The Ultimate Hero

It’s been a little longer than I wanted since my last blog post, but I knew when I started back up that we were not yet out of the crazy busy season of life we were in and that that might happen. Now, though, as we are moving out of that season of life and entering another that, while it will also be busy, it will be a more manageable busy, a season where time can be found (or made) for blogging, I hope to find myself here more often.

A while back I wrote a post called The Great I Am where I mentioned how us readerly types (in particular those readers of romance) like to gush over books and their heroes. And do we ever. Just recently, I’ve participated in several different discussions in several different Facebook book groups regarding just what qualities we want to see/like most in a hero. We all have different things we say we love to find in a hero. For some, it’s that he shows confidence without arrogance, or that he’s loyal, or strong, gentle, loving, not afraid to show he cares. That’s just a sprinkling of the things mentioned when that question is raised.

In the post I mentioned above, I spent some time talking about just how great God is, how He is able to fulfill every one of our needs, how He is really The Ultimate Hero. Often, when I participate in these discussions among readers and authors or I read a book with a noteworthy hero in it, I come back to this reminder that God is The Ultimate Hero. No one, no thing can top Him. And I recently read a passage in Revelation that caused me to pause after I read it, and think to myself, “Wow! That is the perfect picture of The Ultimate Hero right there!”

After that I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse [appeared]! The One Who was riding it is called Faithful (Trustworthy, Loyal, Incorruptible, Steady) and True, and He passes judgment and wages war in righteousness (holiness, justice, and uprightness). His eyes [blaze] like a flame of fire, and on His head are many kingly crowns (diadems); and He has a title (name) inscribed which He alone knows or can understand. He is dressed in a robe dyed by dipping in blood, and the title by which He is called is The Word of God. And the troops of heaven, clothed in fine linen, dazzling and clean, followed Him on white horses. From His mouth goes forth a sharp sword with which He can smite (afflict, strike) the nations; and He will shepherd and control them with a staff (scepter, rod) of iron. He will tread the winepress of fierceness of the wrath and indignation of God the All-Ruler (the Almighty, the Omnipotent). And on His garment (robe) and on His thigh He has a name (title) inscribed, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. ~Revelation 19:11-16, AMPC

What a picture! What a reminder of Who our God is! Makes me want to shout while at the same time making me want to fall on my knees before Him! He is The Ultimate Hero, The Ultimate Alpha (and Omega) that has everything in control, The Ultimate Good Guy who doesn’t let evil stand. I can’t help but picture those heroes who fight for good; who stand against evil, who are always one step ahead; who, while evil may play for a little while, it never gets the chance to fully realize what it wants with this Hero at the ready. There is an end coming for evil and not a bit of it will be able to stand against our Ultimate Hero. And that very Ultimate Hero loves me and you and comes after us, chases after us, pursues us for His very own.

Around the time that I had read this passage of scripture and it was coming alive to me, reminding me what a Hero we have in God, how undefeatable He is, how powerful He is, how capable He is, and how He is going to so surely and completely win this war with evil with no hope of evil making a comeback, my two oldest daughters had started playing and singing Reckless Love around the house. That passage of scripture and that song collided in my heart and mind, reminding me just how much He loves me and placing in my mind this incredible picture of the mighty and incomprehensible Hero who loves me; who chases after me; who loves me recklessly and boldly; who will never let me go; who will never let me fall from the palm of His hand; who is always one step ahead of the evil in this world, working to make something good come out of every evil attempt of the enemy to thwart His beloved bride. Even as I write about this, I cannot fully comprehend it all, the beauty of this Hero and His love for me, how powerful of a Hero He is and I struggle to put it into words. It’s powerful and truly mind-blowing and I just can’t even fully fathom it.

Below are the words to Reckless Love as well as a video of the song. Stop, take a moment, and read the words. Let them wash over you. See them in light of that passage from Revelation. Think about what a great God we have, how much He loves us, how we really can’t even completely grasp Him and His greatness and how this Hero whose greatness we can’t even begin to really grasp loves you personally with an “overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love” and wants a personal relationship with you.

Reckless Love
written by Caleb Culver / Cory Asbury / Ran Jackson

Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me
You have been so, so good to me
Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me
You have been so, so kind to me

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah

When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me
You have been so, so good to me
When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me
You have been so, so kind to me

And oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
And I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah

There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me
There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me
There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me
There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
And I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah