MercyMe have long been one of my favourite Christian bands. With such honesty and hopefulness from songs such as ‘I Can Only Imagine’, ‘Word of God Speak’ and ‘Here With Me’; I was eagerly anticipating their May 22nd release, ‘The Hurt and the Healer’ (which released on iTunes and Amazonmp3 last week). As you are probably aware from an earlier post, in early April my family and I went to a MercyMe concert in Baulkham Hills (about 2 hours drive from Sydney City) and what met us there was a night of worship and praise, as worship artist Michael W. Smith and gospel quartet Ernie Haase and the Signature Sound joined MercyMe for one of the most memorable concerts that I have ever been to in years. Promoting their new CD, lead singer Bart Millard shared with the audience as he introduced the band’s first radio single and title track.
‘The Hurt and the Healer’ is one of my favourite songs from MercyMe, and as Bart explained during the concert, the song is about the point in our lives during the midst of our hurt when we discover the healer, knowing full well that what He offers is not necessarily the answer that will make everything feel better, but rather, what is offered is solace, hope in the midst of calamity, reassurance in the middle of the storms that surround us. Throughout the build up to this May 22nd release, MercyMe have been going through some personal issues, starting with keyboardist Jim Bryson taking a leave of absence from the band, as well as Bart’s fire-fighter cousin (who felt to him more like a brother) dying in the line of duty. Through all these tragedies, Bart, Mike, Barry, Robbie and Nathan are standing strong, understanding that despite all of our problems here on Earth, God is still on His throne, still reigning over all of creation. What Bart said on the night struck me as poignant, imparting that even if God told us why, why this happened or this didn’t happen; the things that are hurtful to us still won’t hurt less. What a remarkable observation, that even if we truly understand the reasons why, we’ll still be mad, we’ll still be sad, we’ll still be angry and upset. So God just promises one simple thing, for Him to be the healer to our hurts. As we continue to read and delve into His Word, we will find the remedy to our pain, in the Author and Perfector of our lives. God is with us in the valleys, showing us that He that has fashioned us in the very palm of His hands will be ‘…with you always, even until the end of this age…’ (Matthew 28:20- NCV).
‘The Hurt and the Healer’ has really shown me how much to trust God, even during the times when I don’t really know what is going on. As Bart sings out in the chorus ‘…I'm alive even though a part of me has died, You take my heart and breathe it back to life, I fall into Your arms open wide where the hurt and the healer collide…’ I am amazed at how they have it the nail on the hammer. When something happens to you that is traumatic as someone dying, or finding out you have a terminal illness, or when someone betrays you beyond you can ever imagine; something is taken from you, and like the chorus suggests, sometimes you can recover, but you’ll never fully be like how you were before, there’ll always be a part of you that has ‘died’ when you heard the unfortunate news about something or someone that you have cared about. Regardless of your circumstance, we can all agree that when something tragic happens to you or someone else, nothing is the same. But the Lord gives us a promise that we can take: ‘…Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint…’ This verse above, Isaiah 40:28-31; has given me great comfort through many years, knowing and understanding that the Lord is for us, not against us; loving us through the times when we need Him the most, and reassuring us during the difficult seasons, that even if we may often feel like some part of us has ‘died’ during our season of despair and desolateness; God is promising us that He is making all things new; taking our soft and fragile hearts and breathing new life into them; thereby giving us the resolve and courage to move on, knowing that every situation brings glory to Him.
Sometimes it can be just a song that can change someone’s life, and reading through all of the positive reinforcement that MercyMe have been receiving about their single; the same can be said about their song. ‘The Hurt and the Healer’ has touched lives because it is a real, honest song about the struggles we all face, the pain that we all feel, and the reconciliation between creator and created, God and man, the hurting and the healer. When our limited understanding about how our pain should feel and how the healing should be; collides with the sovereign Almighty who’s showing us to steady our hearts and trust in His ability to give us the healing that we need in the right timing that we need it; we are able to appreciate and trust in the fact that God always keeps His promises, and always hears our cries for help, sometimes choosing to help us during the times of despair, yet other times, choosing to weave and use the circumstances that we face as lessons for us to rely more and more on the healer and maker of our lives; rather than on our own abilities. The beauty of the healer is that God knows that we are wanting, but He will certainly give us when we are all inherently needing.
There are days in our lives when all we can do is just make it through the day. Things are going on at work, our bosses are telling us that these deadlines need to be accomplished, and we are given work from every angle. We are swamped, and together with the hurt that we may sometimes feel, life can sometimes be a little stagnant. But I am certain that as we surrender our lives fully to the One who made it; we will let go of all our worries and fears, doubts and insecurities. God is speaking to us, longing for us to open our hearts to Him as He invades our hearts, breaking our fears and awakening our hearts to His love. ‘The Hurt and the Healer’ is certainly doing it’s part to free lives from the pain that they feel; and I’m sure after you hear the song, it could impact you as well.
Before I end this blog, let me pose a question. What things are you holding onto today, that you’re afraid to give over to God? Why so? Sometimes all we have to do is to come as we are to the Father, without any preconceived ideas as we are transformed by the Father’s love for each of us. When everything has fallen, Jesus Christ remains, and that is the hope that we have; that even during the darkest of our days; He will always pull us through! Think about it, and below is the live video for ‘The Hurt and the Healer’. Listen to it, comment, and just soak in the knowledge that Jesus wants to be the healer if we let Him.
Til next time,
Jon.
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