DAILY WORD

I lift up my eyes to the hills;
from where is my help to come?
My help comes from the Lord, *
the maker of heaven and earth.
- Psalm 121:1-2

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Each Sunday in the Episcopal Church we affirm the basic tenets of our Christian faith in the words of the Nicene Creed. Together we proclaim, “We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.” With these words we declare that God is sovereign over all creation and that nothing is able to exist except by the power and authority of God.

And yet the same God who rules the universe is the God who comes to help us – our help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. It is amazing to contemplate that the sovereign Lord is also the lover of our souls. The One who rules heaven and earth also rules our hearts. The One who calls things that are not as though they were also calls us each by name.

This morning, I would like to share with you the lyrics of a song entitled I am Your Beloved. These words capture this tension that we often experience. The tension between God’s transcendent power and his immanent, intimate love for us.

Lord it was You who
created the heavens.
Lord it was Your hand
that put the stars in their place.
Lord it is Your voice
that commands the morning.
Even oceans and their waves
bow at Your feet.

Lord who am I
compared to Your glory, Oh Lord.
Lord who am I
compared to Your majesty.

I am Your beloved, Your creation,
and You love me as I am.
You have called me chosen for Your kingdom,
unashamed to call me Your own.
I am Your beloved.

©1996 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing
Words and Music by Brent Helming