives, and lavishes us with beautiful gifts to strengthen and sustain our spirits.

Every one us us knows that life can be quite difficult. Though we are continually surprised by them, troubles and trials are the norm, not the exception. It sometimes takes some real effort to look up and away from the negative stories and distractions that threaten to overwhelm us and fill us with despair, but we must make the effort. Once we do, we can become focused on the reality that there is another world of beauty and light all around us: the Kingdom of God is not just coming one day, it is already here, breaking in day by day. And this beauty shining in the darkness is just a foretaste of a glorious eternity with our great God.
​
In just the last few weeks, here are some examples I’ve seen with my own eyes:

-a husband, married 62 years, helping the love of his life recover from a surgery. This requires days of round-the-clock care and attentiveness, and then many weeks of rehabilitation and recovery, but he gladly serves his wife and helps her to regain her strength.


-a one year old learning to walk and talk. He joyfully shouts his brother and sister’s names, and learns to be part of the daily fun that they are having. 


-a lost dog wandering into a home, finding love, nourishment, and care. He walked in skin and bones, with all of his hair fallen out, but has regained both his strength and hair, and given much joy in return.


-a man, whose beloved wife of almost 50 years is in the early stages of dementia, attending patiently to her, and sweetly encouraging and helping her to be a welcomed part of the dinner conversation and time of prayer afterwards. 


-a godly couple offering their retirement years to help serve several young families who live some distance from their own parents and need an extra set of grandparents on hand. 


-a woman, knowing that some friends are going through a difficult time, offering daily words of encouragement and hope via text message for several months running.


-a couple giving a generous gift to encourage a young family, following God’s prompting, but having no idea of the perfect timing of the blessing they extended. 


All of these situations are beautiful and life-giving to witness, and have deeply impressed my heart. Each one is powerful because it speaks of strength in weakness, of bright hope in darkness. We all know that the lost dog could have been run over or taken to the pound for elimination. The young couples could have struggled alone and without help, their marriages strained to the breaking point, as happens so often. The enduring marriages and faithful friendships are beautiful and encouraging precisely because they are so rare and precious. The baby learning and thriving is a reminder of the hope and potential so carefully woven into each person by our loving, present God.

​This beautiful world that God made is marked with darkness that sin has made. Aging, sickness, abandonment, lack, pain, suffering, death  - the list of difficult things we all have to deal with throughout life could go on and on. But God does not leave us on our own. His love, hope, and beauty give us strength and courage to face each day. 
​
​

King of all days, oh so highly exalted
Glorious in Heaven above
Humbly You came to the earth You created
All for love’s sake became poor
​
And I’ll never know how much it cost, to see my sin upon that cross.
​

Try to imagine to glory and beauty of Heaven. Perfect, pure, untouched by sin and pride, brilliantly lighted by the majesty and radiance of our Father. For you mountain lovers, imagine the most pristine alpine scene, without the danger and risk of salivating grizzly bears or getting lost or deadly avalanches. Beach lovers, imagine the turquoise waters and white sands without jellyfish or great whites or riptides lurking. City people, imagine a busy, thriving metropolis without poverty or injustice or avarice. Country lovers, imagine your beautiful view without mosquitoes or droughts or poisonous snakes. Just imagine!


Both the enemy of your soul and the very world around you try day and night to convince you that a Good Father and an eternity with Him in a perfect place is just too good to be true. Our faith has been called the opiate of the masses. It has been called pie in the sky. It has been called foolishness - in fact, a very famous song from fifty years ago still tries to convince everyone to imagine that there is no Heaven at all. But try as anyone might to imagine it away, every heart still yearns for Heaven; the place where all wrongs are made right and where life is as is was meant to be.    


The reality is that our good Father saw our plight - the mess that our own sin and pride has caused both individually and collectively - and did not leave us on our own. Jesus willingly left all the glory and majesty and perfection of Heaven, and came here to save us. We will never fully understand how much it cost for Him to do so. Thankfully, all we must do is receive His help. 
​

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. 

​Ask God to open your eyes this week, to see the glimpses of His beauty and truth all around you, even in the midst of disappointing and unsettling circumstances. You are not alone or forgotten - God sees you and loves you with an everlasting love. May His goodness and mercy fill your heart and life today, and may His presence strengthen you in your innermost being. 

---

Thank you so much to those of you who have purchased the new book!

​It is such a great time for every Christian to engage in the discussion of healthy community, so that we can shine brightly to our family and neighbors.
​ Click below to order your copy today...

Living Stones: Learning to Walk in Community as a Follower of Christ