All Sons & Daughters "Reason To Sing"

All Sons & Daughters "Reason To Sing"

We sang this song in praise and worship on Sunday.  Actually, we even did this version which includes the extended verses.

It hit me pretty hard.

We all have those moments when we wonder where God is.  Those moments we scream to the top of our lungs, "God,Why?!".

Our suffering is our world, and it's all we can see.

The truth is, this thing was never about us.  The life we live and its daily experiences were never ours to begin with.  It's always been all about Him. 

Our purpose, to worship and glorify Him.

The times in our life when we face trials, they offer an opportunity to exercise faith.  Can you believe, without seeing, that all things work for the good of those who love Him?  Even those things we believe might kill us inside?  The faith to believe a gracious and loving God would let them happen? 

One of my favorite lines...
"I need to know that you're still holding the whole world in your hands, and that is a reason to sing."

God, I not only need you to show me that You're still in control, but I need you to show me You're good, because right now I'm having a hard time seeing it.

Now I have no idea if that's the way the author intended it to be interpreted, but I think it's a real interpretation every christian faces.  And I think God's OK with that.  I also think He'll answer.  He answers with a grace and mercy so powerful we hit our knees.  Unmerited favor, at the perfect moment, which can only be from Him.  Right in the middle of our struggle and doubt we're overwhelmed by love.

Matthew 11:12, Difficult Verse Explained Beautifully

“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force. ~Matthew 11:12


I must say, there aren't many Bible verses that confuse me. Usually I can read the entire chapter, look through a few different translations, read a concordance for the Hebrew/Greek, check with the Holy Spirit, and feel pretty darn comfortable. With that being said, even after aforementioned due diligence, I continued to struggle with this one.

Is this verse saying the kingdom of heaven is under attack? Why "from the days of John"? Who are the "violent men"? Are they evil? Are we being called to defend the Word against those who would manipulate it? Are we the ones who, through our decision to accept Christ, violently take hold of salvation?

As I looked for a more detailed explanation I came across this...  Taking the Kingdom by Force

Though I still have some questions, I thought this was a beautiful and well educated analysis.