Looking to God First
When things are really hard, where do we go for wisdom? How about peace? Oh, the joy of knowing, and the peace that surrounds, when our prayer is this one: “God, I look to You.”
“I look to You, first.”
How are you doing with that one? Yeah, I struggle, too. I’m a bit on the compulsive side, gotta admit. So imagine my dismay when yet again, I’ve charged in to something, and — oops! Forgot to ask Him…again. Funny how we do that.
Our only real Source of wisdom and peace is God, Himself.
Today’s song reminds us where to look first.
This addition to our Practice of Praise is God I Look To You, by Jenn Louise Johnson, and Ian Bruce McIntosh.
The song is a prayer, start to finish.
“God, I look to You, and I won’t be overwhelmed
Give me vision to see things like You do
God, I look to You, and You’re where my help comes from
Give me wisdom, You know just what to do.”God I Look to You
This prayer does three valuable things. It states:
I will look to God (which is where my help comes from)
I will not be overwhelmed
And then, the lyrics ask the Lord for a request that (in His Word) He invites us to go right ahead, and ask!
Since You know what to do–will you give me wisdom?
All this happens within just this one verse. It’s handy that the song lets us sing the verse twice! So much there; we need to see it twice!
I find this prayer one I want to sing over and over again! Then there’s
The Chorus
Chorus:
“And I will love You, Lord my strength
…my shield
…my rock
Forever all my days, I will love You, God.”
This chorus gives assent to the action described. We proclaim both to God and to ourselves, that we will love God. That’s a super beautiful prayer.
The song states that we will love God with everything we can, with everything we are. Both in the Old Testament Law, as well as the words of Jesus in the New Testament, we are instructed to direct our full self to loving God. These are, in fact, commandments. They are not just good ideas!
“And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
Deuteronomy 6:5
“Love the Lord your God with all our heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.”
Matthew 12:30
The Bridge then takes up most of the length of this prayer. It repeats the oft-repeated line throughout Scripture: “Hallelujah”!
Hallelujah
The word “hallelujah”literally means “Praise the Lord”.
But there is more to the word than meets the eye. The first part “hillel” is a Hebrew word that means, “to praise”. In Hebrew, it also indicates a “joyous praise in song”.
The second part, the Jah” is a shortened form for the Name that God gave to Himself. That word is only 4 letters long, and contains no vowels. It is, in Hebrew: YHWH, which is usually pronounced Yahweh. (Some translations render it Jehovah.) God’s people would not even try to pronounce the Name, since it was so Holy.
So, in essence, “Hallelujah” could mean: “Joyous song in praise to the Name of the Lord, that Name that is inexpressibly holy, because He is Holy. Praise Him.”
I think it’s pretty cool that the word “Hallelujah” is used freely in the Psalms, both opening and closing many of the rejoicing Psalms.
We also find “Hallelujah’s” spoken in heaven as well as on earth, as recorded throughout the Revelation.
Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear.”
Revelation 19:6-8
Bridge
Bridge:
“Hallelujah our God reigns,
Hallelujah our God reigns,
And Hallelujah our God reigns
Forever all my days, Hallelujah…”
Finally, when you put the components together you not only get a solid worship song, but I think you get more. There’s something beautifully vulnerable, don’t you think, about our this attitude of heart, disclosed in worship?
Open and raw, we pour out our cry to the Beloved, admitting our need of him, praying that we may see like He sees, love like He loves.
I believe our honest cry to want to love Him better is a beautiful thing in His sight. I think our efforts to turn our eyes off of the world around us and focus instead upon Him is a beautiful offering. One in which He takes delight.
You might find that this tune gets stuck in your head, in a really delightful way…it does for me! Jenn Johnson sings it, and in her singular style, it helps me abandon my cares, and worship our Holy God. I hope you are blessed!
Here is the video:
Enjoy the entire playlist.