Blinded By Your Grace

In musical terms, I’m a child of the 70s. I grew up on the
heavyish rock of Argent, Led Zeppelin, Free and Deep Purple. And when I’m
feeling nostalgic, that’s still where I return.



So you won’t be surprised to learn that I never really got
into Rap, didn’t particularly get along with Punk and as for Garage, Grunge and
Grime… it passed me by.



That was, until four months back, when the artist Stormzy
appeared as a guest on X Factor on TV, and sang Blinded
by Your Grace. I’m told he’s a Grime and Hip Hop artist. What I heard was
pure Gospel. In fact, for me, one of the best Gospel songs I’ve heard in many
years.



If you’ve not heard it yet, here’s a link:

As I watched, I found myself worshipping:



Lord, I've been broken

Although I'm not worthy

You fixed me, I'm blinded

By your grace

You came and saved me...



You saved this kid and I'm not
your first

It's not by blood and it's not by birth

But oh my God what a God I serve…..



Now I'm in a better place

No longer afraid

Blinded by your grace

You came and saved me



It’s been a particularly tough time, especially with regard
to local church. I’m a part-time church historian, so I know that even in the
most successful revivals in history, there’s often an undercurrent of unrest
and disagreement. Even my heroes George Whitefield and John Wesley fell out for
a while!



There’s a verse in Proverbs that says:



There are friends
who pretend to be friends

But there is a
Friend who sticks closer than a brother.



It’s important to focus on line 2, not line 1, and that is
what I choose to do.



As I write this, I look out of the window, I see all His
creation, I think of all He’s done and I’m blinded by His grace. Amazed at a
God who would love me, who saved this kid- and I’m not His first. What a God we
serve…