He Always Wins: Part I

This series, entitled He Always Wins, is taken from the revised version of Unearthing God. If you would like more information concerning UG, a PDF file or Word Document, just email me.

He Always Wins

Great songs are sweet. They evoke memories of glory days past, provide strength for the undertaking, and leave a wake of inspiration for centuries to come. There’s just something about a good lyric that sticks to you, kind of like peanut butter to the roof of your mouth. At times it can seem like a pain, you can’t get rid of it, but as soon as it goes down, you’re smiling. I love it. The sad thing is, we take them for granted. No matter how great a lyric a certain song or hymn may have, we will inevitably overlook its significance, become annoyed with its melody, and in turn, squander its blessing. Awful isn’t it?

Take for instance the lyrics of the great hymn by John Newton, Amazing Grace. Arguably one of the greatest hymns ever written and the most often sung hymn on the entire planet, and there I was, picking my nose. Countless souls had been arrested and transformed by God's amazing grace through this song, yet I’d had enough. I couldn’t begin to count the number of times I’d sung this song, hummed the tune, or heard an almost mediocre choir perform it. I even remember, as a not-so-young lad, thumbing through the church hymnal looking for the funniest name that I could find, all to the tune of Amazing Grace. And all of this is from a kid who was considered to be one of the “deeper” ones in the church. Whatever that means.

We handle Scripture in much the same way. A little here, a little there, and sooner or later it’s dull. Insensitive to the sting of conviction and the warmth of grace, we become jaded in our understanding and study. Entire sections of the Bible have been passed over and forgotten in this epidemic. Just as Amazing Grace appeared to a high-school know-it-all as “just another song,” so does an unending vow from the Sovereign of the Universe come across as flaccid. Awful. isn't it?

(He Always Wins: Part II coming soon...)