Lord I Need You - Matt Maher

Sometimes a song gets stuck in my head because it's annoying (hello, VBS music). Sometimes a song gets stuck in my head because its sooooooo good. And sometimes a song just gets stuck because it's the message I need to hear on repeat all day. (That's not actually to say that those are mutually exclusive or that this is an exhaustive list, it's just that most of the time, it's one of those three things for me)

This song has been stuck in my head for roughly a month. It's not like I've really felt like I was going to fall off the deep end. I've actually felt fairly stable. But... and yes, there is a but... God has been steadily reminding me throughout the last few weeks just how much I need Him - even in the good times. For me when things are going well I think I tend to get lax. I get complacent. I think to myself, "I can totally do this." It's taken some pretty catastrophic things in my life to knock me down enough to get on my face before God to say "I need you". And God has been spending the last several months whispering to me... "it's ok you think you're ok... you still need me... and we can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way, your pick."

I have done a bunch of different Bible reading plans through the years. Currently I'm in the middle of two (one that is called #SamePageSummer - it's a cool one, check it out... for the record, if you want to be on the "same page" today is day 38 in YouVersion or you can click these for a more standard paper print out: guys or gals) reading plans. I just finished a different one that was reading through the old testament in a year.

What has struck me over and over and over throughout all of my different readings is this concept of forgiveness. And I think also how very messed up my view of forgiveness tends to be. God has been gently nudging me to leave my many misconceptions of forgiveness, or my imperfect applications of forgiveness to others or myself, to leave them for good, and to walk free in a sweet forgiven state.

"Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me. For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me."
Psalms 66:16‭-‬20 NLT

God listens, because we confess our sins - not because we are perfect! And not only is it not because we are perfect, we can't be perfect on our own! If we could, then there would be no reason for Jesus!! 

"Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.” I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless.... For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die."

Galatians 2:16‭, ‬21 NLT

"Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?"

Galatians 3:2‭-‬3 NLT

So - are you trying on your own? Or are you willing to confess "Lord I need you, oh I need you, every hour I need you" - because let me tell you - you can do it the easy way... or the hard way.



Lord, I come, I confess
Bowing here I find my rest
Without You I fall apart
You're the One that guides my heart

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

Where sin runs deep Your grace is more
Where grace is found is where You are
Where You are, Lord, I am free
Holiness is Christ in me

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

So teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way
When I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus, You're my hope and stay

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You
You're my one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You