He has overcome...

There is a song lately that has been at the top of my playlist because the lyrics are just so powerful to me.  Before I reveal the song, I'll just admit that I am a Hillsong United addict.  Any song, any CD, anything that comes from them, I'm a fan.  Their worship is so energetic and yet so deep, I can't help but listen to it over and over and over again.  It feeds my soul, which is so necessary at this time in my life when I feel like my soul gets so easily neglected due to other "priorities". 

The song that is heavy rotation is "Take Heart" from their Aftermath album.  I think that Hillsong United finds it to be a heartfelt song as well, as they have closed the two concerts that I attended this summer with "Take Heart".  And I certainly agree with them!  The lyrics are based on the bible of course, the title and overall theme coming from John 16:33, where Jesus says, "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."  Here are the lyrics and a link to a YouTube video, so that the rest of this blog won't be lost on you, as I'm sure you haven't listened to the song one million times, like I have.
Take Heart by Hillsong United

[Verse 1:]
There is a light
It burns brighter than the sun
He steals the night
And casts no shadow
There is hope
Should oceans rise and mountains fall
He never fails

[Chorus:]
So take heart
Let His love lead us through the night
Hold on to hope
And take courage again

[Verse 1:]
In death by love
The fallen world was overcome
He wears the scars of our freedom
In His Name
All our fears are swept away
He never fails

[Bridge:]
All our troubles and all our tears
God our hope He has overcome

All our failure and all our fear
God our love He has overcome

All our heartache and all our pain
God our healer He has overcome

All our burdens and all our shame
God our freedom He has overcome

All our troubles and all our tears
God our hope He has overcome

All our failures and all our fear
God our love He has overcome

God our justice God our grace
God our freedom He has overcome

God our refuge God our strength
God is with us He has overcome

Several parts of the song speak to me.  In the first verse, the phrase "death by love" is so interesting.  Death by love is such a weird and difficult concept to grasp.  When we think of love, our minds generally gravitate to romantic human love, which, in our experience, is rainbows and butterflies and soft pastel colors.  Death, on the other hand, is eerie and unknown and shrouded in mystery and darkness.  So to have "death by love" seems like such a paradox of sorts, words and concepts that shouldn't really mesh.  But the love spoken of here is sacrificial, all encompassing love, a love that does anything for someone, it is the love of Christ in his death on the cross.  A death that was born out of His intense love for us.  Death by love. 

And the bridge (or at least the lyrics website I used said that is the correct musical terminology).  In the bridge, which seems to be an ascent and peak of the song musically, they focus on our fears, failures, tears, heartache, shame, and everything that is oh-so-human about us, but to each fallen human emotion and trial, the answer is that God is and He has overcome.  The focus and repeated statement is that God is... God is our refuge, our strength, our love, our hope, our freedom, our grace, and so on.  The first name that God gives to Abraham describing Himself is "I AM", because quite simply - He is.  He is all that and a bag of chips, He is everything.  He is...  And He has overcome.  Overcome, what a joyous and victorious word when you are the victor.  Jesus is that victor and we share in His victory through faith in Him.  He has overcome.  He has already done it for us, He has died and rose again and in doing so, He has beaten evil, death and the grave.  He has overcome.  It's so very true and so so so easy to forget.  We look everywhere other than God for the solutions in life.  Solutions to our troubles, to our pain, to our heartache, when He is the One who has already overcome all of these things on our behalf.  End of story.  Wow!

So take heart, He has overcome!

Comments

  1. I love this post! Your words have brought much peace and my heart feels overwhelmed by who He is.

    I also LOVE that you have a blog. I can't really express how excited I am with words, but trust me, I'm absolutely ecstatic!!

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