Hebrews 6:11-12 ~ God of My Hopes

A little while ago my phone rang, and as I heard the ring I was filled with hope --- something I need right now.  The default ring tone on my phone is “God of This City.”  I love this song, both the words to the song and the story about how that song was written.

"God of This City" was written by a band called BlueTree.  Several years ago BlueTree (a band from Belfast, Ireland) was on a ministry trip to Pattaya, Thailand.  Somehow they ended up in the seedy part of town playing in a bar.  A bar that was filled with Christians, but never-the-less it was a bar at the base of a brothel.  The band members said that they had been sickened by all the perversity that they had witnessed while in Thailand.  As they played in the bar, they said they could look out into the city and see sin around them.  As they began playing God began giving them the words to sing ---- “You're the God of this City, You're the King of these people, You're the Lord of this nation, You are.  You're the Light in this darkness, You're the Hope to the hopeless You're the Peace to the restless, You are.”  In the middle of an area of town filled with prostitution and sin, God spoke these words of hope to the audience in the bar.  As the band continued to play, the words of hope continued to flow ---- “For greater things have yet to come And greater things are still to be done in this City. Greater thing have yet to come And greater things are still to be done here.”  What a promise was given that night to the people in Thailand.   I can’t hear that song without imagining the perversity must have been seen that night --- but God still said that HE was God of This City and HE WAS going to bring about great things.

I know that the situations I face aren’t vile or perverse, but to me, some days they still seems hopeless.  But just as God told those people in Thailand that night  --- I have God’s assurance that Greater things are still to come .... a hope and assurance that God has great things in store for me. 

That’s what Hebrews 6:11 – 12 reminds me --- to not be lazy, to give up too soon but through an unwavering faith receive what is promised to me!!! 

So, that’s the story about this verse.  In case you are interested and haven’t ever seen it, below are the links to the BlueTree band telling the story behind the song, of them performing the song in Thailand and the lyrics to this song.  (*side note, the video of them singing the song is banned in Burma!)  Not long after BlueTree wrote this song, they were playing in a concert in Ireland with Chris Tomlin.  After hearing the song, he also recorded it.  You will find versions of him singing the song on You Tube also.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXh_tgjnYJw – story behind the song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-EzSzA61cE&feature=related – live in Thailand

God of This City

By BlueTree

You're the God of this City
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You are

You're the Light in this darkness
You're the Hope to the hopeless
You're the Peace to the restless
You are

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater thing have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done here

There is no one like our god
There is no one like our God