During the song set at church today, two songs in particular tore my heart anew. I’ve heard them before, but it’s been awhile. The words were familiar yet new in that life-giving remembrance sort of way.
The first song is a classic Welsh hymn called “Here Is Love, Vast as an Ocean.” [Read more about the history of this song here.] I love this verse in particular:
On the mount of crucifixion,
Fountains opened deep and wide;
Through the floodgates of God’s mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide.
Grace and love, like mighty rivers,
Poured incessant from above,
And Heav’n’s peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love.
Can’t you envision God’s love raining down from His throne? Lovely picture, indeed. I was reminded of my great and desperate need for grace and mercy—and God’s great and magnanimous gift.
The second song is a newer hymn by Stuart Townsend called “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us.” [Read more about the history of this song here.] Take in the richness of these two verses:
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
This seems to be the proper response to the endless tide of God’s grace and mercy—don’t you think?
