December 6: Mighty God
♫ Music:
MIGHTY GOD
Scripture: Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
The Holiest Among the Mighty
by Jean Paul Richter
Christ, who, being the holiest among the mighty, and the mightiest among the holy,
Lifted with his pierced hands empires off their hinges and turned the stream of centuries
Out of its channel, and still governs the ages.
THE GOD WHO SINGS OVER US
The paradox of the incarnation that such a Mighty God would come as an infant shows Christ’s humility and gentleness in meeting with us as His people. It is amazing to know that the Creator of the Universe came as a humble baby to show His love to us! As we look at The Triumph of Christianity by Doré, we see how Christ is at the center of the painting, holding the cross in all of His brilliance and brightness. The angels surround Him, as He is the Ultimate Commander of all of them. Yet, while He is such a great and powerful God, Christ came down in the humblest of ways. Instead of coming down with power and might, he came in meekness to be born as a baby to show his gentleness and lowliness.
Zephaniah prophesied to the Israelites about how God would redeem His people after judgment. This redemption is ultimately found in Christ. Christ came to save us and show us His love, as He is the One who “rejoices over us with gladness, quiets us with His love, and exults over us with loud singing.” The all-powerful God of the universe, came down to demonstrate His love towards us! How amazing that such a Mighty God would love and cherish us so much! Knowing that He is a Mighty Savior frees us from fear, as the same power at work in Christ, lives in us.
As the song, “He Who is Mighty” says,
He Who is mighty has done a great thing,
Taken on flesh, conquered death’s sting,
Shattered the darkness and lifted our shame,
Holy is His name!
Indeed, the Mighty One has freed us from the judgment and death that we deserve. He lifts us out of our shame, and He rejoices over us and sees us as His beautiful bride. We no longer have to hide, be ashamed, and fear His condemnation, but we can shine and radiate the beauty that He has given us. His love gives us peace and security, as we can live in the reality that we are His beloved. How would we live if we really understood the reality of the truth that the God of the Universe loves us with such a great love that He sings over us with loud singing? How would this free us to live a life of love towards others? May God help us live in the reality and freedom of His love for us!
Prayer
Oh Mighty God, we thank You for Your great love towards us! Thank you for saving us and redeeming us from the depths of sin, shame, and judgment. Thank you for rejoicing over us and for loving us, and singing over us. Thank You for calling us Your beautiful bride. Help us to live in the truth that we are Your beloved, and may everything we do flow out of this reality.
Amen.
Grace Sangalang Ng
Buyer, Purchasing Dept.
Triumph of Christianity over Paganism (Detail)
Gustave Doré
Wood engraving, 1899
The British Museum, London
About the Artist and Art:
Gustave Doré (1832-1883) is considered one of the most successful and prolific illustrators of the late 19th century. A French artist, printmaker, illustrator, and sculptor who primarily worked with wood engraving, he began his career at the age of fifteen as a caricaturist for the French paper Le Journal pour rire and obtained a number of commissions to illustrate scenes from books by writers such as Balzac, Byron, Milton, Poe, and Dante. Doré also created epic canvases, enormous sculptures and numerous etchings and watercolours but his production as an illustrator remains unmatched in its scope and ambition. His exuberant imagination is apparent in his dreamlike scenes and fantastical style. His achievements as an illustrator brought him tremendous public praise and critical acclaim, and his work has helped shape the world of comic books and graphic novels.
About the Music #1:
“He Who Is Mighty”
Lyrics:
Oh, the mercy our God has shown
To those who sit in death’s shadow.
The sun on high pierced the night,
Born was the Cornerstone.
Unto us a Son is given, unto us a Child is born!
He Who is mighty has done a great thing,
Taken on flesh, conquered death’s sting,
Shattered the darkness and lifted our shame,
Holy is His name.
Oh, the freedom our Savior won,
The yoke of sin has been broken.
Once a slave, now by grace,
No more condemnation.
Now my soul magnifies the Lord,
I rejoice in the God Who saves.
I will trust His unfailing love,
I will sing His praises all my days.
About the Composer/Performers:
The mission of Sovereign Grace Music for the past thirty years has been to provide Christ-exalting songs and training for churches. With a variety of genres, artists and styles Sovereign Grace hopes to reach a broad and diverse audience with biblically informed, heartfelt, spirit-empowered music.
http://www.sovereigngracemusic.org/
About the Music #2:
“Mighty God”
Lyrics:
Oh Lord, my God, Jesus
I’ll speak of your Glory,
I will show forth your beauty
If I dance it won’t be enough,
If I shout it won’t be enough.
For you are the great and mighty King,
You rule in every nation.
On Christ the solid rock,
You are worthy to be praised.
You are Alpha and Omega, I worship you today.
In you I put my trust, Your name I will extol.
Heaven speaks of your glory,
And the earth of your beauty.
Your love is new every morning,
And your faithfulness is ever sure.
For you are the great and mighty God,
So worthy to be praised.
You’re beautiful for all situations,
You are the joy of the whole world!
Yelele, Uyingwele [You are Holy],
Siyakudumisa [I worship You],
Hallelujah, Hallelujah!
About the Composer/Perfomer:
Joe Praize (b. 1991) is a Nigerian multi-award winning gospel singer, praise and worship leader, songwriter and music director. Praize has been nominated for and won multiple awards at national and international levels, and was featured with two time Grammy award winners, The Soweto Gospel Choir in his chart-buster and multi-award winning song, “Mighty God.” He has three albums to his credit along with many music videos.
http://joepraize.com/
About the Performers:
The Soweto Gospel Choir was formed in Soweto, South Africa, by David Mulovhedzi and Beverly Bryer, the group’s two choir directors. The more than 30-member ensemble blends elements of African gospel, Negro spirituals, reggae and American popular music. Their albums Blessed and African Spirit won Grammy Awards for Best Traditional World Music Album in 2007 and 2008 respectively. The choir is an Ambassador for Nelson Mandela’s 46664 Campaign and has performed at Cape Town, Johannesburg, London, and New York with many well-known artists. The choir is also an Ambassador for the 1Goal Campaign, which is an anti-crime advocate and runs an AIDS orphans foundation, Nkosi’s Haven Vukani.
http://www.sowetogospelchoir.com/
About the Poet:
Jean Paul Richter (1763 – 1825), born Johann Paul Friedrich Richter, was a German Romantic writer, best known for his humorous novels and stories. Richter occupies an unusual position in German literature and has always divided the literary public. Habitually experimenting with a multitude of droll and bizarre ideas, his work is characterized by wild metaphors as well as by digressive and partly labyrinthine plots. Richter mixed contemplation with literary theory: alongside spirited irony the reader finds bitter satire and mild humour; next to soberly realistic passages there are romanticized and often ironically-curtailed idylls, social commentary and political statements. His novels were especially admired by women. Never before in German literature were women represented with such psychological depth. Richter was the first to use and name the literary motive of the Doppelgänger, a look-alike or double of a living person.