Reason for the World

At the end of last year, Matthew West released his newest CD, "The Story of Your Life."  Spending some time by himself in a cabin in Tennessee, he looked over hundreds of stories he had received from fans about real stories from their lives.  Over the last few years, Matthew West transformed love stories into songs by partnering with K-LOVE, and this CD seems to be an extension of that project.  All 11 songs come from someone's real life experience, and that is what makes this CD amazing.  After listening through the CD the first time, each song hit me in a different way.  While some situations do not apply to my life specifically (for instance, I have never had to deal with the struggles of divorce), they all provide glimpses into the real life problems that people are facing every day.  These songs also offer hope, and the underlying theme throughout all 11 songs is that we can find that hope in Christ.  He is the One we can go to no matter what is going on in our life, and He can give us the hope and strength that we need during those hard times.

"Reason for the World"  is the song that stood out most to me.  It expounds on this idea of hope.  Life is hard, and at some point we are all going to experience a very difficult and trying situation.  Some of us may be in the middle of one of those tough situations right now.  But when those hard times come, there is always someone we can turn to, and that is God.  All we have to do is call out to Him for strength and help, and He will give it to us.  Does it mean that the hard times will go away and be solved immediately?  No.  But it will help us realize that He is in control, and even when life is hard, we can always trust in Him.  In the end, this world is not our home.  It is only a stop along the way to our eternal home.

So here are the lyrics to what I felt was the most powerful song and my favorite song from Matthew West's new CD:

Reason for the World

There are no words in times like these
When tears don't hide the tragedies
And all you want is a reason for the world

No comfort in the greeting card
Cause God is good, But life's still hard
and your heart just wants a reason for the world

Maybe the reason for the pain
Is so we would pray for strength
And maybe the reason for the strength
Is so that we would not lose hope
And maybe the reason for all hope
Is so that we could face the world
And the reason for the world
Is to make us long for home

For God so loved your broken heart
He sent his son to where you are and he died
To give a reason for the world

So lift your sorrows to the one
Whose plan for you has just begun
And rests here in the hands that hold the world

Maybe the reason for the pain
Is so we would pray for strength
And maybe the reason for the strength
Is so that we would not lose hope
And maybe the reason for all hope
Is so that we could face the world
And the reason for the world
Is to make us long for home

Well I know your past the point of broken
Surrounded by your fear
I know your feet are tired and weary
from the road that you walked down here
But just keep your eyes on heaven
and know that you are not alone
remember the reason for the world

No ear has heard, No eye has seen
Not even in your wildest dreams
A beauty that awaits beyond this world
When you look into the eyes of grace
and hear the voice of mercy say
Child, welcome to the reason for the world

Matt