Last week, we sang a song I have come to treasure–“How Great is Your Love” by Mark Altrogge, which is more popularly known by the first phrase of its chorus–“How High and How Wide”. Below are the lyrics to the whole song, but let me stress the phrase which always arrests me: “Objects of mercy who should have known wrath…” This brings me to tears nearly every time I sing it. It fills me with amazement at the magnitude of God’s mercy and the greatness of His grace. May that thought, and the message of the whole song, captivate you and enthrall you that much more with the wonder of God’s great love.
How Great is Your Love
by Mark Altrogge
No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
No mind has ever conceived
The glorious things that You have prepared
For everyone who has believed
You brought us near and You called us Your own
And made us joint heirs with Your Son.
Chorus:
How high and how wide,
How deep and how long,
How sweet and how strong is Your love.
How lavish Your grace,
How faithful Your ways,
How great is Your love, oh Lord.
Objects of mercy who should have known wrath
We’re filled with unspeakable joy.
Riches of wisdom, unsearchable wealth,
And the wonder of knowing Your voice.
You are our treasure and our great reward,
Our hope and our glorious King.
CCLI# 1360011
Mark Altrogge, ©1991 Integrity’s Praise! Music/PDI Praise
The musical score for the song is available online for 99 cents here. And for a sampling of the melody, click here and scroll down till you find the song title (How High and How Wide) and merely click on one of the links to whichever music player you prefer.
∼striving for the unity of the faith for the glory of God∼ Eph. 4:3,13 “¢ Rom. 15:5-7
I like this song as well. Sovereign Grace has published so many good ones.
The ones I’m thinking of this Easter week are the old, classic hymns. Tonight at our Tenebrae service we sang songs such as “O Sacred Head Now Wounded” and “When I Survey The Wondrous Cross.” But the one that’s really gripped me this week is “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” particularly this part:
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
Great stuff!
Amen, Jeff! I love the great hymns of the faith as well. I particularly appreciate “Jesus Paid it All”.
Our church usually sings anywhere from one to three hymns each Sunday in our worship service. I do not highlight those songs, as I am trying to disclose how doctrinally rich many of the newer worship songs are to readers who may be unaware.
Personally, I think a mix of both traditional and contemporary songs is most appropriate for a worship service.
God bless, and stick around! Great to hear from you!
I’m not even sure what this site is (oh wait, is it your blog? Ok, it’s your blog, sorry if I’m intruding), but I googled for the lyrics to this song and this page came up and I was just so happy to read what you said because when we sang this song at camp a couple weeks ago, that’s the line that truly stuck me too. I haven’t really been able to shake it yet, I’m sort of stuck on that one line and the one that follows it… “we’re filled with unspeakable joy”. In a couple words it completely sums up exactly how I feel about God’s love. I’m just really glad to find someone else who found that line so incredibly meaningful. Anyway, I know that this is random. This page was third on google, if that makes a difference to you. Happy blogging. 😀
Emily,
Thanks for stopping by, and no, you are not intruding. I am glad that my discussion of the song was a help to you. I do appreciate that song, and I like blogging about these Christ-centered God-glorifying newer worship songs.
God bless you!
Hi,
Like Emily, I stumbled onto this page looking for the lyrics of the song.
This is also a favourite praise song of mine. Thanks for the post and discussion. One of the reasons it is so powerful to me is because of its many echoes of Scripture passages, particularly of passages in Ephesians and Romans and 1 Corinthians.
One thing to note, however: I realized that as I was studying the texts behind this song, that the quote from 1 Cor 2:9, “No eye has seen…” is actually a misunderstanding of the text. The 1 Corinthians text isn’t actually talking about God’s great love, but is talking about the foolish wisdom of the cross. The cross in its foolishness is something that I think western christianity simply doesn’t like to focus on, but which I think is a very sorely missed part of our theology these days…
Sam
Sam,
Glad you dropped by. The 1 Cor. 2:9 quote is based on Is. 64:4, in part. I think the passage can be applied as it is in the song, based on the context of Is. 64:4 and even 1 Cor. 2:9b. Granted the main thrust is that man doesn’t comprehend the Gospel, the Spirit reveals it to him. It doesn’t make sense or seem wise to the ungodly. At the same time it is wonderful and beyond what man could imagine, in the scope of its wonder and depth.
Again, I’m glad you are blessed by the lyrics and message of this song.
Bob
I have been looking for the music to How High and How Wide by Mark Altrogge and am wondering if you know where I can find it. The link on this page is no longer up and running and I’d really like to get the music. Thanks for your help.
May 2010, and people are still seeing this entry as the top hit in Google for “objects of mercy who should have known wrath.” Great are His ways!
Yes, I’m thankful for that, Syd. Thanks for dropping by. God bless.
July 2011 and this is still a top hit in Google!
Just yesterday I heard on the news that someone conducted a poll asking:
Do you think that God is doing a good job?
The numbers were something like: 42% said ‘Yes’, 9% said ‘No’, and 49% said ‘I don’t know’! Seriously?!!! Although these numbers are disturbing, the fact that the question was asked is even more disturbing!
When I think of the phrase ‘objects of mercy who should have known wrath, we’re filled with unspeakable joy’, I have to wonder how could anyone NOT know that God is doing an awesome job! Who LAVISHES grace upon us like our God! Who is FAITHFUL to us even when we are not! God is indeed doing a work in us! And like another hymn says, He does all things well!
Interesting stats, Midiman. Thanks for sharing.