In His Hands by Michele McGovern

Instead I want to approach Him with full confidence, knowing that I did everything I possibly could to fulfill the purpose for which I was created. At the end of it all, I just want Him to look at me with a big smile and say, 'Well done Shelly girl...well done."

ARMS OUTSTRETCHED:

I wrote this song for our church youth group during a summer explosion that was drawing about 150 kids every Friday night. Most of them were unchurched and from a tough area, so I wanted to give them a song that would speak in very simple terms about the unfailing love of God. I wanted them to know that He sees their scars, their fears, their failures, but that He still loves them, and is always waiting to embrace them with arms outstretched.

IN HIS HANDS:

Right around the time of the infamous Y2K conspiracy, =), I found myself starting to become very afraid of the unknown. It started with simply wondering what was going the happen when the clock struck 12, but from that, I found that fear was starting to penetrate every area of my life. I was afraid about the future. I was afraid of sickness. I was afraid that my loved ones were going to die. I was afraid about my finances. I was afraid during my first pregnancy. By the time September 11th came, I was so far over the edge, I was barely able to get in my car and drive. I had spent so much time dwelling on my fears, and letting them fester in my mind, that I had become totally paralyzed by them. Fear is insidious like that because it starts with just a fleeting thought, or a little worry, but if you give it a footstool in your life, it will control you. What I had to do was recognize that God truly does not give us the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and soundness of mind. So if He doesn't give it to us, who does? BINGO. So I began to pray against the enemy and to quote scripture every time something came up and triggered a fear. I found that it was easier for me to sing scripture than to say it, so I wrote this song as a sort of battle cry. Thanks to God, I can honestly say that I have been totally delivered from my fears and now live with complete peace and in total victory, just like God always intended.

SPEAK OF YOUR NAME:

This song is about the urgency of missions, whether across the street or across the world. This is probably just a Hollywood thing, but I always picture that when we're waiting to be judged by the Lord, that we're kind of standing on this long line, with people we know milling around and waiting with us. I don't know what that day is actually going to look like, but I get absolutely sick just thinking about seeing someone that I knew on earth being turned away from heaven because I didn't take the time to share Jesus with them. How could I look that person in the eye and try to explain why....?

HOLY SPIRIT COME:

This song was written in a very dry season of my life, when I was becoming so desperate for the Holy Spirit to move in me again. Since then I have learned that there are times when the Lord withdraws from us a little bit, in order to test our faithfulness. He is always with us, but there are times when it is so hard to feel Him. Those are the times that we really need to continue in our obedience and to press on in faith. If we can learn to trust Him when He is silent, He will trust us enough to give us greater responsibilities in His kingdom.

Clips of the following songs can be heard on www.michelemcgovern.com.

COME INTO HIS GATES:

I wanted to write a sort of contemporary version of the classic "I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart..." They say that after you hear a song approximately 50 times, you begin singing it without really understanding what you're saying. You kind of just go through the motions. So I thought it was time to find a new melody for an old favorite and bring this scripture back to life!

WRAP ME UP:

Once you have truly experienced the presence of God in a way that is almost tangible, there's no turning back. It's kind of like a little glimpse of heaven. Once you've tasted it, you just have to keep coming back for more. There's nothing like being wrapped up in His presence. =)

YOU LOVED ME:

Looking back on my life, I am just amazed how God's hand was so obviously involved in everything I've ever experienced. Even in the womb He knew my name and set me apart for His purposes. He created me with a destiny and He has given me a lifetime not only to understand my destiny, but to thrive in it. God is so merciful that even our worst mistakes and failures can be turned around for good, all with the purpose of creating in us the children of God we were destined to become.

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