Have you ever read any of the stories behind the writers of our classical hymns? I have, and it is a sobering thought that so many of those beloved songs were born from tragedy and suffering.
Recently we have seen the song “How Great is Our God,” and it sweeps the charts and the airways like a full-force wind. Gaining momentum in church after church, people can’t seem to sing it loud enough or passionately enough. The song just gets into your spirit and resounds over and over again.
I believe, like the old the hymns, this song will live long beyond its writers and ring out over this earth for years to come.
Why? It's a good question. I like to think it is the supreme theme of “How Great Is Our God” that makes the song so amazing and enduring. It is a proclamation of the character and faithfulness of God. It is not a “me” centered song about God. It is a song in which you can lose yourself and your cares as you sing it. You can so focus on the glory of our God, and your spirit can literally soar on the wings of its melody. The writer becomes a missionary through his gifted words, and the work does the work in a profound and beautiful way.
What a worthy goal to hold forth as a model for a song! It is the desire of songwriters to communicate the truth with passion and power, trusting God to do the transforming in the lives of those who sing and play.
