Equippers Revolution ‘Hands High’

Written by: Laura Chambers (6/21/2017)

It’s been said that young children have an easier time learning to adjust to changing circumstances than older people do. Perhaps this is because they haven’t had the time to develop a sense of how things ought to be, or maybe it’s a survival mechanism God granted us, or maybe a combination of both. Whatever the explanation, some people find it more natural to maintain their faith in the face of obstacles than others do.

Another truism is that the things we learn when we are young often stay with us as the years go by. With their release Hands High, Equippers Revolution aims to teach young people (and perhaps the rest of us, as well) that our answer to everything should be to lift our praises to God.

“Hands High” joyfully praises God, satisfied by His love and resolving to worship Him. Despite being on the high end of the happiness spectrum, the song does promise to continue praising Him if things don‘t remain as they are. “Heartbeat” begins with a suggestion that things were not always as pleasant as they now are. For the rest of the song, focus is on how good it is now and the response to same; a loud declaration, a desire for closeness with God, and the decision to change one’s life to more closely match His will. “Here With Me” describes the pull we feel towards a love that changes our perceptions of life. We have a new beginning, a purpose we never imagined before. Is it any wonder that we respond to it with excitement and energy? “Wild” uses the term to describe the unrestrained freedom our lives can embrace in Christ- freedom to do more than we ever thought possible; more than we could ever do alone. The song makes it clear that this word carries none of its usual connotations of immorality in this context. With His word for guidance and His voice to speak His will clearly, how can we go wrong? (As of this fourth song, still no mention of God or Jesus by name, but references to faith, holiness, and His word make it clear to the person who actually pays attention that this is not just some “boyfriend/girlfriend” dance album.)

“My Heart Is Open” swings open the door to God even as He works to unlock it. We can find healing through His grace, and strength in His all-sufficiency. When we invite Him to live in our hearts, our loneliness vanishes. “You Won’t Let Go” finally mentions Jesus by name (six songs in), in case anyone still questioned who “You” was. Recalling the events of the crucifixion, how Jesus laid down His glory to die for people who didn’t deserve it, this song takes on a reverent hush. He has our hearts and won’t leave us; we know this because of the cross. “Fortress” presents the amazing dichotomy of our vulnerability before Christ ensuring our safety rather than undermining it. Though the waters crash around us, He is the one constant place of safety for us. The chorus contains a nice bit of wordplay that encapsulates our security in Him and His Spirit in us in two lines: “You are my fortress/Still You find Your home in me” “Let You In” knows that God is close by even if we wander away from Him, waiting for us to return. Hearing His voice speaking makes us long to allow Him access to the places nobody else knows about, whether we’re intentionally trying to hide them from others or not. Unfettered access to all of it. We are given a moment in the song to consider the implications and choose to respond in kind.

“Still” requests that God turn down the volume of every sound other than His voice, as it’s the only thing that actually makes sense. When we hear God, we are reminded of His presence and cease paying attention to our fears. There’s quite a bit of clamor in the arrangement of this song, but maybe it’s because sound does not always equal noise. “Motions” expresses a desire to find the middle ground between apathy and passion; God desires neither state for us. It’s impossible not to respond to His outpouring of love through either actions or words. “Better With You” comes full circle, certain that our lives will become richer when we trust Him. What we promise in the light we will hold to in the darkness. He is in control. By looking to Him, we see more than we can with our own eyes alone.

When we devote ourselves to God, we can little imagine what good or ill will follow our decision. But by choosing Him, we take that all-important first step of faith. If we continue to move in the right direction, we will find the strength to endure in Him. Equippers Revolution encourages us to lift everything to the Lord. Hands High begins on a high note with the initial euphoria of a redeemed heart, the utter relief of surrender, maturing before our eyes in faith, finishing off with a mixture of optimism, trust, and yielding all.

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