Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life – Psalm 23:6a
This past Sunday John sang a song at church entitled “Fierce” by Jesus Culture. The song is basically talking about how fierce God’s love is for us. There is a line in the song really stuck out to me. It said:
“Like a hurricane,
That I can’t escape,
Tearing through the atmosphere,
Your love is fierce”
I had never thought of God’s love this way before. Since we recently experienced Hurricane Irma a few weeks ago, I could really relate to these lyrics. Robert and I debated escaping (evacuating) but we really didn’t know where to go. Every time we watched the weather, it seemed the direction changed. So where were we to go? And boy did it tear through the atmosphere in many areas. Luckily, we were spared any damage but many people we not so fortunate.
We know God loves us, but do we think of His love as ‘fierce’ for us? As fierce as Hurricane Irma? I like how the verse above refers to His unfailing love that will pursue me all the days of my life. To think that He pursues me like a hurricane and I can’t escape from it. God has always loved me, even before I was born. He sent His one and only son to die for me. He has been with me every moment of my life and promises to never leave me. It is just amazing to think about. I will leave you with Psalm 139 as it explains it completely:
Psalm 139
1 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. 5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.
19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! 20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? 22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Taste and See 
Is God’s love “fierce”? Or is this a redefinition of his love, which maligns his character and nature?
Once again, as the destruction and devastation caused by Hurricane Michael demonstrated last month, and as the tragedy of the tidal wave in Indonesia also reminded us, God’s love is not a hurricane; it is not a tsunami; it is not a tidal wave; it is not fierce; it is not reckless.
These terms all refer to elements of destruction, which are all biblically connected to three things: 1) the fallen world as a result of sin; 2) Satan’s influence as prince of the power of the air and god of this world; and 3) God’s judgment (wrath) that is yet to come.
God’s Word instructs us to “test all things; hold fast that which is good.” And we do that by being a Berean (Acts 17:11) to see if what is being taught (or sung) is in accordance with the Scriptures. So, if we turn to the Word to examine whether the lyrics of the Jesus Culture song are biblical, we find the following uses of the word “fierce” with regard to God:
“Thy fierce wrath” (Exo 32:12); “the fierce anger of the Lord” (Num 25:4; 32:14); “his fierce wrath” (1 Sam 28:18); “the fierce wrath of the Lord” (2 Ch 28:11); “his fierce wrath” (2 Ch 29:10); etc.
And with regard to the enemies of God, they are also fierce: “Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce” (Gen 49:7); ” “A nation of fierce countenance” (Deu 28:50); “a fierce king” (Isa 19:4); “fierce people” (Isa 33:19); “fierce countenance” (Dan 8:23); “more fierce than evening wolves” (Hab 1:8); “devils…exceeding fierce” (Mat 8:28) etc.
So, concerning songs that attempt to worship God with such phraseology, what are we to conclude?
Is this sheer ignorance? (failure to write thoughtfully)?
Is it immaturity? (conforming to culture)?
Or is there a more subtle seduction involving spirits that substitute darkness for light? (2 Cor 11:14; Isa 5:20). Recall that the serpent in the garden, as the embodiment of Satan, was once the most glorious worship leader of the angelic host (see Ezekiel 28:13).
So, without judging the hearts of “Jesus Culture,” these gifted musicians may *believe* they are accurately describing their emotions. However, by calling God’s love “fierce” they are using the word in a way that is not only completely foreign the Scriptures but is also contrary to the English language.
The end result is that while these lyrics profess to worship God, they unfortunately distort the perception of his character and nature, and are influencing millions to do likewise.
May the Lord guide and direct our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus as we seek to glorify Him, by worshiping in both Spirit and TRUTH (John 4:24).
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I can not comment as to Jesus Culture and their intent in writing their song. I can only speak to what I feel was revealed to me about God’s love during my experience. I am no Bible Scholar by any means, just a wife and mom who loves Jesus. Webster has a definition of fierce as “showing a heartfelt and powerful intensity”. I can’t think of a better definition of God’s love than that.
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