Song Story: Heart Cry Holy

Two weeks ago in our worship services we debuted a new song called “Heart Cry Holy.” I thought I’d take a moment to tell you a little about the inspiration behind the song. The text is rooted in Psalm 103 where David exhorts his heart, his “inmost being,” to praise the holy name of the Lord, and then begins listing all the “benefits,” that is, the reasons for his heart to cry out in praise. As we studied the passage with Pastor Brooks in our services over the course of several weeks I was reminded that our gratitude to God is rooted in two simple things: who He is, and what He has done. And what He has done, namely redeeming our lives from “the pit,” was made necessary by who we are: sinners in need of mercy.

Realizing these things should immediately fill us with gratitude!  It should make our hearts cry out in praise of God for saving us even when we were sinners, all because of His steadfast and compassionate love.  And it should make us run to Him!  It should make us eager to draw close to Him, knowing that He desires to give us good things.  Yet so often we choose our own way, saying in essence, “I know what is good for me better than God does.”  How wrong we are!  This song is a reminder of the story of our “uncovering” by the Finder of Souls, and an exhortation to leave everything behind for the sake of Christ, the giver of life, the one who makes our hearts cry holy.

Heart Cry Holy
David Ray

Verse 1:
Oh You, Finder of souls
You have uncovered me
Opened my heart, traced all my scars
Straight to the core of me
Oh and I, I’ve had enough
Of secrets and sympathy
So I’m leaving, leaving it behind

Chorus:
All for You, Giver of life
The One who makes my heart cry holy
Lover of the lost
The One who gives the sinner mercy
You keep renewing my life
And I keep remember why
You make my heart cry holy

Verse 2:
Oh I, I can be weak
Faithless and faltering
I can be swayed, tempted away
To chase after lesser things
Oh but You, steadfast and true
Patiently loving me
So I’m leaving, leaving it behind

Bridge:
And if I were left to myself
I would settle for less, settle for less
But You beckon my heart
And I cannot resist, I cannot resist
I’m leaving it all behind
I’m leaving it all behind
I’m leaving it all behind
I’m leaving it all, leaving it all for You

Song Story: Victorious

Two weeks ago we played a new song at Tallowood called “Victorious.”  It’s a song of corporate worship that praises God for His triumph over sin and death, and looks forward to the day when He will right every pain and injustice.  To those who have experienced pain and hardship in their lives this hope of victory is deeply personal and meaningful.  It was driven home to me during a prayer time with some friends that were experiencing a difficult trial.  As we prayed I was overwhelmed by a peaceful confidence and one simple word: Victorious.  Our God will be victorious.  And not only will He be victorious in the future, but He has already been victorious in the past through the cross and continues even now to be victorious in our lives over darkness and destruction.  This is the precious hope that each of us clings to in a world filled with tragedy and injustice.

After our prayer time the words to the song came quickly and easily.  The verses describe the continuing nature of our victorious God: past, present, and future.  And then the chorus gets to the heart of the issue: our God is victorious for the sake of His matchless name and the glory of His kingdom.  Strangely, the fact that it’s not all about us is reassuring.  If it were for my sake alone that God was victorious, would He be swayed by my disobedience and faithlessness?  But instead it’s not about me, and it’s not dependent on me.  It’s all about God, and that is a reassuring thought.  For the sake of His name, our God was, is, and ever will be victorious!

Victorious

Verse 1:
There is one thing that I know
There is one hope that I trust
Though the weight of sin brings death to men
Our God has been victorious
For His power raised the dead
And He breathes new life in us
And no grave can chain nor death contain
Our God remains victorious

Chorus:
For the sake of His great holiness
By the power of His great love
And to make His kingdom glorious
Our God will be victorious

Verse 2:
For this world is filled with pain
But our God is true and just
And his enemies will bend their knees
Our God will be victorious

Bridge:
Highest King, Risen Lord
You will reign forevermore
Victorious
God of love, we adore
Every knee will bow before
Victorious
And I will bow in worship