Aaron Shust Life Itself
Before the break of dawn
My heart cries out to You
Where I’m surrounded by my night
Here all my weaknesses will wait upon Your mercy
The hope of dawn from black to white
From black to white
I love You more than life itself
Lord, You are so good to me
I need You more with every breath
So won’t You breathe some life in me
Won’t You breathe some life in me
Awakening the dawn, with all my heart
I sing to You
You are the reaSon that I live
Under me, over, all around I know You’re with me
Never condemning: You forgive
No matter where I go
No matter where I stand
Your Spirit always speaks to me
And tells me whose I am
With every breath I take
And every choice I make
My heart will always sing to You
Behind the Song:
"On a hot summer night in Georgia, just after I graduated college, I was lying awake at 4 a.m. and regretting decisions I’d made the day before. I don’t remember what it was specifically that was keeping me awake that night, I just remember knowing it was wrong and being sick about it. I repented, begging God for His forgiveness and redemption, and declaring my intent to change my ways. I knew I was free, and that He gave me that forgiveness immediately, because I John 1:9 says that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” However, I still had to live with myself … wretched man that I am! I also read in the Bible that His mercies are new every morning, and that “weeping may last for a night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.” So as I lay there looking out my window—longing for a red line on the horizon, a bird singing, the faintest glimmer of a brand new day—I wrote this song. As the sun finally rose, I was reminded of God’s consistent goodness, His ever-present help in times of need. Most of all, I felt a sense of belonging. It’s not who I am that gives me confidence and hope, it’s Whose I am." - Aaron Shust
