Have you ever had a song that you’ve listened to a hundred times, but never really paid attention to the lyrics? And then that 101^st time you hear it, you really focus in on what the song is saying and it just rocks your world?

That happened to me last week with Crowder’s song, “Forgiven.” I know it’s no coincidence…God knew I needed to pay attention to those lyrics.  It was one of those days when I was feeling down and out and just really wrestling spiritually. But as that song came on, it’s like God just cleared my mind of all the garbage (and the traffic I was sitting in), and quietly said, “Dan, listen to this.”

Those beautiful lyrics filled my heart and brought healing to my soul. As I sang along, goose bumps all over my body, my mind was filled with a clear image of me holding a hammer in my hand, driving those nails into Jesus’ hands; but then, as the song says, He looks at me with arms open and says, “Forgiven! Forgiven! Child, there is freedom from all of it. Say goodbye to every sin – you are forgiven!” Wow! The beauty of that image simply overwhelmed me.  And then toward the end of the song, one of my favorite lines says simply, “You love me even when I don’t deserve it.” That is the beautiful, amazing grace of God!  I will never truly comprehend his love, but I am so thankful for it.

As we get close to Easter, let me encourage you to allow yourself to drown in God’s amazing grace. Let those words sink in – He loves you even when you don’t deserve it. None of us is deserving, yet He chooses to love us in spite of our sin. Paul says it beautifully in Romans 7:24-25 when he says, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”  Yes, we are the sinful ones who are driving the nails into Jesus’ hands as he takes our place on the cross and takes on the wrath that we deserve. But because of His unfathomable love for us, he looks at us and says, “YOU ARE FORGIVEN!”  Not because of anything we have done to earn his love and forgiveness, but simply because of His grace.

If you’ve been feeling spiritually dead like you’re walking through the valley – let those words that God gave David Crowder sink into your soul.

Forgiven! Forgiven!

You love me even when I don’t deserve it

Forgiven! I’m Forgiven!

Jesus Your blood makes me innocent

So I will say goodbye to every sin

I am forgiven!

Dan Ratcliffe
FaithTalk LiVE