Hobby Lobby only plays Christian muzak. Did you know that? There must be some sort of company out there that takes both current and older song and hymns and turns them into muzak style, and that is what they play. This is not necessarily a bad thing as I often find it interesting what they do with some of the old hymns I grew up singing in church. What’s funny is hearing a rock style song turned into muzak. At any rate, as I was standing there buying my M&Ms for $1.27, [Pure religion is this: caring for widows and orphans and keeping yourself unspotted from the world.] the hymn, I Love to Tell the Story came on. I was thinking of the words as I stood there:
I love to tell the story
Of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory,
Of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story,
Because I know ’tis true;
It satisfies my longings
As nothing else can do.
I love to tell the story,
’Twill be my theme in glory
To tell the old, old story
of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story;
More wonderful it seems
Than all the golden fancies
Of all my golden dreams,
I love to tell the story,
It did so much for me;
And that is just the reason
I tell it now to thee.
I love to tell the story;
’Tis pleasant to repeat
What seems each time I tell it,
More wonderfully sweet.
I love to tell the story;
For some have never heard
The message of salvation
From God’s own holy Word.
I love to tell the story;
For those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting
To hear it like the rest.
And when, in scenes of glory,
I sing the new, new song,
’Twill be the old, old story,
That I have loved so long.
The Bible is an epic story, when you get right down to it. It has all the elements of a good story contained in its pages — good versus evil, temptation, betrayal, storms, floods, earthquakes, destruction and chaos, fiery clouds, snakes and frogs and locusts, love, music, battles, seas that open up, fish that swallow people, blind, deaf, crippled, leprous people get healed, thousands of people are fed with a tiny amount of food, men walk in a furnace and are not burned, a king comes in the clouds on a horse with an army of angels to defeat evil… and that is just a taste of what’s in this amazing book. Not only that, but this book which has stood the test of time is proven accurate again and again – both historically, archaeologically.
Could it be that the story is alive? This story which was breathed from the creator of all things always was… before time, before this earth… it was because the story (the Word) was the Creator. That’s what it says in John 1 when John is trying to explain the origins of all things. He says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” So this Word and God are synonymous. So the story of Jesus and His love that the hymn writer is speaking of, is this amazing living story that resonates with hearts of men and women for ages. It has given hope when all looked dark. As Misty Edwards sings, “This is not the end of the story. I know the end of the story… He is coming.” So when things are looking like there is no way out, we can rest in the hope of our King, coming in the clouds to completely annihilate the evil of the enemy, to bind him and destroy his minions. This same king, who has that awesome power, has an even greater love for each one of us — and we know this because he lowered himself to become clay, limited man, and allowed himself to be tortured and killed, so that he could take our sin on himself, thus redeeming us from certain death and allowing us the opportunity to choose a life of faith and trust in Him and an eternity of white shores… and beyond. This sweet story of salvation has been told and retold so many times. Some think it is trite and cute and too simplistic. Some think they need to do something to earn this gift. Some flatly reject it because they believe that the enemy offers them something far better. Some reject it because they can’t imagine that such a God even exists.
The old old story… it’s still relevant today. It’s still changing lives. It’s still moving hearts. Every day, all across the world people are coming to know the son of the Living God, who is seated at His right hand and is coming again on a white horse to take back this earth. And when He comes every knee will bow, and every tongue will speak His name. Those who doubt will see with certainty. The atheist will be on his face before the reality of a living God, full of glory. The love of God is so great, and because He loves us so much, He gives us the opportunity to be a part of this amazing story! All we need to do is accept the gift, freely given. No strings. Faith in something bigger than us, faith in the salvation He can give, and then the recognition of our fallen state – we are sinners. He longs to come in and make us new. He says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in!” He doesn’t make it hard, there are no complex rituals or codes to decipher or riddles to solve or tasks to perform. Faith alone in Christ alone. He makes all things new and that is a story worth telling again and again.
Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/1064#ixzz2hGwkSE4s