Reflection #1 on "You Are My King (Amazing Love)" by Newsboys  [song lyrics]

• originally released by solidsounds.org, 09/21/2003
• author: Suzy C.
• scripture reference: 2 Corinthians 4:7-9

	From the album "Adoration: The Worship Album" (2003) Read the song lyrics...

Amazing love, I know it's true.
It's my joy to honor You.
In all I do, I honor You.

Have you ever felt the crushing weight of circumstances as they try to squeeze all your faith out of you? Believing God loves you gets tough sometimes, especially when everything in your life is screaming: He doesn't even exist, and if He does, He doesn't care about you! Those are the times when you have to dig in you heels, grit your teeth, and honor the blood of Jesus.

I remember one night (it seems the enemy always attacks at night) when I had to do this very thing myself. Pressure was on every side. Bills and debts were screaming out at me, my father was seriously ill and demanding my attention, my job was overwhelming, and my pastor had just resigned because his wife had left him for another man. It seemed as if no matter which direction I turned, there was trouble. I was surrounded. But then I remembered something I read in the Bible:

"We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed" (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NASB).

Paul did not say that he understood everything. Just the opposite; he said he was perplexed, but he did not despair. I sat up in bed, tears rolling down my cheeks, and said out loud: "I honor the blood." The first time I said it, I will admit, it was weak. But I kept saying it and saying it. I said, "No matter what comes on me, or what is taken from me, no matter how much I suffer, or those I love suffer, I will not abandon the love of Christ, I will not step over His blood into unbelief. I will not disgrace His sacrifice. I honor the blood!"

Well, after just a few minutes of that, I felt a strength rising up in me, a confidence and a peace. The circumstances were still the same, nothing had changed, but me. I would like to say all those bad things went away. Oh, I paid off the debts and finally left that job, but my father died after a long illness, and the pastor's wife married the other man. But I can say this: I have never again been as pressured as I was that night. Something inside me changed that night, and I have never gotten that low or depressed again. I tapped into something inside me, something stronger than me. Paul says it best:

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves" (2 Corinthians 4:7 NASB).

The song "You Are My King" always reminds me of that night. It is easy to say that Jesus is the King of our lives, but it is sometimes hard to live out our allegiance to Him. But I am determined to do just that, and so I sing:

Amazing love, I know it's true.
It's my joy to honor You.
In all I do, I honor You.

--Suzy C.

Scripture Reference: 2 Corinthians 4:7-9