Words and music by Shane and Shane
Lauren Chandler, whose husband Matt suffered from a brain tumor during 2010 reflects beautifully on this song and its language from the Scriptures:
If the thought of singing this song honestly terrifies you, you’re in good company. This is a song I can only sing by the grace of God. Oh, but how grateful I am that He has let me sing it. It has been in the slaying of my heart, of my dreams, of my comfort, of my plan for my life that He has shown Himself to be enough. He has made a mockery of the enemy’s desire to steal, kill and destroy. Just as the accuser sought to discourage and ruin Job, to incite him to curse God, he comes after you and me. And, just as God sustained Job and did not forsake him, if we are in Christ, He sustains us and never forsakes us. The slaying becomes the saying. The wounds become the worship. “Though you slay me, yet I will praise you…sing a song to the one who’s all I need.”
As if that wasn’t enough, the Father sends the Son to be slain for us. Our Savior knows the sting, knows the agony. There will be a day when we get to see it for ourselves. We will see we didn’t suffer alone. We will see we didn’t suffer in vain. And the tears that just can’t seem to stop for now will be dried forever by His tender, nail-scarred hand. It is then that we will know exactly how “it was worth it all.”
If you’re suffering, this is a song to sing through tears. If you’re not particularly under an intense time of suffering right now, listen and be helped by the foundation it offers of the overarching purposes of God to thwart evil and its effects–you will need the foundation to stand on sooner than later.
Though You Slay Me
I come, God I come,
I return to the Lord
The one who’s broken, the one who’s torn me apart
You struck down to bind me up
You say you do it all in love
That I might know you in your suffering
Though you slay me
Yet I will praise you
Though you take from me
I will bless your name
Though you ruin me
Still I will worship
Sing a song to the one who’s all I need
My heart and flesh may fail
The earth below give way
But with my eyes, with my eyes, I’ll see the Lord
Lifted high on that day
Behold the Lamb that was slain
And I’ll know every tear was worth it all
Though tonight I’m crying out, “Let this cup pass from me.”
You’re still more than I need, you’re enough
Whether healing in my frame, or if not, it’s just the same
As long as I bring glory to your name
Looking Forward 