Our bible study group is currently studying ‘Acts – Seeing the Spirit at Work’ by John Stott. In study number 3 we read the story where Peter healed the man who had been a cripple from birth.
Peter speaks to the onlookers following the healing of the cripple at the gate called Beautiful and Peter said to them in Acts 3:14 ‘You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked a murderer be released to you’.
Our study question asked us to look at each of the titles that Peter gives to Jesus and consider how these speak to the uniqueness of Jesus.
I can’t remember when we studied this question but I believe it was somewhere between mid March to late April. Something resonated with me about those words ‘Holy and Righteous One’ and at some point, (exact dates I don’t have) I wrote some words that centred on the ‘Holy and Righteous One’. I guess I hoped they could be a song but given I have no musical ability this was a ‘longshot’.
I wrote down three verses and tucked the piece of paper in my bible for future reference – what that reference would be I did not know. There were times when I recalled the words ‘The Righteous One’; possibly using the words as a prayer when leading worship but they remained words in my mind as I never used them in worship.
On Friday night 3rd August 2018, I laid in bed unable to sleep. It was 10:30pm when I glanced at the clock. In a moment of stillness and quietness I said to the Lord “I am a sinner”. Once more my mind was filled with the words ‘Holy and Righteous One’.
The other part of me was thinking about the service of worship that I was to lead at the Sprent Uniting Church on Sunday the 5th August and I began to sing to myself the hymn Morning has Broken but not in an audible voice. Morning has Broken was the first song of worship that I had chosen.
What happened next was the beginning of something truly amazing and only possible by the grace of our amazing God and by the power of the Holy Spirit. The words that I wrote down some months ago albeit with a subtle change suddenly began to fit the tune of ‘Morning has Broken’.
In a short space of time God had given me the words to the first verse of the song; ‘The Righteous One’. It is hard to describe the feeling at that point in time other than to say I was overjoyed. I did not write down the words but I was confident that I could remember them the next day.
The following morning after breakfast I went to complete some painting. I had one final coat to apply to a bedroom ceiling. After completing the painting and washing the rollers I came to the kitchen to make a coffee. At 10:30am, I went looking for the piece of paper that was tucked away in my bible. I sat at the dining room table and looked at the words to the other two verses I had written months ago. Again with subtle changes the Lord gave me words that fitted the tune and in the space of 30 minutes I had written down the final two verses to the song.
I then found myself hurrying to the computer to listen to a video of ‘Morning has Broken’ to see if the words fitted the song. With some subtle changes the words fitted the tune and once more I was overcome with joy – ‘I was pumped’. I tried to sing the song but was overcome with emotion; tears trickled down my cheeks, God had blessed me beyond my wildest dreams.
At approximately 11am on the Saturday the song ‘The Righteous One’ was born. After about the fourth attempt I managed to sing the whole song – again I was pumped. I sat in front of my computer barely able to comprehend what had taken place from10:30pm on Friday night to 11am the following day.
God is truly amazing and to Him be all praise, glory and honour.
The words are included should you choose to praise God with them. This is my story.
The Righteous One
Holy and Righteous
you came from heaven
we are the sinners
you came to save
yours is the glory
ours is the rapture
bless us each day Lord
bless us each day
Holy and Righteous
slain on the cross
you offer redemption
paid for in blood
creator of heaven
born of the virgin
we are your children
bless us O Lord
Holy and Righteous
redeemer of sinners
laid in the tomb
left all alone
you are my saviour
you are my Lord
bless us each day Lord
bless us each day
copyright
Wayne Bounday
4/8/2018
Wayne Bounday, Ulverstone Uniting Church