[Adapted from the Archives.]
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. – 1 Peter 2:9
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? – Matthew 16:24-26a
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 15:55-57
The righteous will be glad and rejoice before God; they will celebrate with joy. Sing to God! Sing praises to His name. Exalt Him who rides on the clouds—His name is the LORD—and rejoice before Him. A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in His holy habitation. – Psalm 68:3-5
When we were kids, in summer, we would play until almost dark. My brothers, our neighborhood friends, and I would own our quiet street on those summer evenings.
We would run, chase, and evade being caught until we could almost not see in the fading light. Our moms would tell us “home before dark”, and we scattered, just in time, each to his own home.
The porch light brought us running home every time. No matter how dark it was out, we could always find home….because of that “marvelous light”.
The dark can be a scary place. We ran home gladly to escape the dark. My childhood memory is nothing in comparison to how God delivers us out of the darkness of our sin. Passion Movement musician Charlie Hall captures that childlike run home (to God) in his song Marvelous Light. The lyrics reflect all the tremendous truths of the Scripture above.
I resonate so deeply with the words of this song. To know real shame because of hurtful choices or terrible decisions. Then to experience the forgiveness of God. To know, from His Word, that He sees us as pure and lovely. It takes my breath away.
What life God gives us! To have the weight of our sin lifted off our lives through the perfect love and sheer grace of God in Christ Jesus. No wonder Charlie Hall includes “hands in the air, spinning around” imagery. In the love we have as His redeemed and restored children, we lose that adult self-consciousness.
All that matters is His speaking into the dark, calling us into His light, and we run to Him, as His children, full of joy.
Worship with me (lyric video in link). You might not be able to stay in your seat. Receive His joy and let it animate every fiber of your being. Hallelujah!
Into marvelous light I’m running
Out of darkness, out of shame
By the cross You are the truth
You are the life, You are the way
I once was fatherless
A stranger with no hope
Your kindness wakened me
Awakened me, from my sleep
Your love it beckons deeply
A call to come and die
By grace now I will come
And take this life, take Your life
Sin has lost its power
Death has lost its sting
From the grave You’ve risen
Victoriously
Into marvelous light I’m running
Out of darkness, out of shame
By the cross You are the truth
You are the life, You are the way
x2
Yeah
No more shame
My dead heart now is beating
My deepest stains now clean
Your breath fills up my lungs
Now I’m free, now I’m free
x2
Sin has lost its power
Death has lost its sting
From the grave You’ve risen
Victoriously
Into marvelous light I’m running
Out of darkness, out of shame
By the cross You are the truth
You are the life, You are the way
x2
Yeah
No more shame
No more shame
Now we show the world – Christ in you
Lift my hands and spin around
See the light that I have found
Oh the marvelous light
Marvelous light
It’s Christ in you
Lift my hands and spin around
See the light that I have found
Oh the marvelous light
Marvelous light
x2
Lift my hands and spin around
See the light that I have found
Oh the marvelous light, marvelous light
whoa-oh-yeah
whoa-oh-oh
Into marvelous light I’m running
Out of darkness, out of shame
By the cross You are the truth
You are the life, You are the way*
x2
Running on the Beach, Oualidia, Morocco
Worship Wednesday – Into Marvelous Light, I’m Running – Charlie Hall – Deb Mills
YouTube Video – Marvelous Light – With Lyrics – Charlie Hall
*Lyrics to Marvelous Light – Songwriter: Steve Hindalong
YouTube Video – Marvelous Light – Charlie Hall – Powerpoint with nature shots and Scripture