You would think someone who had been to the National Worship Leader Conference, been to Matt Maher's songwriting class, and attended Matt's guitarists class at NWLC 09 would have heard this song... but I hadn't.
Hard to believe but true.
It is like Satan was trying to keep me from this song because of the impact it would have on me.
I had not heard this song until my first week as a guitarist at Faith Assembly... and I can't get it out of my head.
How could I have missed this song for so many years... especially a person who watches CCLI's top 25 weekly and listens to every hot new song I can get my hands on...
Truth is, I just didn't listen to "Your Grace is Enough" by Matt Maher.
Really.
Wait... I was at NWLC in Kansas. How often did that song come up? Well every time it was played, I missed it. My wife and I were late and missed Matt during his time to lead worship/perform ( What is it at the NWLC? Sometimes it feels like a concert - sometimes like a worship service... Everyone says it is supposed to be the anti-concert... oh well) Matt only played a small piece of it during his songwriting session, and his guitarist only played the intro in his session. I never heard the chorus - or what Tomlin had done to it to make it more accessible. (He is really good at that - don't front on Tomlin - He is really good at taking songs and making them easier to sing)
So why is this song important to me? Because of where it comes from, the questions that are raised and the answer that screams forth...
Here are Matt's own words:
“I wrote ‘Your Grace Is Enough’ when I was going through some hard times in my life. I found myself on the back patio at home with my guitar, reading the Psalms, and I kept singing the same word, “Remember. Remember. Remember…” In the Psalms, David is crying out to God to remember His people. I was fascinated by that and began writing this song I was calling “Remember”, asking God to remember us as we remember Him. When we recall the language of God’s covenant, we end up being in a space where God is already remembering us. The chorus came from Paul’s letter to the Romans, and the idea of the thorn in Paul’s side, begging God to take it away. I think in my mid-twenties, the thorn in my side was loneliness; I was like, “OK God, give me something to fill that space.” I think God comes to us and says, “No, I need to be enough.”
Right now, God is telling me He needs to be enough for me. I can step out in faith, I can be filled with hope and I can act in love, but am I really taking God in and experiencing Him at his fullest? I know that is what I am searching for - God at His fullest. I know it is strange to hear a minister say that, but that's where I am. I want more of God and I know I am limiting him by not letting Him fill those spaces. Unlike Matt, right now I am not lonely. I have a great family and a wonderful church and an amazing God. But... there are parts of me that I am trying to fill with other things that God wants to fill. This song rings through my head and lets me know that He is enough. I just have to let go of more of my "comforts" and find rest in Him.
I hope this week you will find that His Grace is Enough for you.
Be blessed.
No comments:
Post a Comment