Have you ever been in the middle of singing praises to the King only to be stopped short of the next word in the song because of an aching lump in your throat?  Have the words of the song mixed in with the beautiful harmony of your congregation moved you to tears?  This emotion always tends to run wild in me when we sing “He Still Came” by Donna Douglas.

Our congregation sings this song often before we partake in the Lord’s Supper together.  The words fill our hearts, our souls, and our minds with reflections of Christ’s love for us and how He still decided to come especially for us, knowing that we turn away from Him.  The song fills me with a deep appreciation for His choice to die for me.  It makes me feel regretful of my past, hopeful for the future, and safe in His sacrifice.

My favorite part of the song reads as follows: “Yet the hope of what he offered, so outweighed what must be done.  He chose to be my victor, and assured my pardon won.”  Christ chose to give me hope; Christ chose to give me victory over death through his own.  The song does such an amazing job of making Christ’s sacrifice so personal, and so real.  We tend to make his sacrifice too general at times, we look at his sacrifice as a duty to mankind, which it is, but do we really, really narrow it down to ourselves specifically? He died for mankind, he died for the Church, he died for sinners, for your friends, for your family, for your children, your husband, he died for YOU.

As you reflect on the sacrifice of the Savior, and share in communion with him, make it more personal. Reflect on the words of the song, and believe the He knew the cost. He knew that you could have rejected Him. He knew that you were going to fail Him, hurt Him, and turn from Him at times, but He still decided to come for you. Insert your name into the scripture which reads,

“But he was wounded for [your name]’s transgressions;
He was crushed for [my] iniquities;
upon Him was the chastisement that brought [me] peace,
and with His stripes [I am] healed” (Isaiah 53:6).

His sacrifice is real. His sacrifice is specific. His sacrifice was for you. Allow the words of “He Still Came” to thoroughly penetrate your heart the next time you sing it. If your congregation does not sing this song, speak with your Elders, or your song leader, and encourage them to incorporate it into your worship assembly. Its message is a powerful reminder, and a true encouragement to the saints (Colossians 3:16).

“He still came just for me, he still came.  Knowing all he would endure, he still came. Disregarding every cost, from the manger to the cross, he still came just for me. He still came.”

By Ashley Hudson
Ashley Hudson is a stay-at-home-mom with three children ages 9, 5, and 3.  She and her family worship at the 7^th and Beech Church of Christ in Durant, Oklahoma.   Her husband, Jake, is the Campus Minister for the Student Bible Center at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Be sure to check out her blog at www.hudsonfive.wordpress.com