All of us will experience some degree of sorrow as we navigate through this fallen world, a world filled with sickness and death and the repercussions of relational sin when those most close to us hurt us by their words and deeds. How should Christians think about sorrow and the trials that are often its delivery mechanism? This song attempts to bring Biblical truth to bear on our bouts with pain and depression. If God had left us to what feel or think – to figure out His purpose in our trials by ourselves – we would surely be hopeless. But He has not left us alone; we can rest on what He has told us in His word. God tells us in Isaiah 45:6-8 that He is “the LORD, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity.” God is the wise author of all of our circumstances, even our pain. That is a very difficult truth to accept, but through the gospel of God’s grace we have these additional promises: “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28) and “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39) This song is a cry for the Lord to help us believe this truth for when trials and sorrows come we would be hopeless without it.
LyricsVerse 1:
When sorrow comes and my heart knows
The weight of God's most crushing blows,
My soul would faint, my faith would sink
If left to what I feel or think.
My soul will hope, my faith will stand
In knowing that it was His hand:
My Father's love and sov'reign pow'r
Designed my worst and darkest hour.
Verse 2:
I rest in knowing He's the one
who sends the clouds that block the sun.
For He grows faith through bouts with pain
as flowers blossom from the rain.
In this my bout with pain is won:
that He has claimed me as His Son
and does as ev'ry father should–
He gives the gifts He knows are good.
Verse 3:
No depth below, nor height above
could ever keep me from Your love.
For since You gave Your Son to bleed,
You will supply my ev'ry need.
O Lord, Your gracious help I seek,
remember that my flesh is weak.
O Father, give me eyes to see
that You work only good for me.
Eric Schumacher & David L. Ward
© 2009 HymnicityCCLI Song #5524837
When sorrow comes and my heart knows
The weight of God's most crushing blows,
My soul would faint, my faith would sink
If left to what I feel or think.
My soul will hope, my faith will stand
In knowing that it was His hand:
My Father's love and sov'reign pow'r
Designed my worst and darkest hour.
Verse 2:
I rest in knowing He's the one
who sends the clouds that block the sun.
For He grows faith through bouts with pain
as flowers blossom from the rain.
In this my bout with pain is won:
that He has claimed me as His Son
and does as ev'ry father should–
He gives the gifts He knows are good.
Verse 3:
No depth below, nor height above
could ever keep me from Your love.
For since You gave Your Son to bleed,
You will supply my ev'ry need.
O Lord, Your gracious help I seek,
remember that my flesh is weak.
O Father, give me eyes to see
that You work only good for me.
© 2009 Hymnicity