Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet

Back when my son Jonathan was a youth, somewhere around 10 years ago, give or take a year or two, I went with him and his youth group as a chaperon to a youth camp. I can't remember where it was held but it was a great camp. We would do missions in the morning and then fun and games in the afternoon. In the evening we would have worship. The worship was full throttle contemporary but with out the full scale band, just a guitar and maybe percussion. But we were on our feet and we were singing and clapping. The messages were built around the theme of what Dorothy and the characters in The Wizard of Oz and The Wiz discovered about themselves. They were great messages, with video clips and lots of energy.

One night they played a song that we were to close our eyes and just listen to. I don't remember how long it went but it went on for a little while. It was a homeless old man's voice that started out, singing the following words:

Jesus blood never failed me yet, never failed me yet,
Jesus blood never failed me yet.
This one thing I know, for he loves me so.

It just repeats and repeats, with stings slowly joining in. It was haunting and stirring. No one made a sound as it played.

For years I have wanted to find that song. I didn't know where to look because I didn't know who wrote it or what the title was but I never forgot the feelings it stirred within - sadness, hope, joy.

This morning I received a devotional by John Fischer (Catch of the Day - well worth getting) and low and behold what did he write about? This song! There before me was the name of the author (Gavin Bryars) and the name of the piece (Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet). What I didn't know is that it actually runs for about 75 minutes, with the homeless man simply singing those words over and over again, and with music playing underneath, around, through, over... It is beautiful. It is stirring. It is haunting. It is meditative. It reassures me. It builds my confidence. I am now on my third listening since I've downloaded it this afternoon.

Below you can listen to track four of the piece, entitled Tramp with Orchestra IV (Full Stings). It runs for just over 6 minutes so sit back, relax, read your bible for a few minutes and then close your eyes and just listen. Let me start you off with Romans 8:31-39 (Message):

So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:

They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

Or just listen and make it your prayer. Let the words become your "mantra" and lift them up as praise to a God who never fails!