“I heard an old, old story ...”

We have a very young and very capable music director at our church, and I love when he leads us in worship.  I know enough about Michael to know he believes the words he sings, and he wants us to believe them as well.  His short years have shown him enough about life that he knows it isn’t always easy, so I know his heart is engaged and he is not just “performing.”  Jesus is real to him, and he knows Jesus is always our answer.  And although young, he still will accent our worship with some of the hymns we as older adults sang many years ago.  And the congregation sings with vitality, intent with the message, captivated by the One we are singing of.   But it is the singing of “Victory in Jesus” that most speaks to my heart.  It is my testimony and it is a testimony that is still unfolding today.
 
I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory, how He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me.  I know the wretchedness that was once mine, wretchedness heaped on me by my own wrong choices, but also by the wrong choices of others, a wretchedness that invaded my spirit and crippled the spiritual growth I longed for.  I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood's atoning; then I repented of my sins and won the victory.   For many years, those words echoed in my head over and over because I “knew” truth.  I had even “repented” in some ways, but I hadn’t completely turned to God for my answers.  Too much of the wretchedness shouted its lies and distortions at me.  But then, I went to the cross and poured out all the wretchedness at the feet of Jesus, and when He lifted me to my feet, I knew I was free, free to become all He wanted me to be.

I heard about His healing, of His cleansing pow'r revealing, how He made the lame to walk again and caused the blind to see; and then I cried, "Dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit," and somehow Jesus came and bro't to me the victory. This is the part of the song I can sing with tears streaming down my face.   They are words that for many years were a desperate plea to God.  I knew He could heal.  He has healed others.  I knew He could bring sight to the blind, both physically and spiritually.  But, a broken spirit???  My spirit???   And then, the “somehow,” some way, happened in my own life, and the transformation came.

I heard about a mansion He has built for me in glory.  And I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea; about the angels singing, and the old redemption story, and some sweet day I'll sing up there the song of victory.  Words of hope.  Words of ultimate victory, the ultimate transformation Jesus has promised us.  Hope for me.  Hope for you.  Hope for each one who knows freedom from wretchedness because of Jesus.  Hope for those who grieve and can’t wait to reunite with loved ones and sing together, with them, the old redemption story, more intensely and passionately than we ever have before.

O victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever.  He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood; He loved me ere I knew Him and all my love is due Him, He plunged me to victory, beneath the cleansing flood.  Thank You, Thank You, precious, precious, Jesus.

– Bev

(Related Bible reading: John 3:16)