Come To The Water (For Those Tears I Died) Jack Marti

Here's my rendition of this classic Christian folk song by Marsha Stevens.

There's a reason why this song is so special to me. I used to be the song leader in a youth group back in the early '80s. There was a girl in that class named Irene who would ask for this song every time we got together, and sometimes more than once. Tragically, she was killed in a car accident after having just registered for classes for her first year in a Christian college. Don't ask me how I did it, but I sang this song at her funeral. It's probably the hardest thing I've ever done. For at least six months after that I could not sing that song again. Somebody would request it, and I'd start to sing it, and I'd choke up every time. Tears are welling up in my eyes even now as I write this. It will be nice to see her again in the Kingdom.

You said You'd come and share all my sorrows.
You said You'd be there for all my tomorrows.
I came so close to sending you away.
But just as You promised, You came here to stay.
I just had to pray.

And Jesus said, "Come to the Water.
Stand by My side.
I know you are thirsty.
You won't be denied.
I felt every teardrop
When in darkness you cried.
And I strove to remind you
That for those tears I died.

Your goodness so great, I can't understand.
But dear Lord I know, that all this was planned.
I know You're here now and always will be.
Your love loosed my chains,
And in You I'm free,
But, Jesus, why me?

And Jesus said, ...

Jesus, I give You my heart and my soul.
And I know that without God, I'd never be whole.
Savior, You've opened all the right doors,
And I thank you and praise You from earth's humble shores.
Take me; I'm Yours.

And Jesus said, ...

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Christian
• folk
• song
• guitar
• music
• Marsha
• Stevens
• Jack
• Marti
• singer
• songwriter

[jackthorn]

Could you possibly let me know what chords those are? It looks like you're starting with D#7 / Am / F / G, but there are some I can't quite be sure of...

[guitmartiman]

@jackthorn Message me your e-mail address, and I'll send you a chord chart.

[mychemicalladdance]

Every single time i hear these words I start to cry. I am a christian and one of the few at my school. I love God with all my heart but i struggle all the time with sin and alot of the times i give in and i'm at a point where i just dont really know what to do to stop. If God really wants me, why is it so incredibly hard for me to truelly drop everything and come to him? Yeah, i guess its me and i guess its satan but thats not helping me. I need to know the actual "why"...

P.S. luv ur story Mr.

[guitmartiman]

@mychemicalladdance I have asked myself the same question many times, and the answer is no less paradoxical now than it was when I was your age. The reason it is so hard 2 just give in and come 2 Jesus is because we're afraid we can't really trust Him. The beauty and horror of the gospel is that our heavenly Father has done and will do everything He can 2 save us, but ultimately, He will not force us 2 receive His love. He already loves us, and has saved us. There's no question about that, but..

[guitmartiman]

unless we exercise the faith that He has already given us 2 believe that He is who He says He is, & has done what He says He has done, we won't ultimately benefit from what He has already given. Part of the reason we have a hard time accepting His love & 4giveness, is because that would require us 2 love and 4give those who have wronged us. Another reason is because we 2 often believe the lies that Satan tells about God, such as that if we sin we will not surely die, but live in torment 4ever.

[prietaquake]

I love this song...Thanks so much 4 posting it... I have been thinking about it 4 years... I knew it n the 70's as a k n my church.... I had the name wrong...Thought it was Come to the Water... close enough...found it here on ypu tube... I loved the way it was sung 2....Thanks so much...

[guitmartiman]

@prietaquake It goes by either Come To The Water or For Those Tears I Died. It's a classic by Marsha Stevens and Children of the Day. I heard them sing it live at the Calvary Chapel in Napa. California in the late '70s. I'm pretty sure you can find a video of Marsha singing it with COTD her on YT. Blessings on you.

[diyaeliza]

Great singing!



[mwp62]

Thank you for posting this song, I am the resurrection, and river of life. I put them all on my "praise" playlist that my wife and I play during the day in our home.

[101581ful]

we played this @ my brother's funiral & my Dads Memorial & I want it @ mine on the Guitar AMAZING.

[justclassicalguitar]

great job, great great tune, that first Children of the Day album had an annointing that just jumped off the record and landed in your heart, amazing...........

[nosralkire]

God has really used this to speak to me. Thanks for this!

[MrDanKeck]

@kruszer The only thing you can give to God is your willingness to serve Him, and that's it. If you're no longer available for HIs service, then you have chosen your own path to destruction. Indeed, this would lead to one mess of a life, quite similar to the one you've currently described - a life "without love."

[MrDanKeck]

@kruszer Forgive me if I'm wrong here, but based on what you've said, it's quite hard to believe the home you've described is anything close to a Christian environment. I mean seriously, a parent that physically abuses their child... how dwelleth the love of Christ in them? Instead of blaming God for placing you in your earthly home, shouldn't you be thanking him for giving you an eternal one where there will be no such suffering?