We live in stormy times. The world in which we live can be a very distressing place. The nightly news is filled with reports of the ravages of disease, the havoc of disasters, and the inhumanity and incivility of man. Within a matter of moments, our lives can be upended into a cascading turmoil by sudden loss, distressing news or tragic circumstances. Where are we to turn?
This past Sunday in worship, as we sang the contemporary psalm entitled King of My Heart (lyrics below), it was a fresh reminder that our Almighty God is the only One to whom we can turn when everything around us is spinning out of control. That simple song makes eight powerful statements about our Almighty God:
He is the mountain… where i run
He is the fountain… from which i drink
He is the shadow… where i hide
He is the ransom… for my life
He is the wind… inside my sails
He is the anchor… in the waves
He is the fire… in my veins
He is the echo… of my days
They are eight truths that can give us strength, confidence, peace and hope no matter how the storm is raging. The statements about Him are absolutes – they will remain unchanged in the midst of the storms. The “He is” portion of each statement is true whether He is the King of our hearts or not. Their truth is not dependent on our acceptance. Time and again He has proven Himself to be faithful and true. Our realization of those truths is never about who He is, rather it is always about who we have decided to be in Him.
The question is not whether He is King. He is King. He always has been and He always will be. He established Himself to be King. He is the Everlasting God and the Almighty Creator. No one came before Him and no one will come after Him.
The question is whether He is our King. Is He the Ruler of our lives? Have we surrendered our lives to Him as our Sovereign Lord? If so, then He will sustain through whatever we encounter and we will see those eight truths expressed through our lives – regardless of our circumstances.
1. He is the mountain… where i run. He will always be higher and greater and mightier than anything we will ever encounter. The prophet Isaiah wrote of our God who is high and lifted up. When God entered into a covenant with His people, He instructed Moses to bring seventy leaders up the mountain to worship Him from a distance.(1) Even on the mountain they remained under His feet.(2) Anything and everyone we encounter will always be under His feet. And through the shed blood of His Son, He made the way for us to run to Him. Through Jesus, He has given us unfettered access.
2. He is the fountain… from which i drink. Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.”(3) His water is sufficient and satisfying to quench our every thirst.
3. He is the shadow… where i hide. He is our refuge and our fortress. The psalmist wrote, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”(4) We will abide in His shadow. We will rest in His shadow.
4. He is the ransom… for my life. God Himself, in the Person of Jesus, “gave Himself as a ransom for all.”(5)He withheld nothing to ransom us from sin and from death. The Father gave His only Son. The Son gave His life so that my life might be His.
5. He is the wind… inside my sails. Imagine what it was like that night for the disciples in the boat when Jesus rebuked the winds and the sea. They marveled saying, “Even the winds and waves obey Him!”(6) He controlled the winds because He created the winds. He could still the winds because He blew the winds into existence. He not only orders our steps and sets our path; He is the wind that will blow in our sails to direct us forward.
6. He is the anchor… in the waves. On a second occasion, the disciples were struggling in rough seas when Jesus came walking on the water toward them. Immediately when He got in the boat, the wind and the waves stilled.(7) But what’s more – they immediately found themselves where they were supposed to be!(8)There are no waves He can’t still. And there are no waves He can’t use to get us to the place He wants us to be.
7. He is the fire… in my veins. The image of fire brings so many things to mind. He is a cleansing fire that cleanses us from our sins. He is the fire that goes before us to direct us and light our way. He is the pillar of fire that goes behind us to protect us as our rear guard. He is the fire and passion – the life and purpose – that courses through our veins.
8. He is the echo… of my days. Isaiah wrote of God’s glory and how the praises of His glory are to echo through our lives from coast to coast.(9) The echo is of His glory resounding through the heartbeat of our lives – no matter the circumstance. For He – and He alone is greater.
Yes, we can stand confidently on the promise.., the truth.., and the reality… of who He is if He is the King of our hearts!
(1) Exodus 24:1
(2) Exodus 24:10
(3) John 4:14 (ESV)
(4) Psalm 91:1 (ESV)
(5) 1 Timothy 2:6 (ESV)
(6) Matthew 8:27 (NLT)
(7) Matthew 14:32
(8) John 6:21
(9) Isaiah 42:12 (MSG)
King of My Heart
Let the King of my heart
Be the mountain where I run
The fountain I drink from
Oh, He is my song
Let the King of my heart
Be the shadow where I hide
The ransom for my life
Oh, He is my song
You are good, good, oh
You are good, good, oh
Let the King of my heart
Be the wind inside my sails
The anchor in the waves
Oh, He is my song
Let the King of my heart
Be the fire inside my veins
The echo of my days
Oh, He is my song
You are good, good, oh
You are good, good, oh
You're never gonna let, never gonna let me down
You're never gonna let, never gonna let me down
You are good, good, oh
You are good, good, oh
You're never gonna let
You're never gonna let me down
When the night is holding onto me
God is holding on
Songwriters: John Mark McMillan / Sarah McMillan
King of My Heart lyrics © 2015 Capitol Christian Music Group