The band Martin Smith formed was called Delirious – with a question mark (?) to emphasize something in the band members’ collective psyche, perhaps. But, there was no question mark in the song that Martin wrote for the group in 1993 in which he said confidently “Lord, You Have My Heart”. This Englishman (see the English flag here) had a pretty good idea of how he felt, and so he needed no other narrative to explain how the song’s development had occurred. Saying what Martin decided to actually put to music was just his way of underscoring his commitment. He’d probably read plenty of his bible to feel fellowship with other like-minded musicians who were his ancient ancestors, so why not join them in spirit by putting to music how he felt, as they must have when they decided to express their inner spirits in like manner? There’s a pretty sizeable group of believers who have done the same across the centuries; do you think they’ll inhabit a particular corner of Eternity, or instead be scattered amongst the rest of us, and only occasionally congregate to share with one another their musical gifts? Perhaps Martin was already thinking about what it will be like when he penned the last words of this devotion.
Martin was ready to offer himself completely in what he calls a personal journey in 1993. ‘Lord…’ was the first song that he and his fellow band members (they originally called themselves The Cutting Edge Band, after a recurring youth event which they supported) wrote, which says something about what the song might have meant to Martin and the others. Was it like an anthem for them, a mission statement of their purpose in forming and playing and singing songs? Martin does not say, but it apparently stuck with him, so that he and his daughter were singing it together many years later (see the story link below). ‘Search(ing) for His’ heart (the 2nd line of the song) is evidently something that the Smith family has passed along to the next generation. Martin used some other words to characterize how he felt, like ‘sacrifice’, ‘lead me on’, and ‘praise’, some key things he would do as he looked around for the God whose ‘love (had) come down’ and ‘show(n) (His) face. But, maybe Martin wasn’t thinking only of the terrestrial moments to come in 1993. Seeing His ‘glory’ would be quite a revelatory sight, would it not? After all, even Moses, whom God called ‘friend’ (Exodus 33:11), was not permitted to see God face-to-face (Ex. 33:18-23). Seeing His glory face-to-face would have meant death…maybe it was just too much voltage for the human being to handle. Indeed, Moses’ face was so radiant after this meeting with God, that he frightened the Israelites who met him at the foot of the mountain. Nevertheless, Martin has not stopped his search, and he looks to his predecessors for life-giving sustenance of God, even if seeing Him in full-face isn’t yet possible. He says many passages – like Psalm 139:23-24, Psalm 27:8, and Romans 12:1-2 – have helped him dig roots and connect his own song’s words with biblical truths. We’ll actually get to see His glory, one day.
Martin and the rest of us can long to see Him, as we’re doing each time we sing and read what He tells us. That is what you and I can take away from what Martin Smith wrote in 1993. It never really stops, as long as we don’t snuff out that curiosity streak in us, and long to draw as close to Him as possible while here on earth. The promise that I will get to be with Him, to meet Him whose image I try to mimic, is the basic instinct for all of us who are human. Is there something in me that is like Him, that he found worthy of creating? There’s only one way to answer this. Just one way to find my roots.
Read the story behind this song here: Lord You Have My Heart Lyrics - Martin Smith
Read about the author-composer here: Martin Smith (English musician) - Wikipedia
Read here re: the album (Cutting Edge 1) on which the song was premiered by the group Delirious? Cutting Edge (recordings) - Wikipedia
See information on the England flag here: File:Flag of England.svg - Wikipedia…This work has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder. This applies worldwide.
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