What an awesome title for a song: You Are I Am. It’s so good it’s almost inspired. God is the GREAT I AM. He is Lord over all of creation, history, and eternity. That’s a lot – that’s everything there is. There is no god like Him – there is no god besides Him – He is the one and only true, living, real God of the entire universe.
The song preaches some biblical, spiritual messages to us (the main reason I like MercyMe). The message that hits me in the heart today speaks of the struggle we sometimes we have grasping how great God’s love, mercy, forgiveness and grace are toward us as His beloved children. We sometimes turn inward, neglect to focus on God’s grace, and get bogged down in our miserable selves. We feel terrible when God’s grace is telling us to feel terrific. Read these words from the song and see if “the shoe fits wear it” applies to you.
I’ve been the one Held down in chains – Beneath the weight of all my shame.
I’ve been the one To believe – That where I am You cannot reach.
Why is it that we feel like we have to deserve God’s love? That is sooooo unbiblical! Maybe we grew up in a family where we felt like we had to earn love from mom or dad (accurate or inaccurate perception). Even if that were true it wouldn’t present a correct comparison with our heavenly Father’s love toward us. The bible teaches ever so clearly and emphatically that our salvation relationship with God is based 100% on His love and grace (= gift) as we accept it by faith.
Read Psalm 103 and listen to YOU ARE I AM by MercyMe. Then lighten up on yourself and enjoy the day in God’s loving presence.
Psalm 103
Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.
Praise the Lord, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
Praise the Lord, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the Lord, my soul.