This song is about the church being a light to the world. It is not enough that we be good evangelists. We need to demonstrate to love of God to a needy world.
14“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV)
This is another song I introduced while at Fellowship Bible Church. This is the first song I wrote that required two parts, though in this version I am doing both parts myself.
I have usually tended to prefer mellow music. Most of my early guitar playing was finger-picking as opposed to strumming. But when we moved back to the US from Haiti, and I started to get involved leading worship in church settings, I had to broaden my horizons. This short song was one of my attempts at a non-mellow piece. I would still consider it atypical from what I would usually play. I introduced it at the church we were attending in Bakersfield (Fellowship Bible Church). Kenny, even though just a young teenager did a great job with the drums, and my fellow team members did a great job with the vocals, but I have no recording of that. So here it is with just me. For this song, I use a slightly softer pick than I usually use as it helps with the rapid up-strums. (Usually I use a hard pick because I like the cleaner sound, though I hold it a little more loosely when necessary. But I had trouble holding onto my typical pick this way with the more rapid, hard strumming, so I used something closer to a medium pick.)
I've always been a better thinker than a doer. I'm better with the theoretical than the practical. It doesn't help that I lack coordination. So it is easier for me to design or plan something than it is for me to execute the plan or design. I remember one time while we were living in Haiti. Ingrid's parents were visiting and we thought it would be a good time to finally put up some curtains in the dining room. I made the pattern. Ingrid and her mom made the curtains and her dad hung them. We were each operating in our own gifting.
Our Dining Room Curtains
Unfortunately, this mental thing had also affected my spiritual life. I was good at Bible study. I enjoyed finding out things about God. But I was feeling spiritually dry because my knowledge about God did not always translate into a better relationship with God. When we returned to the US, I decided to place more emphasis on actually developing my relationship with God as opposed to just learning more things about Him. It was during this period in my life I wrote this song. It has more of a country-western feel to it as I felt that style was appropriate for the topic at hand.
1In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness. 2Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me. 3Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me. 14But I trust in you, Lord;
I say, “You are my God.” 15My times are in your hands;
deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
from those who pursue me. 16Let your face shine on your servant;
save me in your unfailing love.
Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you,
in the sight of the children of mankind!
In the cover of your presence you hide them
from the plots of men;
you store them in your shelter
from the strife of tongues.
One time when reading through this Psalm, I was reminded what Jesus taught us about heaven in John 14:
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God;1 believe also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
John 14:1, 2 (ESV)
I combined the two thoughts in the following song.
This next song is loosely based on the following text:
Psalm 84:1-4, 10 (NIV)
1How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD Almighty! 2My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God. 3Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
O LORD Almighty, my King and my God. 4Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you. 10Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—Colossians 1:21–22 (NIV)
We were God's enemies. We were at war with God. We were not for the things of God, we were for the things of this world. But God made a way for us to be reconciled to Him through the death of Jesus. We don't have to be at war with God anymore. We can change sides because God made it possible.
