My favorite female artist/favorite worship leader, Kathryn Scott, recently released her second solo album (I Belong), and it is absolutely beautiful. One of my favorite songs is a beautiful ballad called “How Could I Ever Say Thank You?” Here’s the lyrics:
How could I ever say thank You
When the whole of this life’s not enough
Though I offer each breath back in worship
It never could match Your great love
So great are Your ways
Such encompassing grace
Love that reaches beyond each defense
Your mercy disarms the most broken of hearts
Such complete and profound faithfulness
How could I thank You
How could I ever repay You
When You laid aside Heaven for me
You came to the earth its Creator
Incarnate to set sinners free
I love You Lord
I love You Lord
I love You Lord
I love You Lord
————–
How Could I Ever Say Thank You © 2007 Vertical Worship Songs/ASCAP, written by Kathryn Scott.
It’s such a beautiful song, really, with beautiful lyrics and music to match. I would encourage you greatly to buy the entire album on iTunes or if nothing else, this song. It reminds me a lot of when I got her first album, Satisfy and her song “At the Foot of the Cross (Ashes to Beauty)” and it just slowly crept up on me and became one of my favorite worship songs. It wasn’t the strong that struck me hardest on the first listen-through, but I think it’s destined to be my favorite.
It’s really a beautiful glimpse of an album full of gratitude. I was debating whether or not to go ahead and buy it digitally or to wait and get a cd copy. I’m glad I didn’t wait another second to get it. I needed to hear that message now.
Right now I’ve got a lot of things that I know God wants to teach me. He’s got a mountain of mess I know he’s about to tackle and I’m sort of bracing myself for the spiritual surgery, and at the same time wondering where he’s going to begin. I certainly need a lot of work. I’ve been praying for God to change a lot of things in me, and while I know he is more than faithful to do it, I have to make sure that my mind is in the right place for this. Because I’m such a perfectionist, I tend to try to work hard and do better and do things on my own.
But me tackling mess won’t change me–at least it won’t change the sorts of things I think God wants to change in me. And the truth of the gospel really hits at me deep in my perfectionist heart. It tells me that I couldn’t change myself, and that nothing has changed since I was saved. Any change that happens in me must be a divine act. And it’s when I look at the life of Jesus and the wonderful work of redemption that he did on my behalf I realize that he is more than capable to change me. His mercy does “disarm the most broken of hearts” and LIVES, even mine.
When I look at my life all I can see is this mess. All I can see is the junk that’s going on. But when I look at Christ, my heart is not overwhelmed in distress, it is overwhelmed with gratitude. God has done the impossible, this God who is full of grace, love and mercy. He who did not spare his own Son–how will he not, along with himself, graciously give us all things?
If I truly see God for who he is, my response will be to live a life of loving response. It is then that I’ll be changed from the inside out. And it’s then that I can live a life full of freedom and peace, even though “the whole of this life’s not enough” to adequately thank Him.
Praise God from whom ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!
-Sarah
