Michael Card - Live This Mystery Lyrics
Lyrics
When I consider the secret of the One
Who dwells in me
That there is truly a presence
In the heart that will believe
To listen to a silent call
The quiet hunger to give it all
As the river seeks to be
Forgotten in the sea
So my soul is so thirsty
It longs for Thee
Like a moth around the flame
Drawn to the light
And to the pain
Since my life is hid in Thee
I must live this mystery
In Him we live, in Him we move
In Him all things are new
The mystery of life in Christ
Is Christ can live in you
I hear the silence, it's clamoring
There is only Christ, He is everything
In the language of the soul
It's burning like a coal
There's a voice that is saying
"You can be whole"
A life where all is new
Of timeless moments waits for you
With the heart alone you see
You must live this mystery
Video
Live This Mystery
Meaning & Inspiration
Released on January 1, 1996, from the album *Brother to Brother*, Michael Card’s "Live This Mystery" plunges listeners into the profound truth of Christ's indwelling presence, inviting a deeper understanding of faith beyond mere intellectual assent. This song isn't just a composition; it's a meditative call to embrace the transformative reality of what it means to have God's Spirit residing within, echoing ancient wisdom through a contemporary lens. Card unpacks the "secret of the One Who dwells in me," pointing to a presence that is truly active in the heart of a believer, a concept deeply rooted in Scripture, as Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." It speaks to an internal, often silent, but persistent spiritual hunger, a desire to fully surrender and "give it all," a deep yearning for a life wholly devoted to the divine.
The song’s imagery beautifully illustrates this spiritual yearning, comparing the soul's intense thirst for God to "the river seeks to be forgotten in the sea." This potent metaphor speaks of total immersion and identity surrender, a desire to be lost in the vastness of God's being, much like Psalm 42:1-2 declares, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." The image of a "moth around the flame," drawn to "the light and to the pain," powerfully conveys the irresistible allure of Christ, acknowledging that growth and purification often come through hardship. This journey is not without its refining fires, yet the light of Christ is too compelling to resist. The cornerstone of this verse, "Since my life is hid in Thee, I must live this mystery," directly references Colossians 3:3, where Paul states, "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God," establishing the profound truth that a believer's true existence is intrinsically bound to Christ.
The chorus serves as the song's theological anchor, affirming, "In Him we live, in Him we move, in Him all things are new." This line is a direct echo of Acts 17:28, where Paul, addressing the Athenians, proclaimed, "‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’" It’s a testament to complete dependence on Christ for existence itself. The core revelation, "The mystery of life in Christ Is Christ can live in you," reiterates the miraculous truth of Christ's indwelling presence, a truth the early church grappled with and celebrated. The phrase, "I hear the silence, it's clamoring There is only Christ, He is everything," captures a profound spiritual perception where the noise of the world fades, and the supremacy of Christ becomes undeniably clear, aligning with Colossians 1:17, which declares, "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."
In its concluding verses, "Live This Mystery" continues to resonate with a deep, soulful language. It describes an inner conviction "burning like a coal," a fervent passion within the spirit. The "voice that is saying, ‘You can be whole’" speaks to the promise of complete restoration and fulfillment found only in Christ, a holistic healing that touches every part of a person, fulfilling Jesus’s promise in John 10:10 of abundant life. This wholeness ushers in "a life where all is new Of timeless moments," hinting at the eternal quality of life in Christ and the sanctified present. The song concludes with a powerful instruction: "With the heart alone you see You must live this mystery." This emphasizes that true spiritual understanding and engagement with this divine mystery are not intellectual exercises but matters of the heart, requiring a purity of intention and spirit, as Matthew 5:8 proclaims, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." Michael Card’s "Live This Mystery" ultimately challenges listeners to move beyond theoretical faith into the vibrant, surrendered, and ever-present reality of Christ living through them, making it a timeless anthem for profound spiritual engagement.