A Song for When… You Need Confidence in God’s Power
I just love it when a song that I’ve known for a long time suddenly hits me in a new way. Have you had that happen before? You’ve listened to it many times, but this time a line sticks out so far it seems to cut through you like a knife. And all of a sudden, the song carries so much more weight and meaning. Let this remind you that God can and will use anything to speak to you. Keep your ears and mind open!
This happened with a song I was listening to over the summer while riding a public bus in Denmark. I’d heard the song, “Welcome Resurrection,” by Elevation Worship, who knows how many times. But as we neared our destination (the beautiful town of Dragor), it was like I was hearing the lyrics of this song for the first time. The entire song reminds us that God can do the impossible. He can do anything through His powerful name—literally anything! Over and over, the song comes back to this:
You can do anything … My eyes will see Your glory
Do you need to just stop and remind yourself of that truth today? Soak it in. Speak it over and over, or listen to the song and hear it over and over. God can do ANYTHING. …like, anything. He can bring the dead back to life, so of course He can handle whatever situation you may be facing today. Surrender to Him, trust His power, and let your eyes behold His glory.
In the midst of this theme, the powerful lyrics of the verses dig even deeper, challenging us to truly embrace a lifestyle that reflects our belief in God’s resurrecting power. The first verse says:
May I never lose the wonder … Of this Gospel mystery … From the heavens came a Savior … From the ground arose a King … Every day is born in darkness … Every winter yields to spring … Let us speak of resurrection … Even in the suffering
I know I’m not the only one guilty of allowing the fact that Jesus resurrected from the dead to become just a casual belief. We say it while reciting creeds in church, and we joyfully proclaim it on Easter morning. As Christians, we believe it! But for me, at least, I’ve heard about God’s resurrecting power so many times that I sometimes forget how truly awe-inspiring it is. So I love that this verse begins with a plea to never lose the wonder of the Gospel mystery—that from the ground of death and defeat arose a resurrected King. Wow!
The second verse goes on to tell the story of when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, which can be found in John 11.
As the sisters begged the Savior … Come at once to Bethany … For the one You love is dying … But His yes was not to be … As His weeping begged the question … Could His friend He not have healed, oh ohh … But He’s still the resurrection, oh … Even when the tomb is sealed
What a necessary reminder that God can and will resurrect things that we’ve already counted as losses! Even after Lazarus’ tomb had been sealed, Jesus was still the resurrection. Don’t discount His power. If it’s in God’s sovereign plan to bring your dream, your relationship, your joy, your hope or your passion back to life, HE WILL. Don’t forget that He can do anything! Lazarus’ sisters were overcome with grief, telling Jesus that if He’d come sooner, He could have saved their brother’s life. Have you limited God in your life—perhaps even unintentionally? Just like Jesus could bring Lazarus back to life, God is able to display His resurrection power in your life, too.
Okay, now it’s this third verse that jumped out at me on that bus in Denmark. It says:
Speaks the whisper in the silence … Sleeps the harvest in the seed … Cradled now a new beginning … In the heart that dares believe … So crucify your hesitation … Wounded expectation bring … Will you welcome resurrection? (Yes Lord) … Will you crown the risen King?
Such convicting words! If you don’t mind, I’ll twist them into a few questions to ponder:
- Do you actually dare to believe that God is able to bring dead things back to life? …do you believe He can do this in your own life, or do you limit His resurrection power to Bible stories/times?
- How are you hesitating? What step of faith are you not taking because you’re scared or uncertain of God’s power?
- In what ways have your expectations felt unmet in the past? Have you taken your wounded expectations straight to the throne of Jesus? Or are you harboring them deep in your heart and letting them impact your choices and beliefs even today?
- Will you welcome resurrection in your personal life? Will you dare to openly embrace the changes this will bring?
- Will you actually crown Jesus as the risen King, or will you admire His Kingship from a distance? Will you fully surrender to the One who has the power to raise the dead to life? What will it take for you to do this?
If your answer to any of these questions suggests that you are hesitant to live in such a way that reflects a bold, audacious belief in God’s power to do the impossible, then welcome to the club. It’s not easy to actually live out a faith that feels risky and even scary at times. I encourage you to take your questions and uncertainties straight to Him in prayer. Lay it all out there before Him! Like the father whose son was sick, ask Jesus to help you overcome your unbelief. Beg Him to give you the strength, the confidence and the faith to truly welcome resurrection in both big and small ways. And then? As the song says, prepare to see His glory. Celebrate the arrival of the King … the arrival of salvation … the arrival of resurrection! WELCOME, RESURRECTION!