Wonderful Words of Life

This is my week to blog and I have been thinking a lot about hymns. My godson, Jordan Edwards, a recent journalism graduate, wrote his latest post about the hymn “Wonderful Words of Life.” I hope you enjoy his writing and teach this hymn to your children.

Jordan Examines: Wonderful Words of Life

I mentioned before that my newfound purpose in life is to show everyone through my own experiences that life may be hard, but it is worth living, something that so many people struggle with every day. And what better way to continue on that path by analyzing a song that proclaims life’s beauty through the words of the God that created it. Thank you, Phillip Bliss.

Sing them over again to me, Wonderful Words of Life

Let me more of their beauty see, Wonderful Words of Life

So many believers and non-believers can look through the words of the Bible without really taking time to appreciate the true beauty of its words, because they picture it as nothing but a glorified instruction manual. When in truth, it is much more than that. It is a showcase of God’s promises toward the children he loves, an invitation from a Heavenly Father to purify people of the sinful ways of the world, a timeline of God’s personal champions and their Crowning Moments of Awesome, a dire warning of the consequences for those who arouse His anger, an ultimate symbol of absolute truth, and so much more. But you can’t discover any of that from an occasional glimpse. You have to read it regularly and repeatedly. Sometime, life experience can add new context to an old verse.

Words of Life and Beauty

Teach me Faith and Duty

Beautiful Words

Wonderful Words

Wonder Words of Life

(repeat)

Here, we have four attributes of the Bible to unpack. The Life represents the tales and exploits of those who followed the Lord, their strengths, their shortcomings, and everything they became by following God. The Beauty comes from the sheer awe of creation as well as the heartwarming actions taken by those who would follow God, the miracles, the love, the bonds, and the devotion to Him. Look no farther than David and Jonathan or Ruth and Naomi. One bond saved a life while the other made a way for Jesus to be born. The Faith aspect showcases how we can achieve salvation through believing in Christ, from John 3:15 to the Roman Road, each verse explains the human condition, what it represents for us (death), what Jesus did and what that represents, and how we can rectify that by taking his gift. And finally, the Duty. Now that we are saved, it is our duty to love as Christ did and live as He did, to help share the gift of salvation with others as well. How wonderful.

Christ the Blessed one gives to all, Wonderful Words of Life

Sinner, list to the loving call, Wonderful Words of Life

Oh so freely given, wooing us to Heaven

Here, we see that the Wonderful Words of Life are freely offered to anyone willing to listen. There’s a reason for that. One of the worst things any man or woman of God can do is assume that following God makes him or her better than those who don’t follow Him. The Pharisees in the New Testament were guilty of this crime, and Jesus minced no words in calling them out on their hypocrisy. To act elitist over a gift is the height of hubris and turns many away from God’s arms. Unacceptable. But on the other side of the coin, it also means that there is no cost for salvation. No prerequisites, no test of worthiness, no payment to make, and no reason not to accept it. Such a prospect might sound too good to be true, and it might be for people but not for God. All of have to do is come just as you are.

Sweetly echo the Gospel call, Wonderful Words of Life

Offer pardon and peace to all, Wonderful Words of Life

Jesus only Savior, sanctify us forever

This is simultaneously a command for what we’re supposed to do with the wonderful words as well as reminder of what they mean to us as well. We remember the words of the Gospel we hold true as well as echoing it ourselves to the people around us. Every sin is forgiven, every stain washed away. And once we accept it, nothing can take us away from God. We are purified forever.

Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life

Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life