blessed be your name...

we sing this song fairly regularly @ zion on sunday mornings. great song, rockin' tune, fun to have during the services. it's one of my faves in the past 2 years or so. we sang it today at chapel here on campus, and something amazing happened. i've never gotten choked up during this song (matter of fact, it takes a tremendous amount of something to choke me up). but i found myself as the first words started with tears in my eyes. couldn't sing it. all i could do was listen...the words hit me in a really deep way this morning. seems to me i've sung this song a hundred times and not thought about what it means...


Blessed Be Your Name by Matt Redman
album: Where Angels Fear To Tread (2002)
- - -
Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

today i saw some profound newness in these words -- to sing 'blessed be Your name' when the road is full of suffering, when we are struggling, when the world isn't all as it should be...what incredible faith and strength it takes. the kind of faith that doesn't move, isn't diminished when things are taken away, when life just plain stinks and there's nothing we can do about it. amazing...this is what i want for me, my family, my children. to sing and ascribe praise to the Almighty everyday, everyway, being honest to admit when it's hard but standing firm on the rock that He's given us to build on.