The Flame that Never Goes Out

God’s love is a flame that never goes out.
God’s love is a flame that never goes out.
God’s love is a flame that never goes out.
God’s flame never goes out, no,
God’s flame never goes out.

A match–once struck–very quickly dies down.
A match–once struck–very quickly dies down.
A match–once struck–very quickly dies down,
But God’s flame never goes out, no,
God’s flame never goes out.

A lighted candle soon expires.
A lighted candle soon expires.
A lighted candle soon expires,
But God’s flame never goes out, no,
God’s flame never goes out.

A fireplace burns till the wood is all gone.
A fireplace burns till the wood is all gone.
A fireplace burns till the wood is all gone,
But God’s flame never goes out, no,
God’s flame never goes out.

A lantern glows till the oil is used up.
A lantern glows till the oil is used up.
A lantern glows till the oil is used up,
But God’s flame never goes out, no,
God’s flame never goes out.

A flashlight lights while the batteries last.
A flashlight lights while the batteries last.
A flashlight lights while the batteries last,
But God’s flame never goes out, no,
God’s flame never goes out.

God’s love is a flame that never goes out.
God’s love is a flame that never goes out.
God’s love is a flame that never goes out.
God’s flame never goes out, no,
God’s flame never goes out

About This Song:
Every once in a rare while, a song or book idea comes to me in a dream, and this song is one of them.

I dreamed I was at a church business meeting when somebody passed around a disposable lighter with the Broadman (the old name for Lifeway Christian Stores) insignia on it. Apparently to consider as an advertising gimmick. As unlikely as Broadman was to use a tobacco-related item that way, it was equally out of place for consideration at a church business meeting. Definitely a strange dream.

When I woke up, though, I couldn’t help thinking about the temporary nature of a disposable lighter. It does its job–but only as long as the fluid lasts. God’s love never runs out, however–no matter how many people it touches or how often.

All I had to do was come up with a variety of flame- or light-producing items to contrast with the permanence and dependability of God’s love. The first four stanzas were the original ones. Years later I added the lantern and flashlight stanzas. I’m no longer considering an additional stanza that would go something like, “The sun keeps shining till its gases burn out.”

This song isn’t complicated, but it’s both fun and (I believe) theologically accurate, even though it’s not as directly Scripture-based as many of my songs. It should make a good song for children.

Free lead sheets (lyrics, tune, and chords) are available for many of my songs. Click on the Lead Sheets tab at the top of this page to see whether one is available for this song. Videos for many of my songs, some recorded at home and some at our church’s nursing home ministry, can be accessed at my website, RogerBruner.com, under the Listen tab.

Look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

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About Roger E. Bruner

Seventy-five-year-old Roger E. Bruner is the author and publisher of twenty Christian novels and the writer of more than two hundred Christian songs and choruses, a handful of musical dramas, and a number of shorter works. He sings, plays guitar and bass, and records his original songs in his home studio. He is active in his church's nursing home ministry He also plays bass guitar on the church raise team. Married for seventeen years to Kathleen, he has one grown daughter. Kathleen has two. Roger enjoys reading, moderate exercise, photography and book cover design (he's done all of his own except for Rosa No-Name), playing Snood, making walking sticks, and complaining about the state of the nation while continuing to pray for it.

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