Maranatha! Music was founded in 1971 by Chuck Smith Sr. of Calvary Chapel t… Read Full Bio ↴Maranatha! Music was founded in 1971 by Chuck Smith Sr. of Calvary Chapel to promote the “Jesus Music” his young hippie followers were writing and singing up and down the California coast. In the early years, Maranatha! Music signed artists because of their passionate profession of faith through music. These songs became the seminal calling card of the worship music genre of that time and belonged to the Maranatha! song catalog. Back then, these songs were on the fringe of what the established church felt was appropriate for church music but they were being sung by millions of young people around the world.

How He Loves
Maranatha! Music Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

He is jealous for me
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realise just how beautiful You are
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh
How He loves us oh
Oh how He loves us
How He loves us all

He is jealous for me
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy
When all of a sudden
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realise just how beautiful You are
And how great Your affections are for me

And Oh
How he loves us oh
Oh how He loves us
How He loves all

Oh
How he loves us oh
Oh how He loves us
How He loves all

We are His portion
And He is our prize
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking
So Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don't have time to maintain these regrets
When I think about,
the way...

He loves us
Oh how He loves us
Oh How He loves us
Oh How He loves us

He loves us
Oh how He loves us
Oh How He loves us
Oh How He loves

Oh how He loves
How He loves us all

Overall Meaning

The first verse of "How He Loves" speaks about the love of God for the singer himself. The phrase "He is jealous for me" refers to the biblical idea that God is a jealous God and desires His people to love Him above all else. The comparison of His love to a hurricane is powerful and illustrates the overwhelming nature of God's love. The singer acknowledges their own frailty and surrender to the weight of His mercy.

The second verse returns to the theme of afflictions being eclipsed by glory, indicating that the majesty of God and the love He demonstrates overshadows any pain, challenge, or difficulty that the singer may experience. The chorus is a powerful repetition of the words "How He loves us," being sung over and over with increasing intensity. It serves as a reminder of the vast love of God and also encourages a response of awe and gratitude from the listeners.

The bridge of the song shifts to describing the love of God for His people. The use of the phrase "We are His portion / And He is our prize" evokes the idea that we are chosen and cherished by God. The phrase "If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking" speaks to the vastness and unrelenting nature of God's love. The final lines of the song describe the way that encountering God's love should transform our hearts and lives, freeing us from the burden of regret and inspiring us to live in relationship with Him.

Line by Line Meaning

He is jealous for me
God desires a close and exclusive relationship with me

Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree
God's love for me is powerful and enveloping, and it causes me to respond and bend under its force

Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
I am overwhelmed by God's gracious love for me and I can only submit to his will.

When all of a sudden
Suddenly, everything changes

I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
All of my troubles and difficulties are overshadowed by God's radiant glory

And I realise just how beautiful You are
In the midst of my worship, I become fully aware of God's beauty and perfection

And how great Your affections are for me.
God has deep and passionate love for me, beyond my understanding

And oh How He loves us oh Oh how He loves us How He loves us all
No matter who we are or what we've done, God loves us all deeply and equally

We are His portion
God has chosen us as His inheritance

And He is our prize
God is the greatest reward that we can receive in life

Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
God's grace is what draws us to Him and leads us to salvation

If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking
God's grace is infinite and unending, and we are fully immersed in it

So Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss
The meeting of the divine and the human is a beautiful and unexpected thing

And my heart turns violently inside of my chest
My heart is filled with intense emotion and passion for God

I don't have time to maintain these regrets
I don't want to waste time dwelling on my past mistakes and regrets

When I think about, the way... He loves us Oh how He loves us Oh How He loves us Oh How He loves us
Reflecting on God's love for me fills me with joy and gratitude, and I can't help but sing out in praise

Oh how He loves us
God's love for us is beyond our comprehension, and it is a beautiful and amazing thing

How He loves us all
God's love is all-encompassing and includes every single person in the world

Contributed by Jason W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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