(To listen to the podcast as you read, and to hear the song, His Story, at the conclusion, click here.)
In 2008, the Lord spoke to my heart and helped me understand that I needed to move out of youth ministry. Unsure of where this journey would take me, I found myself in a place of learning to trust God once again with everything. It wasn’t clear or evident that God was calling me to leave my current place of ministry, but I knew that obedience required laying down the position in which I was so comfortable.
It was in this season of transition that God began to speak to me about my story, and how He was writing the story. A song that I would later name, His Story - a play on words because it looks like the word History - and it's my belief that my story is history in God’s mind, and History is His Story.
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
Verse 1
The first chapter of your story, was written before time,
I was knitting you together, writing every line
I have stored up hidden treasure, deep inside your heart
I’ve left clues to solve the mystery, of who you really are
Psalm 139 makes it so clear that God was creating us long before others knew anything about us. Beginning with verse 13:
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body…"
The beginning of clarity around our God given identity starts with acknowledging that God is our creator, who shaped us even before we were born. We were a dream in God’s heart before our flesh was all put together. And because “God doesn’t make junk” – we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
While “God was writing every line” comes from the continuation of verse 16:
“All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
This doesn’t mean that we don’t have free will, or that we are somehow living out some totally pre- chosen or preordained existence. God is so brilliant, He knows what we will choose, but it doesn’t mean He forces us to do anything. He is a gentleman and honors our decisions and choice.
When we work to understand who God created in us and how He has been shaping us through people, events and circumstances, we can follow the clues to fully embrace our calling, identity and destiny.
Seeing Jesus in Our Story
So, after verse 1 gives us a big dose of Psalm 139 applied to our life, the chorus comes in and says,
Chorus
Your whole life has been a story, I am writing to show
My true love and my affection, so the world will know
That my heart beats for you completely, even when you do not notice me,
In the pages of your life, they’ll see, a picture of me
While we are fearfully and wonderfully made, this is just part of the larger story that God is writing in us. His story and proof in us are to demonstrate his love and affection… because
“God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him, will not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
The story He is writing in us is to show His love. His heart beats for us, even when we aren’t paying attention to him. His love doesn’t waver when walk away from Him, although it does break His heart.
His hope and plan is that in the pages of our life (the moments), people will get a glimpse of Jesus. As a Jesus follower, I have the gift of the Holy Spirit, God Himself, living inside me. God wants others to see Him in us.
Looking for Treasures in God’s Word
Verse 2 shows a bit of where I was when I wrote this song, in a place of transition. I will often point out that transitions usually last anywhere from three months to three years. It’s a season in our life. It’s an important passage to move through and to learn from. This verse is a reminder that even in times of uncertainty, and when we lack clarity, God is leading, guiding, helping, providing.
Verse 2
The next chapter of your story is starting just in time
I have buried treasures I intend for you to find
The map to guide your journey is in the tales of men
Who lived so many years ago, stories left to give you hope
Do you ever feel like you are behind the curve? I have always looked at those with more experience than me and felt like I had so many ways I need to “catch up,” but God’s Word of truth over us is that “the next chapter of your story is starting just in time”. The truth is, we are right on time with how God wants to lead and to shape us.
He has left buried treasures of spiritual gifts and other wonderful truths for us. In Matthew 13:44 Jesus tells a parable about buying a field that has a treasure buried in it. Our God loves to surprise us with wonderful things because He is a good, good father. I think He loves it when we discover His good gifts.
This verse goes on to say, “the map to guide your journey is in the tales of men, who lived so many years ago, stories left to give you hope”. God is pointing us back to His Word to learn lessons from the men and women who learned to trust God that we find in these pages.
Trusting God Through the Unknown
The Chorus continues reinforcing the purpose for your life as a story, followed by the bridge:
Bridge
Every plot twist that’s ahead of you, forces you to trust me
Before the page turns, there’s no way to see
What’s around the bend, How this story ends
As you live out the adventure, and write tales of this journey
Remember I am faithful, I will help you carry on
I will never leave you, I am here to make you strong
The expedition starts, right inside your heart
Every good story has a plot twist or two where we encounter the unexpected, and each plot twist in our life forces us to trust God. He reminds us, “before the page turns, there’s no way to see what’s around the bend, how this story ends.” 2 Cor. 5:7 tells us we must walk by faith and not by sight. We rarely get a glimpse of the future. We must trust Jesus as He leads us and writes this story.
As we live out this adventure of walking with our God, we must share with others the stories of God’s faithfulness (called testimonies), and even write down our stories of how God made a way for us in this life. I have challenged many of my older friends to write out their life story as a testimony, as a way to leave a legacy of faith to their kids and grandkids.
The words of Jesus from Matthew 28 and Hebrews 13:5 appear again here in this song: He will never leave us or forsake us. 2 Chronicles 16:9 speaks of the eyes of the Lord moving to and fro throughout the earth that he might strongly support those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. Our God is present to give us courage and strength to live another day.
The real journey of this life is an expedition that starts in our hearts: the choosing to surrender our hearts to Jesus, make Him Lord of our life, and follow Him for all our days.
Setting Captives Free
The last chorus gives a bit of marching orders to us, as image bearers who are strengthened by God and living as a story that speaks of His love and affection to a dying world.
Chorus 2
You were born to lead the captives, away from their pain
Your life was a gift to those I’m dying to save
And my heart beats for you completely, even when you do not walk with me,
It’s the truth, I’m writing in you,
In the pages of your life, they’ll see, a picture of me
In Luke 4, Jesus reads the scroll of Isaiah, and specifically reads Isaiah 61:18.
"The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
Jesus came to set the captives free, and we, too, are called to lead others away from the bondage of sin and death to life in Jesus Christ. We are also called to bring healing to those who suffer and bring relief to those in pain.
This last chorus says, “your life was a gift, to those I’m dying to save”. I love a fun play on words, and the idea that Jesus would give our life as a gift to lead others to life, at the same time Jesus has already given His life as a gift to us that we might live. He died to “save them from their sins,” and to save me from my sins.
The last lines end with Jesus writing the truth in our story, so that in the pages of our lives others will see a picture of Jesus. It is His song that He gave me, and it is His story.
This is part 4 of the series Music From My Heart. Watch for part 5 next week.
We invite you to join us this week for our Sunday Worship Service in the Dome at 10:00 a.m.
You can also live stream our service on Facebook and YouTube at 10:00 a.m.
