You see, I'm convinced that there is a "Song of the Redeemed" that bubbles up and overflows. It comes from deep within the soul of those who love the Lord with all their heart and I think God has placed it there. It is a song our soul must sing! A song of His incredible mercy and grace!
Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones, And give thanks to His holy name. (Psalm 30:4)
So, naturally, one thought led to another until finally I found myself at the beginning of time ~ yep, right there at the edge of everlasting, gazing at Holy, Eternal God, and just wondering ~
How the melody of mercy and the refrain of grace must have sounded...
in the nothingness as His spirit hovered above the dark and formless earth.
How must it have sounded...
as He spoke the worlds into existence and all that lives and moves upon it.
Oh, how it must have sounded...
as He formed man from the dust of the earth,
breathed His breath of life into his nostrils,
breathed His breath of life into his nostrils,
placed him in the garden and walked with him in the cool of the day.
Even as man fell, his eyes now opened to death, driven out from the garden and separated from Holy God, yes, even then I am sure I hear the melody of mercy and the refrain of grace. Can you?
I hear it echoing through the ages as God tells Abraham, "I will make you the father of a multitude of nations." (Gen 17:5) And then He brings fulfillment to this promise through the birth of Isaac, Jacob and the generations that followed establishing the lineage of our Messiah.
I hear it as God leads His chosen people out of slavery and bondage, and tends to their every need. I hear it as they complain about everything! I hear it as God writes his law upon stone tablets and gives them to His people. I hear it as He, with outstretched arm and surely a broken heart, is continually rejected by His beloved, chosen people.
I hear it as the prophets speak the Word of the living God to these stubborn and rebellious people ... yes, the melody of mercy is audible as one such prophet, Isaiah, proclaims ~
For this the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said,
"In repentance and rest you wil be saved.
In quietness and trust is your strength
But you were not willing."
(Is. 30:15)
Can you hear the melody of mercy as God must let them have their way but assures them He will once again be gracious to them? Mercy and Grace!(Is. 30:15)
Does your heart sing with praise as the Deliverer comes ~ our Redeemer, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world? Messiah ~ walking among us. Healing the sick, touching the lame, giving life ~ real life ~ to destitute souls. That'd be you and that'd be me ~ but do we hear the melody of mercy, the chorus of grace and realize that He is singing over us?
Do we hum this melody of mercy as we see Christ ride into Jerusalem, His beloved city, and hear Him weep over it? (Luke 19:41) Do we sing along as we hear the people cry, "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord"? (Luke 19:37-38)
Do we sing in perfect harmony, this song of mercy, as He stands before the High Priest to answer the question, "Are you the Christ the Son of the Blessed One?"
(Mark 14:61)
Do we hear the crescendo of the ages as He says in reply, "I AM ..." (Mark 14:62) That is His name! He is the great I AM!
I wonder do we keep time to the melody of mercy as we walk the dusty road leading to Golgotha, the Place of the Skull. Once there, do we look upon the cross and imagine our Lord Jesus Christ breathing His last and uttering the words "It is finished"? Do we find ourselves wondering if the world will ever hear the sweet melody of mercy again?
Well, I hope you know the answer to that question. We, the redeemed, look at the cross from the benefit of historical perspective and we see that not only is it empty ~ His body long since removed, the crowds long since dispersed ~ but we also see an empty tomb. Indeed, we look to the empty cross and to the empty tomb and we know our Hope, our Promise, our Joy, our Salvation, our Deliverance has come!
We find our worth in Him because He alone is worthy. He alone is worthy to remove the stain of sin from our lives and clothe us in His righteousness. He alone makes us whole again ~ and in so doing, we hear the melody of mercy and the chorus of grace. He sings over us, the redeemed, this sweet refrain of redemption. Mercy and Grace!
Oh my friend, don't let this Holy week, this blessed season, pass you by without a new perspective of all that He has done for us. This week is placed on the calendar and we intentionally reflect on His sacrifice and His victory over the grave; but, remember, every day is the time to remember and rejoice in what He has done!
Keep Him ever before you. Love Him with your entire being. Give Him all You have. Don't be afraid to lose this life which you cannot keep in order to gain real Life that you cannot lose! His life!
He is the Melody that our hearts can sing;
He is the Chorus that beats within;
He is our Song and it rises from deep within the soul of those who are His own.
He is the Chorus that beats within;
He is our Song and it rises from deep within the soul of those who are His own.
Christ Jesus ~
He is the spotless Lamb of God, our perfect Sacrifice
He is the Way, the Truth and the Life
He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords!
So, sing it out Saints! Your Salvation has come!
Have a Blessed and Holy Easter and ... be His!
Cindy K
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