Today is our Baby Girl’s thirtieth birthday. Happy Birthday, Precious Girl! It is hard to believe. In some respects it seems like yesterday. It was an early Monday morning. In what seemed like a moment, we witnessed the birth of a new life. (Remember, i’m the dad; i am certain it seemed much longer than a moment for LaVonne!) i remember her little cry as she took that first breath into her lungs. i remember that somehow the birthing room suddenly seemed brighter. i remember that my wife’s pain and travail in labor were now passed and had now been replaced simultaneously by relief, peace, joy and calm. Immediately our hearts were filled with love for this precious addition to our family. That love was not something that needed to develop over time – it was immediate, just as it had been at the birth of her older brother before her. And our love for one another did not diminish because it now included another; rather, our capacity to love was increased. The birth of a new life is a precious gift from our Creator… an amazing gift… and a gift for a lifetime… and beyond.  

But our God is not only the Giver of physical life, He is the Giver of eternal life. As precious as our little daughter was – and is – it only took the passing of a few short months before we witnessed the reality that she had been born with the same condition that her mother and i had. We had passed it on to her. Our sweet little princess had been born with a fatal affliction. It was that inherent desire to want her own way. As difficult as it was to imagine that this beautiful blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl was anything but perfect, it became apparent that she – just like the rest of us – was afflicted with a sin nature. That nature didn’t cause our love for her to diminish, any more than our parents’ love for us had diminished. Our love for her desired that she not go through life shackled to that sin nature. The problem was, that no matter what we might try, there was nothing that we as her parents could do to relieve her of that affliction of sin. Only her Creator could. He was the only One. He had known her long before that Monday morning in the birthing room. He had known her from before the dawn of time. He had formed her in her mother’s womb. And He alone had made a way through the shed blood of His Son for her to be redeemed, her sin debt to be cancelled, and the shackles of sin to be broken. As much as we may ever love her, He loves her more – and He who gave her the gift of physical life also had made provision for her to experience the gift of eternal life.

i will never forget that day either, as we sat on the floor together and she said she wanted to ask Jesus to come into her life. At that moment, He again permitted me to witness the birth of my daughter – her spiritual birth. That birth was just as – if not, even more – miraculous. Her Creator and Redeemer brought light where before there had been darkness. He brought a confident hope that will never disappoint. He brought a restoration that can never be broken. And He made her complete in Him.

In His goodness and His grace, He desires that each and every one of us be made complete. He loved us before we ever loved Him (1 John 4:19). He knew us before the foundation of the world (Romans 8:29). He formed us and created us (Psalm 139:13). He has made the way for us to be redeemed (Ephesians 1:7). Our very bones cry out to sing His praise.

Today is a day for all of us to join with the writers of the song, “Great are You, Lord”, in acknowledging the One who is the Giver of life, the One who IS love, and the One who has brought light to the darkness. He is the One who brings hope to the hopeless and restores the broken hearted. He has given us the very air that we breathe and the lungs through which we do so. And with each breath He is due our praise. So, in addition to singing “Happy Birthday” to my daughter today, i will sing “Great are You, Lord” – a song that my heart wants to cry out every moment of every day. Because He is! i invite you to join me!

Great Are You, Lord

You give life, You are love
You bring light to the darkness
You give hope, You restore
Every heart that is broken
Great are You, Lord 

It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
We pour out our praise
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise to You only

You give life, You are love
You bring light to the darkness
You give hope, You restore
Every heart that is broken
Great are You, Lord

It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
We pour out our praise
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise to You only

(Repeat)

And all the earth will shout Your praise
Our hearts will cry, these bones will sing
Great are You, Lord

(Repeat 2x)

It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
We pour out our praise
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
To You only

(Repeat) 

Songwriters: David Leonard / Jason Ingram / Leslie Jordan

Great Are You Lord lyrics © Essential Music Publishing, Capitol Christian Music Group