Wonderful Merciful Saviour

There aren't many songs (to my knowledge at least) which focus on man's state of helplessness and the grace & work of God. Too many are written on a works-based, music-focused theology.

I echo the words of Geoff Bullock when he says, "Worship has nothing at all to do with what we have done and everything to do with what God has done... worship is an identification with brokeness, and a realisation that our strength comes not from what we have done but only from what God has done for us, and so we live our lives in response." (taken from 'the BRIEFING', Apr 29, 1999)

Therefore, I welcome songs which look at who God is and strip it down to look at who we actually are. "Wonderful Merciful Saviour" is one of those songs and I was reminded of it this morning.

Wonderful Merciful Savior

Wonderful, merciful Savior
Precious Redeemer and friend
Who would have thought that a lamb could
Rescue the souls of men
Oh, You rescue the souls of men

Counselor, Comforter, Keeper
Spirit we long to embrace
You offer hope when our hearts have
Hopelessly lost the way
Oh, we hopelessly lost the way

~Chorus~
You are the one that we praise
You are the one we adore
You give the healing and grace
Our hearts always hunger for
Oh, our hearts always hunger for

Almighty, infinite Father
Faithfully loving Your own
Here in our weakness You find us
Falling before Your throne
Oh, we're falling before Your throne

Wonderful, merciful, saviour, precious, redeemer, friend, lamb, rescuer, counsellor, comforter, keeper, hope, almighty, infinite, father, faithful... these are the adjectives that are used to describe and glorify our God Almighty in this song. Is this list exhaustive? I certainly hope not!

Question is, do we take the time to praise God for who He is and not only for what He has done? To marvel and glorify His attributes? I think that when we do, we'll realise that our finite and limited languages aren't enough to describe our King and Lord.

And as we do that, we'll realise that there is only one response and posture that seems befitting... on our knees, falling before Him. Understanding and accepting our brokeness, realising the darkness of sin, the frailty of our mortality and the inability of our actions to appease our just God.

For we worship a Wonderful, Merciful Saviour.


P.S. I have the song for those who want it