You know when you’re at Vespers, singing along (or humming, depending on the COVID-19 policy at the time) with the energetic in-sync praise team, and then you zone out and can’t remember the words to the song you just sang? That happens to me a lot. I love music and singing, yet many times I miss the beauty in the words of the songs I sing.
Thankfully, every once in a while, I am reminded by some very wise person to concentrate on the words. However, there is one song for which I never need a reminder. It’s called “Embrace the Cross,” written by John G. Elliot, and later made popular by Steve Green.
My dad sings in a quartet with some of his old academy and college friends. Whenever they get together (which sadly isn’t very often), they practice for a couple days and do a performance, singing songs that are beautiful in both word and melody. “Embrace the Cross” is one of my dad’s favorites. One time before the quartet sang it, he mentioned the beauty of the words, and I have never forgotten it. Take a look at the first verse.
“Embrace the cross where Jesus suffered
Though it will cost/ All you claim as yours
Your sacrifice will seem small beside the treasure
Eternity can’t measure
What Jesus holds in store.”
The first few lines are a little scary, even distasteful. Why should we embrace and dwell upon the torture that befell our Jesus if it will cost everything we hold dear? The only thing that would induce me to do that would be the promise of something even greater, more wonderful than all that’s important to me.
Well, guess what? That’s exactly what we’re promised.
“Your sacrifice will seem small beside the treasure.”
How incomprehensibly amazing is that? All the best things that we can think of to give are small compared with what Jesus is aching to give us.
The last verse of the song is my favorite.
“Embrace the life that comes from dying
Come trace the steps
The Savior walked for you
An empty tomb concludes Golgotha’s sorrow
Endure then till tomorrow
Your cross of suffering.”
Meditating on these words has shown me that Jesus will walk beside me every step of the way as I follow His will for my life. He will reveal more and more of His character as I spend time contemplating the sacrifice He made for me.
The words of this song have blessed me in so many ways, and I only had to listen. So, the next time you’re singing a praise song and you’re tempted to zone out, pay more attention to the words. It might turn out to be a really big blessing and teach you a valuable truth about the God we serve!
