Greater

Greater.  It's a new song by Mercyme, and has quickly become a new favorite (I have a lot of them !!  LOL).   The thing about it is, we are doing this Bible study at church on the book of Ephesians and the first chapter is all about our being chosen and our blessings in Christ, who I am in Him.  And the song speaks to just that, at least for me, who I am in Christ, in spite of the voices that tell me different.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.[b] 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God,[c] for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

12 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own[d] by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

As I was sitting at lunch the other day, studying this Ephesians passage after another struggling day at work, these verses stood out to me.  It wasn't so much that God saw me as holy and without fault in His eyes.  Or that He chose me before He made the world.  Being united with Christ, sharing in His inheritance, being adopted as His daughter....all wonderful, amazing, fantastic things, truths that can all on their own, set  your feet "a dancing."   But the fact that He did this in wisdom and understanding and great pleasure is what just blows me away.  

When I think of myself, and all my faults and difficulties, negative thought patterns, anger issues.....I really don't see how anyone, knowing all of that in advance, before the creation of the world, would choose to adopt me.  That is an truly mind-boggling thought to me.  And He makes all of these things, me, my strengths and weaknesses, you with your strengths and weakness...all of us, all of this work according to HIS good plan.  And choosing me, choosing you gave Him great pleasure!!  Knowing all He knew, our Father still took delight in choosing us!! Gobsmacked.  Dumbstruck.  Astounded.  He knew and still took pleasure in choosing me.  I can't get enough of this concept.  And if all that weren't enough, He calls me holy and without fault in His eyes.

This God visit...this God lesson, was later that night punctuated by the Mercyme song, Greater.  It's a great song overall, but a couple of the lines really stood out and gave the exclamation point to the message I had heard in Ephesians early.

     "You are holy, righteous and redeemed."
     "I hear a voice and He calls me redeemed."
     "understanding just how He sees me."
   
Take a good listen to this song.  Enjoy it.  Take it into your heart and let it sooth and smooth away the bumps and bruises that say you are nothing, that you can't possibly be loved and wanted by God. Take God's Word and let it heal the parts of You that say you are a mistake and are rejected.  The Word tells us those things are not true. And God has blessed us with gifted musicians and songwriters to sing His truths to us.  Thank You Lord for truth, for music, for Your love and Your great plan.

"The Cross already won the war."