During my college years, the Lord gave me Psalm 28.7 as my life verse:
"The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped:
therefore my soul greatly rejoices;
and with my song will I praise Him."
Just As I Am is my feeble attempt to offer praise to Jesus Christ. I have done my very best, Lord. You have indeed been my strength and my shield. Although I have not always trusted You as I should, You have never forsaken me. In the very darkest moments, You have always been there to help. And so I say with John Newton,
"Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come;
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home."
For those of you who will come to this blog, I have tried to post a little bit about the background and details of how I came to write each song. Every song has its own post (below), and in the same order as on the CD. It is my prayer that God will use the music He has given me through the various circumstances in my life to encourage and strengthen you in your faith. I welcome your comments and would love to hear how God has used these songs in your life.
Then I Will Praise You
As I looked back trying to collect the details around the writing of this song, I found an entry in my journal on April 30th, 2007 where I had written the first verse and chorus of this song. There are basically two things that spur my writing...my personal circumstances/devotions or a good message. In this particular case, God used a message by my pastor, Mike Knight, that he preached from Matthew 5 on April 29, 2007. He had been preaching through the beatitudes and had reached "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." I remember pastor saying that this basically means "happy are the sad" and how that (at first) doesn't seem to make sense. As he explained the passage (as well as tying in II Corinthians 7.9-11), however, I began to understand that one of the aspects of this passage was that God offers His comfort to those who are truly sorrowful for their sin--not sorry they got caught, not sorry for the consequences it brought, but truly sorrowful for the offense it brings to God. My heart was stricken as I realized how often I have not been truly sorrowful for offending God by my sin and I began to search my heart in order to identify any sins which I might not have properly sorrowed over (Godly sorrow leading to repentance). This song was an outgrowth of my thoughts and fears of being unusable for God and wasting my life because of unconfessed sin. And, it was a vow to instead live a life that would bring Him praise.
Then I Will Praise You
Psalm 56
words and music by Dave Mincy
©2007 by Dave Mincy
Would You take away my song
For some long-forgotten wrong?
While I seek You through my tears,
Wash away my wasted years.
Tune my heart to sing again,
Free from guilt and free from sin.
Then I will praise You, I will glorify Your Name
In all my ways, with all my days.
I offer now this solemn vow—
To live a life that brings You praise.
Without You I cannot sing,
For what purpose would it bring?
My ambitions all are vain
If the world is all I gain.
Cause my life to mirror You
By the things I say and do.
Then I will praise You, I will glorify Your Name
In all my ways, with all my days.
I offer now this solemn vow—
To live a life that brings You praise.
I will walk the narrow way,
Pay my vow with each new day.
See the bottle of my tears
Buying back the wasted years.
Christ the theme of all I sing,
More to me than anything.
And I praise You, I glorify Your Name
In all my ways, with all my days.
In this hour I pay my vow—
To live a life that brings You praise.
Psalm 56
words and music by Dave Mincy
©2007 by Dave Mincy
Would You take away my song
For some long-forgotten wrong?
While I seek You through my tears,
Wash away my wasted years.
Tune my heart to sing again,
Free from guilt and free from sin.
Then I will praise You, I will glorify Your Name
In all my ways, with all my days.
I offer now this solemn vow—
To live a life that brings You praise.
Without You I cannot sing,
For what purpose would it bring?
My ambitions all are vain
If the world is all I gain.
Cause my life to mirror You
By the things I say and do.
Then I will praise You, I will glorify Your Name
In all my ways, with all my days.
I offer now this solemn vow—
To live a life that brings You praise.
I will walk the narrow way,
Pay my vow with each new day.
See the bottle of my tears
Buying back the wasted years.
Christ the theme of all I sing,
More to me than anything.
And I praise You, I glorify Your Name
In all my ways, with all my days.
In this hour I pay my vow—
To live a life that brings You praise.
When You Are Very Near
I don't remember exactly when I wrote this, but it was sometime late in 2003 soon after my family and I had moved to Asheboro, North Carolina. This was a difficult time because I had just lost a business and was on the brink of financial ruin. In addition, my youngest son was going through some very serious health problems. And then, even though I had just bought a house next to my Grandma a year earlier--and was near all my family for the first time ever--the only job I could find required a move to North Carolina. And so, with heavy hearts--and a great deal of fear on my part--we packed a truck and moved to North Carolina in September of 2003. I just remember how lonely and vulnerable I felt. Sara (my wife) had gone out somewhere and I sat down at the piano and started toying with a very simple melody and the words "When I'm all alone". The melody was so simple, in fact, that for a while I didn't really take this song too seriously. But God was revealing Himself to us, caring for us, and leading us--even in the "darkest night". I wrote this song to remind myself that He is always right beside me...there is no need to fear.
When You Are Very Near
Psalm 27
words and music by Dave Mincy
©2003 by Dave Mincy
When I’m all alone, filled with doubt and fear,
Facing the unknown, You are very near.
In the darkest night, You will be my Light.
How can I fear when You are very near?
Burdened down by care, struggling hard with sin,
Driven to despair, You will take me in.
In the darkest night, You will be my Light.
How can I fear when You are very near?
When things come my way, hard to understand,
And take hope away, You will hold my hand.
In the darkest night, You will be my Light.
How can I fear when You are very near?
When I’m all alone, filled with doubt and fear,
Facing the unknown, You are very near.
In the darkest night, You will be my Light.
How can I fear when You are very near?
Psalm 27
words and music by Dave Mincy
©2003 by Dave Mincy
When I’m all alone, filled with doubt and fear,
Facing the unknown, You are very near.
In the darkest night, You will be my Light.
How can I fear when You are very near?
Burdened down by care, struggling hard with sin,
Driven to despair, You will take me in.
In the darkest night, You will be my Light.
How can I fear when You are very near?
When things come my way, hard to understand,
And take hope away, You will hold my hand.
In the darkest night, You will be my Light.
How can I fear when You are very near?
When I’m all alone, filled with doubt and fear,
Facing the unknown, You are very near.
In the darkest night, You will be my Light.
How can I fear when You are very near?
There I Go Again
This is another song I wrote after a message by my pastor, Mike Knight. He was preaching about how frustrating it is to fight our flesh and kept using the phrase "and there I go again" in reference to falling back into sin. He, of course, referenced Romans 7--the keynote passage on this topic--and I couldn't get the phrase "there I go again" out of my mind. I guess this song may be a little unusual because we don't generally write songs dwelling on sinning over and over! Also, the poetry is a little "non-standard". I feel very strongly, though, about the truth of this song--both the good and the bad. I wanted to paint the utter hopelessness of my own efforts--and then finish with God's answer! Through Him we will win!
There I Go Again
Romans 7.15-25
words and music by Dave Mincy
©2007 by Dave Mincy
The things that I should not do are just the things I do,
No matter how hard I try to my flesh to die.
But I try and I try, and I try and I try—
And there I go again, walking into sin.
Sin holds my body captive, there is no good in me.
No matter how hard I try, I cannot justify
All the sin, all the pain, all my effort is vain—
And there I go again, walking into sin.
Yes, there I go again and again, and again and again—
There I go again, walking into sin.
O what a wretched life, to fight but never win!
Who can deliver me from all this death and sin?
I thank God through Christ Jesus He made a way for me,
And when I come to Him, He washes me within.
For this body will die but my spirit will live—
So there I go again, running back to Him.
Yes, there I go again and again, and again and again—
There I go again, running back to Him—
Finding hope in Him—
Through Him I will win.
Romans 7.15-25
words and music by Dave Mincy
©2007 by Dave Mincy
The things that I should not do are just the things I do,
No matter how hard I try to my flesh to die.
But I try and I try, and I try and I try—
And there I go again, walking into sin.
Sin holds my body captive, there is no good in me.
No matter how hard I try, I cannot justify
All the sin, all the pain, all my effort is vain—
And there I go again, walking into sin.
Yes, there I go again and again, and again and again—
There I go again, walking into sin.
O what a wretched life, to fight but never win!
Who can deliver me from all this death and sin?
I thank God through Christ Jesus He made a way for me,
And when I come to Him, He washes me within.
For this body will die but my spirit will live—
So there I go again, running back to Him.
Yes, there I go again and again, and again and again—
There I go again, running back to Him—
Finding hope in Him—
Through Him I will win.
Psalm 61
This is the only song I have written without access to a piano. Back in 1996, I was on a five-week business trip to Hawaii (rough, huh?) and read Psalm 61 for my devotions one morning. As a way of meditating--and curious to see if I could write without a piano--I decided to try and set this Psalm to music. What at first was simply a rewarding exercise for me has become, by God's grace, a favorite of many of my friends and a constant reminder of a great passage of scripture.
Psalm 61
words and music by Dave Mincy
©1996 by Dave Mincy
Hear my cry, O God, now attend unto my pray'r,
From the end of the earth I will cry to You.
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I
When my heart is overwhelmed.
For You have been a shelter for me,
A strong tower from the enemy.
I will abide in Your house, O Lord,
Forever and forever.
You give life and health, You give ev'ry king his throne,
And in mercy and truth You preserve each saint.
I will sing to You with a song of praise
And abide before Your throne.
I will trust in You, in the shelter of Your wings,
For You, O God, have heard my vows.
You have given me the heritage
Of those who fear Your name.
For You have been a shelter for me,
A strong tower from the enemy.
I will a-bide in Your house, O Lord,
Forever and forever.
words and music by Dave Mincy
©1996 by Dave Mincy
Hear my cry, O God, now attend unto my pray'r,
From the end of the earth I will cry to You.
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I
When my heart is overwhelmed.
For You have been a shelter for me,
A strong tower from the enemy.
I will abide in Your house, O Lord,
Forever and forever.
You give life and health, You give ev'ry king his throne,
And in mercy and truth You preserve each saint.
I will sing to You with a song of praise
And abide before Your throne.
I will trust in You, in the shelter of Your wings,
For You, O God, have heard my vows.
You have given me the heritage
Of those who fear Your name.
For You have been a shelter for me,
A strong tower from the enemy.
I will a-bide in Your house, O Lord,
Forever and forever.
How Long?
This song means an awful lot to me, but has provoked strong responses from those who have heard it. It seems there is no middle ground with this song--either it really resonates with the listener or they are almost visibly uncomfortable. While there is no doubt that the language and word pictures are very strong, I believe God desires us to speak to Him honestly (the Psalmist was certainly very candid). I hope that my level of personal pain and failure that birthed this song will somehow help give voice (and hope) to others in times of deep trouble. God always has a plan. If you're alive, then He still has a plan for you. No matter what you have (or have not) done, pray to God and ask Him to use whatever is left of you. He will hear your prayer.
How Long?
Psalm 13.1-2, Hebrews 12.16-17, Luke 16.19-25, Jeremiah 29.11-12
words and music by Dave Mincy
©2007 by Dave Mincy
How long will You forget me? I feel so alone.
How long will You forget me, this worm You call Your own?
I know my sin is greater than any other man’s
But You promised to forgive me, You said You still had plans.
How long will You forget me, while life’s meaning ticks away?
How long will You forget me? How long will You forget me?
How long will You forget me, You who knew me first?
Did I forsake my birthright? Am I forever cursed?
I know my sin is greater than any other man’s
But You promised to forgive me, You said You still had plans.
How long will You forget me? I struggle ev’ry day.
My life must have some purpose, I need to hear You say—
I know the plans I have for you,
I know the thoughts I think,
To give you a future and a hope.
I will deliver You from your captivity,
I have heard your prayer.
How long will You forget me? With my open sores,
Begging bread from those who hate me while heaven shuts its doors.
I know my sin is greater than any other man’s
But You promised to forgive me, You said You still had plans.
How long will You forget me? I cannot live this way.
Bind up my broken spirit, I need to hear You say—
I know the plans I have for you,
I know the thoughts I think,
To give you a future and a hope.
I will deliver You from your captivity,
I have heard your prayer.
Psalm 13.1-2, Hebrews 12.16-17, Luke 16.19-25, Jeremiah 29.11-12
words and music by Dave Mincy
©2007 by Dave Mincy
How long will You forget me? I feel so alone.
How long will You forget me, this worm You call Your own?
I know my sin is greater than any other man’s
But You promised to forgive me, You said You still had plans.
How long will You forget me, while life’s meaning ticks away?
How long will You forget me? How long will You forget me?
How long will You forget me, You who knew me first?
Did I forsake my birthright? Am I forever cursed?
I know my sin is greater than any other man’s
But You promised to forgive me, You said You still had plans.
How long will You forget me? I struggle ev’ry day.
My life must have some purpose, I need to hear You say—
I know the plans I have for you,
I know the thoughts I think,
To give you a future and a hope.
I will deliver You from your captivity,
I have heard your prayer.
How long will You forget me? With my open sores,
Begging bread from those who hate me while heaven shuts its doors.
I know my sin is greater than any other man’s
But You promised to forgive me, You said You still had plans.
How long will You forget me? I cannot live this way.
Bind up my broken spirit, I need to hear You say—
I know the plans I have for you,
I know the thoughts I think,
To give you a future and a hope.
I will deliver You from your captivity,
I have heard your prayer.
Look To Him
At the time I wrote this song, I was under the ministry of my dear friend Mike Gray at Colonial Hills Baptist Church. One wednesday night in 2003, he was preaching from John 6 (and the parallel passages in the other Gospels) about the things people are afraid of--fear about the future, fear caused by crushed plans, fear of death--and explaining that the answer is always to "look to Jesus". Just as Jesus was the only one who could calm the storm for His disciples, so He is the only place to look during every personal storm you or I will ever encounter. Most importantly, He is the only answer for hope in death.
I went home from that sermon with "look to Him" stuck in my head and began to mull it over in my mind during the next few days. Then, as I mowed my lawn that Saturday, I kept coming up with more and more phrases. I kept a pad and pen on the deck, and by the time the lawn was done (I was using a push mower...for 1.5 acres) I had finished the song.
Look To Him
John 6.16-21
words and music by Dave Mincy
©2003 by Dave Mincy
Are you fearful, are you walking in the dark,
With no light to guide your footsteps on the way?
Is your burden so heavy that you can’t go on?
Are you sad, are you weary? Look to Him.
Look to Jesus! He alone can take your sin,
He will freely take you in—if you’ll come.
Are you tired of your sin? Would you like to start again?
Are you fearful? Look to Him.
Are you fearful when life’s storms begin to rage
And your plans are tossed and broken on the way?
Have your dreams been so shattered that you can’t go on?
Are you down and discouraged? Look to Him.
Are you fearful without Jesus in your heart,
Knowing death could come and take you on the way?
Do you wonder what happens when you’re dead and gone?
Are you scared, are you empty? Look to Him.
Look to Jesus! He alone can take your sin,
He will freely take you in—if you’ll come.
Are you tired of your sin? Would you like to start again?
Are you fearful? Look to Him.
John 6.16-21
words and music by Dave Mincy
©2003 by Dave Mincy
Are you fearful, are you walking in the dark,
With no light to guide your footsteps on the way?
Is your burden so heavy that you can’t go on?
Are you sad, are you weary? Look to Him.
Look to Jesus! He alone can take your sin,
He will freely take you in—if you’ll come.
Are you tired of your sin? Would you like to start again?
Are you fearful? Look to Him.
Are you fearful when life’s storms begin to rage
And your plans are tossed and broken on the way?
Have your dreams been so shattered that you can’t go on?
Are you down and discouraged? Look to Him.
Are you fearful without Jesus in your heart,
Knowing death could come and take you on the way?
Do you wonder what happens when you’re dead and gone?
Are you scared, are you empty? Look to Him.
Look to Jesus! He alone can take your sin,
He will freely take you in—if you’ll come.
Are you tired of your sin? Would you like to start again?
Are you fearful? Look to Him.
In Your Hand
I was really excited to get this song written out...I've owed Alan a written copy for ten years now! Alan is one of my closest friends, so I was honored to write the tune to this for him. Although I think he was a little unsure about my tune at first (Alan's a guitar player...this isn't exactly a "guitar-friendly tune"), it has grown on him (and me) over the years. Out of the sorrow of his mother's death, God gave Alan an incredible song. Since the song is really Alan's, I asked if he would give us a little bit of his perspective. Here is what he had to say:
“In Your Hand came out of a time of great personal sorrow and discouragement. My wife and I reluctantly felt it necessary to resign from an overseas teaching ministry that we cared about deeply. Suddenly, we found ourselves moving back to the States under very discouraging circumstances. I was having difficulty finding employment, as well as going through much soul-searching trying to understand what was taking place and what God was up to concerning our move. Adding to the stress of my unemployment came news that my wife was pregnant with our first child. Also at that time came news that my mother was diagnosed with a fast growing ovarian cancer. (She died three weeks later).
For the first time in my Christian life I was dealing with anger and bitterness. I began to meditate upon the Word of God, specifically passages that dealt with God’s sovereignty. (Eccl. 3:1-14, Psalm 31:15) God appoints the seasons of our lives, both times of joy and sorrow, life and death, and everything in between! Seeing God’s sovereign hand helped me have the victory over my sorrow, bitterness, and discouragement. I reflected on my mothers struggle and her great faith and trust in God during those three weeks. She never spoke one word against God about her circumstances. She demonstrated absolute trust in God and His care for her. As I meditated that day upon God’s sovereignty and her faith, the words of this song were penned. The song is dedicated to my mother’s memory and her faith in God.”
For the first time in my Christian life I was dealing with anger and bitterness. I began to meditate upon the Word of God, specifically passages that dealt with God’s sovereignty. (Eccl. 3:1-14, Psalm 31:15) God appoints the seasons of our lives, both times of joy and sorrow, life and death, and everything in between! Seeing God’s sovereign hand helped me have the victory over my sorrow, bitterness, and discouragement. I reflected on my mothers struggle and her great faith and trust in God during those three weeks. She never spoke one word against God about her circumstances. She demonstrated absolute trust in God and His care for her. As I meditated that day upon God’s sovereignty and her faith, the words of this song were penned. The song is dedicated to my mother’s memory and her faith in God.”
In Your Hand
Ecclesiastes 3.1-14, Psalm 31.15
words by Alan Abrahamson, music by Dave Mincy
©1998 by Alan Abrahamson. Used by permission.
It’s a season now of sorrow, yet Your song is in my night;
Giving hope to face tomorrow, turning darkness into light.
Not my will but Yours be done, for this way I would not choose.
Lord, help me run Your race, my sinful ways refuse.
This travail so wisely given, who am I to run or fight?
It’s Your purpose under heaven, won't the sovereign God do right?
Though in times of weakness, doubt, and fear, my heart is so inclined
To forget that You are ever near, all's made beautiful in Your time.
In Your hand, In Your hand, my times are in Your hand.
The hosts of heaven and earth are at the Lord's command.
Lord, help my eyes to see, my mind to understand,
The way You choose is best for me, my life is in Your hand.
The winter of my life now past, turns a spring of joy for me.
The lessons You have taught will last and a fruitful harvest be.
For in loving-kindness to my soul all my ways You did command;
Refined and purged me, made me whole, with a Father's loving hand.
In Your hand, In Your hand, my times are in Your hand.
The hosts of heaven and earth are at the Lord's command.
Lord, help my eyes to see, my mind to understand,
The way You choose is best for me,
Ecclesiastes 3.1-14, Psalm 31.15
words by Alan Abrahamson, music by Dave Mincy
©1998 by Alan Abrahamson. Used by permission.
It’s a season now of sorrow, yet Your song is in my night;
Giving hope to face tomorrow, turning darkness into light.
Not my will but Yours be done, for this way I would not choose.
Lord, help me run Your race, my sinful ways refuse.
This travail so wisely given, who am I to run or fight?
It’s Your purpose under heaven, won't the sovereign God do right?
Though in times of weakness, doubt, and fear, my heart is so inclined
To forget that You are ever near, all's made beautiful in Your time.
In Your hand, In Your hand, my times are in Your hand.
The hosts of heaven and earth are at the Lord's command.
Lord, help my eyes to see, my mind to understand,
The way You choose is best for me, my life is in Your hand.
The winter of my life now past, turns a spring of joy for me.
The lessons You have taught will last and a fruitful harvest be.
For in loving-kindness to my soul all my ways You did command;
Refined and purged me, made me whole, with a Father's loving hand.
In Your hand, In Your hand, my times are in Your hand.
The hosts of heaven and earth are at the Lord's command.
Lord, help my eyes to see, my mind to understand,
The way You choose is best for me,
You'll always choose what's best for me,
My life is in Your hand.
My life is in Your hand.
Be Still And Know
This is the first "real" song I ever wrote. While it was not published until 1996, I wrote this for my mom sometime during 1985 or 1986 while I was still in high school. I had been growing in my creative musical abilities (was playing a lot of stuff on the piano "by ear", had been writing little ideas down) and she asked me to try and write a song on her verse for the year, Psalm 46.10. The Wilds did a great job of making this a big choir and orchestra number, so I decided to do a very simple setting of this song on this CD in order to give it a little different flavor. My mom was always the force behind my musical training, and I thank God for her encouragement that got me started writing.
Be Still And Know
Psalm 46
words and music by Dave Mincy
©1996 by The Wilds. Used by permission.
Life is a question which we all must face;
Who should I trust in, who should have first place?
Christ is the answer, the only true way;
Give Him your life, your all, and you’ll hear Him say—
Be still and know that I am your God,
Your refuge, your strength, and your help.
Though mountains may shake and waters may roar,
I am your God forevermore.
When evil prospers and right seems to fail,
When false friends mock me the wicked prevail;
I look to Jesus, His promise is sure,
Eternal gifts await for those who endure.
Though prayer feels worthless and God seems dethroned,
Though sinners reap where the righteous have sown;
I know that God has a plan in it all,
Soon He’ll re-turn and the wicked will fall.
Be still and know that I am your God,
Your refuge, your strength, and your help.
Though mountains may shake and waters may roar,
I am your God forevermore.
Psalm 46
words and music by Dave Mincy
©1996 by The Wilds. Used by permission.
Life is a question which we all must face;
Who should I trust in, who should have first place?
Christ is the answer, the only true way;
Give Him your life, your all, and you’ll hear Him say—
Be still and know that I am your God,
Your refuge, your strength, and your help.
Though mountains may shake and waters may roar,
I am your God forevermore.
When evil prospers and right seems to fail,
When false friends mock me the wicked prevail;
I look to Jesus, His promise is sure,
Eternal gifts await for those who endure.
Though prayer feels worthless and God seems dethroned,
Though sinners reap where the righteous have sown;
I know that God has a plan in it all,
Soon He’ll re-turn and the wicked will fall.
Be still and know that I am your God,
Your refuge, your strength, and your help.
Though mountains may shake and waters may roar,
I am your God forevermore.
Blessed Is The Man
Like several of my other songs, this song was created in my process of meditating on the passage of scripture. One of the ways I have found helpful to meditate on scripture is to to write out the passage in my own words. Pieces of that exercise became the basis for this song. We can all identify with the inner "groaning" and "heaviness" the Psalmist felt when he refused to confess his sin. But, oh, the happiness (blessed-ness) of forgiveness! As I wrote this song, I was trying to capture the general feeling of the entire passage while continually returning to the main idea of this psalm--don't cover your sin--confess and forsake it--this is the only way you will ever be happy (blessed).
Blessed Is The Man
Psalm 32
words and music by Dave Mincy
©1996 by Dave Mincy
Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven,
Blessed is the man whose iniquity is cleansed,
Blessed is the man whom the Lord has given mercy,
Blessed is the man in whose spirit is no guile.
When I kept silent, groaning inside all day long,
Your hand was heavy upon me.
For day and night You turned my laughter and my song
Into sorrow, chastening me, showing me where I was wrong.
Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven,
Blessed is the man whose iniquity is cleansed,
Blessed is the man whom the Lord has given mercy,
Blessed is the man in whose spirit is no guile.
I will acknowledge my sin and iniquity,
I will confess my transgressions to You.
You will forgive all my sin and iniquity,
You will surround me with songs of deliverance.
Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven,
Blessed is the man whose iniquity is cleansed,
Blessed is the man whom the Lord has given mercy,
Blessed is the man in whose spirit is no guile.
Psalm 32
words and music by Dave Mincy
©1996 by Dave Mincy
Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven,
Blessed is the man whose iniquity is cleansed,
Blessed is the man whom the Lord has given mercy,
Blessed is the man in whose spirit is no guile.
When I kept silent, groaning inside all day long,
Your hand was heavy upon me.
For day and night You turned my laughter and my song
Into sorrow, chastening me, showing me where I was wrong.
Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven,
Blessed is the man whose iniquity is cleansed,
Blessed is the man whom the Lord has given mercy,
Blessed is the man in whose spirit is no guile.
I will acknowledge my sin and iniquity,
I will confess my transgressions to You.
You will forgive all my sin and iniquity,
You will surround me with songs of deliverance.
Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven,
Blessed is the man whose iniquity is cleansed,
Blessed is the man whom the Lord has given mercy,
Blessed is the man in whose spirit is no guile.
This Is The Love Of God
This is another song that I am really glad to finally have written out and recorded! I wrote this for Mark (my brother) and Tricia's wedding. Some have found it humorous that a song I wrote for a wedding would contain the words "and to love though all your love is spurned" and talk so much about loving someone when they don't love you in return! :-/ (For the record, I don't think this has been a problem between Mark and Tricia and they are still happily married.)
Actually, my goal with this song was to highlight God's love for us and how it NEVER changes--and how His love must be the pattern for our love. From a style standpoint, this is a little different for me. It moves almost like an art song and is more classical in nature. At the wedding (and up until now), it was performed with just piano and voice, but I enjoyed adding a violin duet for the CD version--it just seemed to fit. I love you, Mark and Tricia, and appreciate you taking the chance and letting me write a song for your wedding.
This Is The Love Of God
Isaiah 40
words and music by Dave Mincy
©1994 by Dave Mincy
A Love that will not fade with time,
A true and changeless Friend,
A Guide to walk beside us in the way;
A Lamp to light our every step,
A strong and steady Hand
To lead us from our failure,
Take our burdens from our shoulders,
Lift us up and set us free.
To walk, to run and not to faint;
To watch and pray and wait,
To mount with wings as eagles o’er each struggle;
And to love though all your love is spurned,
To give without return—
This is the greatest love that we can give,
It is the love of God.
A Beacon from across the wave,
A Lighthouse in the storm,
A Peace amidst the roar of life’s demands;
An Anchor in the deepest trial,
A Compass on the sea
To lead us from our failure,
Take our burdens from our shoulders,
Lift us up and set us free.
To walk, to run and not to faint;
To watch and pray and wait,
To mount with wings as eagles o’er each struggle;
And to love though all your love is spurned,
To give without return—
This is the greatest love that we can give,
It is the love of God.
Isaiah 40
words and music by Dave Mincy
©1994 by Dave Mincy
A Love that will not fade with time,
A true and changeless Friend,
A Guide to walk beside us in the way;
A Lamp to light our every step,
A strong and steady Hand
To lead us from our failure,
Take our burdens from our shoulders,
Lift us up and set us free.
To walk, to run and not to faint;
To watch and pray and wait,
To mount with wings as eagles o’er each struggle;
And to love though all your love is spurned,
To give without return—
This is the greatest love that we can give,
It is the love of God.
A Beacon from across the wave,
A Lighthouse in the storm,
A Peace amidst the roar of life’s demands;
An Anchor in the deepest trial,
A Compass on the sea
To lead us from our failure,
Take our burdens from our shoulders,
Lift us up and set us free.
To walk, to run and not to faint;
To watch and pray and wait,
To mount with wings as eagles o’er each struggle;
And to love though all your love is spurned,
To give without return—
This is the greatest love that we can give,
It is the love of God.
You Are God
In October of 2006, my family and I moved to Garner, North Carolina (a suburb of Raleigh) to assist with a new church plant, Community Baptist Church. Over the last several years, God has done countless marvelous things here. One of the most miraculous was when He gave us 31 acres of paid-for property before we were even a year old! In February or March 2007, as I began to get the music ready for our first anniversary service in April, I was overwhelmed anew at all that God had done for our little church body. This song was the result of some of my thoughts at that time. On a little bit of a rabbit trail, probably my favorite phrase in this song is "I am humbled by Your love for me poured out freely, unreserved"...God always gives His love to us unreservedly. In contrast, our love towards others is so often contingent on our feelings toward them--on how they have treated us or what they have or have not done. God's love is always given freely, unreserved!
You Are God
Psalm 86
words and music by Dave Mincy
©2007 by Dave Mincy
When I think of how Your mercies are new for me each day,
All the answered prayers and blessings You daily send my way;
I am humbled by Your love for me poured out freely, unreserved.
Lord, I thank you for Your wisdom, Your power, and Your word.
You are God, there is no one else like You.
You are God, ever righteous, always true.
You are God, all You promise, You will do.
You are God, there is no one else like You.
You are perfect in Your waiting, You are perfect when You act.
I will wait for You to answer, Your timing is exact.
I am humbled that You notice me as before Your throne I plead.
Lord, I thank you as my Father You meet my ev’ry need.
You are God, there is no one else like You.
You are God, ever righteous, always true.
You are God, all You promise, You will do.
You are God, there is no one else like You.
Psalm 86
words and music by Dave Mincy
©2007 by Dave Mincy
When I think of how Your mercies are new for me each day,
All the answered prayers and blessings You daily send my way;
I am humbled by Your love for me poured out freely, unreserved.
Lord, I thank you for Your wisdom, Your power, and Your word.
You are God, there is no one else like You.
You are God, ever righteous, always true.
You are God, all You promise, You will do.
You are God, there is no one else like You.
You are perfect in Your waiting, You are perfect when You act.
I will wait for You to answer, Your timing is exact.
I am humbled that You notice me as before Your throne I plead.
Lord, I thank you as my Father You meet my ev’ry need.
You are God, there is no one else like You.
You are God, ever righteous, always true.
You are God, all You promise, You will do.
You are God, there is no one else like You.
Just As I Am
I have always loved the words to this song--so descriptive about our hopeless condition, and yet so full of the promise of God's forgiveness when we come to Him. Sometime in 1997, when I was the music director at Harvest Baptist Church in Guam, I remember walking over to the church to try and find something to sing as a special for the morning service. Not finding anything of particular interest, I went into the auditorium and began to play the piano (side note: I must admit that this piano was my first love...a Yamaha C7 grand with disk clavier installed...and almost brand new at the time!). I played a number of different hymns, I'm sure, but ended up on Just As I Am and began to play around with a new tune...really several new tunes. This is actually a pretty rare arrangement for me in that I have never really felt the need to go back and change anything about it--it's pretty much exactly the same as I originally played it that first night by ear. While I have had a number of well-respected musicians advise me that this arrangement uses too much new material (changes melody multiple times rather than taking one and developing it) and needs some tweaking, I find it expresses my heart-cry and am perfectly satisfied to leave it "as is". After all, the dedication on the written music of this piece says, "For myself"! In all seriousness, this is one of my very favorite songs to sing and I still have a hard time getting through it without crying. I hope you too, will find it to be a blessing and that my arrangement doesn't get in the way.
Just As I Am
words by Charlotte Elliott, music by Dave Mincy
©1997 by Dave Mincy
And that You bid me come to You,
O Lamb of God I come, I come!
Just as I am, without one plea
But that Your blood was shed for me,
And that You bid me come to You,
O Lamb of God, Lamb of God, I come!
Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To You whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, Lamb of God.
Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come!
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind,
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yes, all I need in You to find
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
Just as I am, You will receive,
Will welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Your promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come! O Lamb of God, I come!
words by Charlotte Elliott, music by Dave Mincy
©1997 by Dave Mincy
And that You bid me come to You,
O Lamb of God I come, I come!
Just as I am, without one plea
But that Your blood was shed for me,
And that You bid me come to You,
O Lamb of God, Lamb of God, I come!
Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To You whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, Lamb of God.
Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come!
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind,
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yes, all I need in You to find
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
Just as I am, You will receive,
Will welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Your promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come! O Lamb of God, I come!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
