Chris Tomlin
The splendor of the King,
Clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice,
All the earth rejoice
He wraps himself in light,
And darkness tries to hide
And trembles at his voice,
And trembles at his voice
How great is our God,
Sing with me
How great is our God,
and all will see
How great, How great
Is our God
Age to age he stands
And time is in His Hands
Beginning and the End,
Beginning and the End
The Godhead, Three in one
Father, Spirit, Son
The Lion and the Lamb,
The Lion and the Lamb
How great is our God,
Sing with me
How great is our God,
and all will see
How great, How great
Is our God
Name above all names
Worthy of our praise
My heart will sing
How greatIs our God
How great is our God,
Sing with me
How great is our God,
and all will see
How great, How great
Is our God
How great is our God,
Sing with me
How great is our God,
and all will see
How great, How great
Is our God
Copyright 2004 worshiptogether.com Songs/sixsteps Music/ASCAP (adm. by EMI CMG Publishing)/ Alletrop Music/BMI
We sang this song at my 49-year-old brother's memorial service last November. At the time, I saw it as a great testimony to my sister-in-law's faith. Here she was asking us to "sing with me...our God is GREAT."
Later as I meditated over the words, God gave me another picture of what happened with my brother. You see, he was found after being lost in the remote mountains of Montana after 36 hours, having died of hypothermia. All my broken heart could imagine is the darkness of that night and what he must have gone through.
And then I really studied those words one night during Worship Choir practice: "He wraps himself in light and darkness tries to hide and trembles at his voice." I had a picture in my mind of God coming down on the mountain for a stroll, meeting my brother there and saying, "Gordon, it's late and my home is closer than yours. why don't you come to my house tonight," taking him by the hand and leading him to heaven. But the scene was dark and cold and awful. Then I saw it.
When God came, there must have been light. Now when I think of that awful time on the mountain, I can see my brother, bathed in the light of God's presence, perhaps even angels attending near by. It wasn't dark...how could it have been if God was there! Then the words: "from age to age he stands and time is in his hand, the beginning and the end." and I envisioned God standing there, with Gordon's beginning (birthday) and his end (death) and he knew it all. we just didn't know. God knew!
That night at the end of practice, Brian, our worship pastor read the benediction he would give on Easter, which was in a few weeks. "So then, may you go out from this place blessed because he is present with you, strong because he is powerful in you, joyful in trouble, faithful in testing. May you be witnesses to His truth and carry his glorious rescue into this day and every tomorrow. For by His power you have been raised to walk in a new way of life."
The words "glorious rescue" jumped out at me. At first I think of how great it would have been for Gordon to have experienced the "glorious rescue." I can only imagine and smile as I think of the story he would be telling on Easter, telling his story as only Gordon can tell a story! How he loved a good story. And it makes me sad. Yet, I know the phrase is referring to a spiritual glorious rescue.
Then it comes to me - Gordon has experienced the ULTIMATE glorious rescue.
God wrapping himself in light
As he comes calling Gordon's name.
The darkness trying to hide.
The darkness trembling at His voice.
And God standing there from age to age
With time held in his hands.
Holding the beginning (of Gordon's life) in one hand
AndThe end (of Gordon's life) in the other hand.
He sees both the beginning
AND the end.
And the best thought of all, My little brother experiencing
The Ultimate Glorious Rescue!
Guest Blogger, Carol
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