Ascend The Hill - Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go Lyrics
Lyrics
Oh, love that will not let me go
I rest my weary soul in thee
I give you back the life I owe
And in your ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be
My life is not my own
It's yours
My life is not my own
I know it's yours
Oh, light that follows all my way
I yield my flickering torch to thee
And my heart restores its borrowed ray
That in your sunshine's blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be
So light a fire in my heart
And I'll burn for you
So light a fire in my heart
And I'll burn for you
Oh, joy, that seeks me through the pain
I cannot close my heart to thee
I trace the rainbow through the rain
And feel the promise is not in vain
That morn shall tearless be
So anoint me with joy
And joyful I will be
So anoint me with joy
And joyful I will be
Oh, cross that's lifing up my head
I dare not ask to fly from thee
I lay in dust life's glory dead
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be
We will sing:
Holy, holy
Is the King of Kings
And we will sing:
Holy, holy
Is the King of Kings
On that day we will sing:
We will join with the angels and we will sing:
Video
Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go
Meaning & Inspiration
Ascend The Hill's 2010 release, "Take the World, but Give Me Jesus," offers a profound devotional through its track "Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go." This song is far more than a simple melody; it’s a deeply reflective meditation on surrender and the transformative power of divine love, drawing heavily from classic hymns while infusing them with contemporary earnestness. The core message of the song revolves around the profound realization that our lives are not our own, but a gift entrusted to a love that is relentless and all-encompassing. It’s a declaration of yielding, an acknowledgment that true fulfillment is found not in possessing our own existence, but in offering it back to its source. This echoes the sentiment found throughout Scripture, particularly in Romans 12:1, which urges believers to present their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God. The repeated lines, "My life is not my own, it's yours," powerfully articulate this principle of stewardship over possession.
The lyrics paint vivid metaphors for this divine encounter. The "light that follows all my way" and the yielding of a "flickering torch" speak to the humbling experience of recognizing our own limited capacity and surrendering it to God's unfailing brilliance, allowing His light to make our own efforts "brighter, fairer." This imagery resonates with passages like Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path," suggesting that God’s guidance illuminates even our most uncertain steps. The prayer to "light a fire in my heart" and "burn for you" is a passionate plea for an ignited spirit, a desire to be consumed by divine passion and purpose, much like the burning bush that captivated Moses without being consumed.
Furthermore, the song navigates the inevitable sorrows of life with a resilient hope, acknowledging "joy, that seeks me through the pain." The act of tracing "the rainbow through the rain" is a beautiful illustration of finding divine promise and assurance amidst hardship, a testament to the belief that "morn shall tearless be." This perspective aligns with the promise of future redemption and restoration, as seen in Revelation 21:4, where it is stated that God "will wipe every tear from their eyes." The call to be "anointed with joy" is an invocation for a divine filling, a spiritual empowerment to live with an unshakeable gladness that originates from God. The imagery of the "cross that's lifing up my head" and laying down "life's glory dead" points to the paradoxical resurrection that occurs through humble submission to Christ's sacrifice. From this surrender, a life "that shall endless be" blossoms, directly referencing the redemptive power of the cross and the promise of eternal life granted through faith, as described in John 3:16. The culminating declaration, "Holy, holy, is the King of Kings," and the anticipation of joining angelic choirs in worship, solidifies the song's ultimate trajectory: a journey of surrender leading to eternal adoration of the divine King.