British worship man Dave Bilbrough explains the inspiration behind his "Forevermore" song.

Dave Bilbrough

As a songwriter I am often asked if it's the words or the melody that come first when I'm writing a song. Actually I find that although it's usually a combination of both, more often than not the original, primary inspiration is something fresh I'm learning, or an experience I may be going through at that time. For me to write a song about it is my way of landmarking it.

The song 'Forevermore' evolved from a growing conviction in my heart of the supremacy of Christ as Lord. So often in the mundane happenings of life we are prone to focus our attention away from seeing situations and events in the light of his ultimate victory. Our hope is in the Lord and as we look to him our apathy and indifference are changed like a frozen river melted by the tropical sun.

Once I'd established the basic tune in my mind and a skeleton chord pattern for 'Forevermore', the lyric seemed to flow fairly easily. The first line of the song is deliberately written as a question. God has always more for us to discover. May we never lose a sense of wonder in our relationship with Him. The apostle Paul was a man who, perhaps more than any other man who walked this earth, knew God's ways and heart. Much revelation and understanding was given to him. Timeless truths that he learned have been passed on to Christians of all generations. Yet almost at the end of his life writing from a Philippian jail he states these words, "For my determined purpose is that I might know him and that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with him" (Phil 3.10 Amplified Bible). Of course he already knew Christ, yet as with every believer the deeper we go in our knowledge of Him, the more we see the vastness of the ocean of grace stretching out before us and realise how big is His great eternal plan.

Two thousand years ago God's son took upon Himself the form of a man, yet we rejected Him and turned our back on him. For us he suffered the ultimate indignity, death on a cross. Why should he have bothered? Why not eradicate the human race and start all over again? Yet for us he endured the cross and triumphed over death itself. His supreme act cannot be rationalised or reasoned out. It was God revealed to man through Jesus, in pure self-giving love.

With all the believers of times past present and times to come, with all the angelic hosts, we join in worship and adoration. I hope this song conveys something of that greatness. Together we worship a God who is all powerful, knows no boundaries or limitations and now reigns eternal. To those who are hungry to know him he delights to share his heart revealing the greatest miracle of all, His all embracing love given to man through Jesus Christ! 'Forevermore we'll sing the story of love come down. For evermore the King of Glory we will crown. For evermore.'

VERSE 1:
Who can ever say they understand / All the wonders of his master plan? / Christ came down and gave himself to man /Forevermore.
VERSE 2:
He was Lord before all time began / Yet made himself the sacrificial lamb / Perfect love now reconciled to man / Forevermore.
CHORUS:
Forevermore we'll sing the story of love come down /
Forevermore the King of Glory we will crown.
VERSE 3:
He is coming back to earth again / Every knee shall bow before his name / Christ is Lord, let thankful hearts proclaim / Forevermore
ENDING:
Forevermore Forevermore
1989 Dave Bilbrough Songs (Administration Thank you Music).