christianity

Is God’s Love Reckless? A Long Overdue and Mostly Superfluous Review of Cory Asbury’s Smash Hit ‘Reckless Love’

/ Jason Henry / Leave a comment

It had to be done.

I simply could not claim to write a theological worship song review blog without confronting the greatest worship controversy of our age: Is God’s love reckless? I doubt our pal Cory knew what a can of worms he was opening when he and his coauthors penned “Reckless Love,” but now that I’ve seen his TikToks, I’m pretty sure he eats cans of worms for breakfast and would gladly do it all over again.

So: “Reckless Love.” Cory Asbury, Caleb Culver, and Ran Jackson. Biblical or heretical? Should you sing it in church or walk out as soon as you hear that electric guitar lead line? Will it worship?? Here goes.

Focus

The two themes of this song are God’s relentless love and the humble response of the undeserving recipient. I wouldn’t call this song self-centered, but it is very focused on the love relationship between the individual and the Lord.

What are the main themes of the song? Is it God-centered or me-centered? How does it address God?

Lyric Analysis

THE DEEPLY THEOLOGICAL VERSES
Verse 1 draws together ideas from Zephaniah 3:17, Genesis 2:7, Psalm 139:13-16, and Jeremiah 1:5. God knows us before we are born, even before we are conceived. He gives us life, delights in us, sings over us! Even before we exist, our Father is drawing us into his story.

If the first verse is about God loving us before we are even born, verse 2 is about his love for us before we come to know and love Jesus. Romans 5:8-10 and Ephesians 2:1-5 teach us that before we believed, we were dead in our sins, alienated from the life of God, enslaved both by our own passions and oppressive demonic forces, living as God’s enemies. But even while we were in this state, Christ died to reconcile us to God!

When the world or our own fears tell us we are worthless, Jesus says that he gave the very highest price to buy us back from slavery: himself. (Titus 2:14)

THE UNRELENTING BRIDGE
I’m going out of order. Sorry. šŸ¤· In the bridge, Jesus be climbing up walls, kicking down mountains, and lighting up shadows to come after me. Or something like that.

Jesus’ divine nature as the Light of the World is a recurring theme in Scripture. John 1:5 says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.” This is part of a longer description of Christ’s incarnation, his humble entry into the world of flesh to make God known to us and invite us into his family. So he lights up shadows in pursuit of us. John also ties Jesus’ identity as the Light to his identity as the Truth. As love casts out fear (1 Jn 4:18), so truth casts out lies (Eph 4:25), and Jesus’ light tears down the lies that would prevent us from being drawn into his family.

I can’t think of any specific examples of Jesus climbing a mountain to reach us, but I take this as a metaphor for the many obstacles he overcame in order to extend his love to us, especially the cross and the humiliating death he willingly endured there (Heb 12:2, Ph 2:8). Ephesians 2:13-15 tells us that he tore down the walls between people (hostility) and between humanity and God (the Law) in his own flesh on the cross.

I think the bridge comes off a little bit Calvinist, which could be a good or bad thing depending on your tradition and beliefs. The idea of God kicking down every wall to come after me does feel a bit like the doctrine of irresistible grace, though it stops short of fully taking that position.

THE RECKLESS CHORUS
While the title of this song is indeed “Reckless Love,” “reckless” is just one of many adjectives applied to God’s love here in the chorus. I don’t even think it’s the most important one. The best song titles highlight what is unique about a song, not necessarily the most important point the song makes. There are lots of songs about how God’s love is overwhelming and unending, but this is the first mainstream worship hit to make use of the word “reckless,” and it certainly makes a splash.

Especially when taken together with the verses and bridge, this chorus is about how God’s love will overcome every obstacle to pursue us wherever we are. It characterizes the love God displays throughout Jesus’ parables in Luke 15. The father of the Prodigal Son exposes himself to ridicule by running out to meet his son. The son is overwhelmed. A woman spends costly oil and crawls around her house to find her lost coin. She won’t quit until it’s found. And (as specifically referenced in the song), the shepherd who loses one sheep abandons his 99 others in pursuit of the one missing. Reckless behavior perhaps? These parables show the intense love of God the Father for those who are lost from him.

Referring to the worshiper, this song says, “I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still You give Yourself away.” Ephesians 2:8-9 teaches us that God’s grace and salvation (inextricably tied to his love) are free gifts, not anything we could earn. “Deserve” is a tricky word, and I think there is a sense in which we deserve God’s love and a sense in which we don’t. Fortunately, this line is explained in verse 2: “When I was your foe, still your love fought for me.” Our natural state apart from God is to be enslaved in our sin, and our only earned or deserved relationship to him is that of an enemy. Still, God extends his love to us. He has made us in his image, called us into his family, and shown our inestimable worth to him through his sacrifice on the cross.

BUT IS IT RECKLESS THOUGH???
As Pilate asks, “What is truth” (Jn 18:38) so we must ask, “What is reckless?” Merriam-Webster gives two definitions, but one of them is a two-parter, so let’s call it three:

  1. Marked by a lack of proper caution
  2. Careless of consequences
  3. Irresponsible

I think when people get hung up on this word in this song, they are primarily thinking of definition #3. God is certainly not irresponsible. Jesus isn’t a reckless driver, a kid who didn’t do his homework, or a gambling addict who lost it all on the ponies and can’t feed his family. I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that no reasonable person, Christian or otherwise, would hear the words of this song and think that’s the kind of recklessness the author intends to ascribe to our Lord.

There’s a case to be made for #1, since a constant criticism the Pharisees had for Jesus was that he didn’t show proper caution in associating with sinners, healing on the Sabbath, and acting like he had authority to forgive sins.

But I think the definition closest to Cory, Caleb, and Ran’s meaning here is #2. God knew exactly what the consequences of pursuing us to the cross with his love would be, and he didn’t care. He did it anyway. If I see my daughter run out in front of a train, and I leap onto the tracks to shove her out of the way, no one would criticize the preacher at my funeral for calling that a reckless act of love. So it seems perfectly appropriate to me to call Christ’s incarnation and ultimate sacrifice acts of reckless love.

“But Jason!” you say, “‘Recklessness’ is still bad! We mustn’t tarnish God’s reputation with words bearing negative connotations!”

My response is that the Bible itself uses negative words and exaggeration for effect, even when describing God! God loves Jacob and hates Esau (Rm 9:13). Jesus tells us that we have to hate our mothers, fathers, spouses, children, and our own lives to be his disciples (Lk 14:26). In 1 Corinthians 1:25, Paul has the audacity to say, “Godā€™s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and Godā€™s weakness is stronger than human strength.” God foolish and weak? Blasphemy!

The same understanding of poetic language and figures of speech that allows us to make sense of these passages also enables us to call God’s love reckless without distorting the truth of his wisdom and foresight.

So, yes! God’s love is reckless. And, no! God’s love isn’t exactly reckless. But the word has great poetic value in the unique and poignant way it captures Christ’s willing self-sacrifice.

(For a counterpoint to my view, John Piper raises some concerns about this word, even while rejoicing in how Calvinistic many of the lyrics are. He brings up the theology of open theism in which God chooses not to know what all of our individual choices will be and suggests that the word “reckless” implies this theology. I think that’s a huge leap.)

Accessibility

The only people who misinterpret this song are established Christians who have a theological objection to calling God’s love reckless. The language is quite transparent except for the phrase “leaves the 99,” which means nothing unless you’re familiar with the parable it refers to.

To be honest, this song is a little tricky to sing, mostly due to rhythm and prosody. The range is an octave+5, which is a little wide but also typical for contemporary worship. In practice, I have found that congregations are more than happy to learn the melody and belt this song out. (And at this point, everyone probably knows it already.)

Music

One thing I love about this song is its musical versatility. You can sing it with a worship band, an orchestra, or just a piano. For example, the iconic opening lead line works great on almost any instrument. The dynamics and chord progression follow the typical worship song patterns, but they’re classic for a reason. There’s a good build through the bridge, and the chorus works great loud and soft.

The thing that sets this song apart musically is the way dotted eighth note melody of the chorus and lead line sits on top of the 6/8 beat. The melody feels like it’s in 4/4 even though it’s not, and this offers some really cool musical tension that pulls you forward through the song. It also offers a challenge for drummers! The only solution I have is to encourage your musicians to listen to this song on repeat for a while until they really internalize the underlying beat and the main melody and how they fit together.

Function

Gathering | Word | Table | Sending

This one works best in the middle of a worship service. It is intimate and communicates both the truth of God’s love to us and our humble and needy (in a good way!) response to him.

It would be super cool to use this song immediately following a reading or dramatic presentation of any of the Luke 15 parables.

Conclusions

Will it worship? Of course it will! This is a powerful worship anthem that has expressed the love of God in a fresh way to a whole generation. It’s accessible, deep, mostly singable, and teaches biblical truth. I am thoroughly convinced that no one has ever learned any bad theology from this song, and I remain in awe at the reckless love of our Savior.

Image by Vital Sinkevich on Unsplash

Scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright Ā© 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Exploring ‘Long Live the King’: A Worship Analysis

/ Jason Henry / Leave a comment

“Long Live the King,” written by Gabriel Wilson, Matt Gilman, and Nate Lapeer, seized my attention when it came out two years ago. Its vivid and theological description of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and exaltation brought me to tears in my car. It impressed the majesty and glory of Christ on my heart and imagination in a way that few songs have.

I learned it, practiced it, and was all geared up to use it for Easter 2023! Unfortunately, the third verse weirded me out. My church doesn’t really teach that Jesus descended into hell while he was in the grave, and I thought that event, the Harrowing of Hell, is what this verse was referring to. I chickened out, and we haven’t used it for church. But now I’m ready to give “Long Live the King” another look! What is that funky third verse about, is it biblical, and will it worship? Let’s check it out!

Focus

“Long Live the King” is an acclamation of Christ. It explores his suffering, death, resurrection, and glorification and hails him as king in each context.

It calls Jesus by name and uses lots of titles for him including Anointed One, Emmanuel, and Perfect Lamb. It also refers to the Holy Spirit’s role in Jesus’ resurrection. The language in “Long Live the King” is both personal and corporate; each chorus talks about lifting my hands, but the verses speak of our Messiah, our Redeemer, our victory.

Lyric Analysis

VERSES 1 & 2
These verses are sung back-to-back and recount the same events from two different perspectives.

Verse 1 is about the physical events of Jesus’ suffering, death, and burial. It picks out several significant events from John 19, so we’ll start with the crown of thorns. The writers do something really cool here by saying, “There in crown of thorn and thistle.” At first, I thought this was just a poetic liberty. After all, the crown in the Gospels only had thorns. No thistles to be seen. But where do we find thorns and thistles together in the Bible? Genesis 3:18 says of the ground, “thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you.” Adam’s work is made painful and dangerous because of sin. In his death, Jesus is taking Adam’s curse upon his own head. This is something verse 2 makes explicit.

The rest of the verse recounts more familiar details: the sign reading “King of the Jews,” Jesus’ blood shed on the cross, the crimson river flowing from his pierced side, darkness falling at his death, the burial clothes, and Jesus’ interment in a tomb. This verse invites us to contemplate Christ’s suffering and humiliation. When we do, we find both grief and gratitude welling up within us.

Verse 2 deals with the spiritual realities of Christ’s work on the cross. The first line echoes the metaphor of Adam’s thorns and thistles: every curse is laid upon Christ. He bears the burden for us. He wears our sin like the robe of shame the soldiers placed on him.

Calling Jesus the “perfect Lamb led to the slaughter” recalls the words of Isaiah 53:7, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter.” It also looks forward to Revelation 5:5-6, where John is told to look for the Lion, but instead finds the slain Lamb standing. This song will show us both Jesus’ humble sacrifice as a lamb and his triumphant power as a lion.

In the Old Testament, a ransom was the price paid to save someone’s life, either from slavery or from the just punishment for a crime they had committed. This is what Christ has done for us. At the moment of his death, Jesus tore the temple veil in two (Lk 23:44-46). This was the curtain that sealed off the Holy of Holies, the place where God’s presence rested. It represented the great divide between God and man, the rift between our sinfulness and his holiness. Christ’s death was a great victory because he accomplished all this, defeating sin and darkness, freeing us from our enslavement to death, and bringing us safely into God’s holy presence. Revelation 12:11 teaches us that the victory of the saints is in the blood of the Lamb.

LONG LIVE THE KING
There is no single chorus in this song. Instead, each chorus has its own words that develop what was discussed in the preceding verse. The one commonality is the repeated titular phrase: “Long live the King!”

People have been wishing long life to their rulers for millennia. “Long live the king” was the shout of the people when Samuel anointed Saul and proclaimed him king (1 Sam 10:24). Daniel even addresses King Darius, a pagan ruler, this way (Dan 6:21). To say “long live the king” is to express loyalty and submission to a ruler. It’s a statement of belief that they are the rightful and beneficial sovereign. It is an endorsement of their justice and righteousness.

In Western culture, “long live the king” is often part of the longer phrase “The king is dead, long live the king!” Traditionally, this is the announcement of the death of the former ruler and the succession of the new one. In the context of Jesus’ death, it means something completely different! It is in his dying that he is crowned and exalted.

How appropriate, then, to proclaim “long live the king” of Christ Jesus, of whom Isaiah says, “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore!” (Is 9:7)

CHORUS 1
The first line of this chorus says, “the wrath of God and man now satisfied.” Many people are uncomfortable with songs that mention God’s wrath, or the idea that Jesus satisfies it. They object to the idea that a loving God should have any wrath toward his children and therefore the idea that he should send his Son to absorb such wrath on our behalf. I sympathize with their concerns, but we need to take the problem of human evil seriously if we are going to discuss God’s wrath. How can we look at genocides, murders, rapes, systemic racism, oppression of the poor, and casual acts of violence and not cry out for justice? How can we not cry out for God’s wrath to wash away the wicked? We must also remember that Jesus is not a separate entity from God; he is not merely human. He is God himself. So if one seek to blame God for creating man with our capacity for wickedness or if you think God is unjust to punish evil, remember that he stepped into our suffering and pain and took his own wrath upon himself. (Rom 2:8, Rom 3:23, 2 Cor 5:21, Gal 3:10-13, Isa 53:4-11) I think this is an excellent line because it shows that while God’s wrath is just, it is no longer directed toward us us because of Christ’s atonement. I also love that it draws the wrath of man into the equation. We humans so easily become wroth with one another, but Jesus’ death disarms our anger and violence. Ephesians 2:14 teaches that Christ broke down the dividing walls between people as well as the wall between us and God. In the shadow of the cross, how can we raise a hand against our brother or sister?

The phrase “he paid the price” echoes the early church’s understanding of atonement, called “ransom theory.” (Think Aslan dying to ransom Edmund in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.) In the Old Testament, atonement for all the people was made with continual sacrifices. Jesus has made perfect and final atonement once and for all by the sacrifice of his own body and blood (Heb 10:10).

Even sin and sickness must obey Jesus. He healed countless people during his ministry, including casting out demons (Mt 8:16-17). In the story of the paralyzed man in Matthew 9:1-8, he demonstrates his lordship over both. Not only does he forgive all the man’s sins, but he heals his body as evidence of his authority. It is important that we remember that while every sin and sickness must submit to Jesus’ authority, we are not guaranteed individual victory over each sin and sickness in our lifetime. There are sins that will continue to tempt us until we die, and each of us will eventually succumb to sickness. Even the Apostle Paul dealt with his famous “thorn in the flesh,” a persistent ailment of some kind (2 Cor 12:7). We must not take someone’s continued illness or struggle with temptation as evidence of lack of faith or evidence that God is absent.

VERSE 3
This verse is a little confusing because it could refer to a couple different things. It references several Scriptures, but the verses in question are famously hard to understand. We could be talking about the Harrowing of Hell, or we could be speaking more generally about Jesus defeating death.

In ancient Greek thought, Hades was where all the dead went, not only the wicked. It doesn’t carry the same connotations of evil and punishment as the Christian idea of hell. (Side note: Can we all agree to sing “depths of Hades” instead of “bowels of Hades?” I would really rather not say “bowels” in a worship song. šŸ¤¢) The trembling in Hades could refer to the twin earthquakes at Christ’s death and resurrection (Mt 27:54, Mt 28:2), or it could refer to death and hell themselves quaking in fear at Christ’s victory. The breath of God descending could refer to the Holy Spirit entering Christ’s tomb to bring him back to life (Rom 8:10-11), or to Jesus entering the realm of the dead to proclaim his Gospel to all the dead (1 Pet 3:18-20).

The triumphal parade seems to be a reference to Ephesians 4:8-9, which says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men. (In saying, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?).” Rather than a parade of captured enemies, as commonly seen in a Roman triumph or even in Psalm 68:8, Jesus is leading a procession of liberated captives. This procession consists of everyone who will believe in him, past, present, and future.

Either way you interpret it, this verse uses poetic and scriptural language to show the triumph of Jesus over death.

CHORUS 2
Now, instead of a the mockery and pain of a crown of thorns, Jesus, the Son of God, is crowned with many crowns. This line comes from Revelation 19:12 and also the famous hymn “Crown Him with Many Crowns.”

Jesus is the light of the world who dispels darkness and defeats death (Jn 8:12, 1 Cor 15:22-26). We would be lost in darkness on our own, but instead we are found in his light.

Another potential source of controversy in this song is the line “the souls of every sinner now redeemed.” The question here is whether this line suggests Christian universalism or universal reconciliation, the belief that all people will be saved, not only those who come to believe in Jesus during their earthly lives. I don’t think this line necessarily teaches that. The line says every sinner is redeemed, not that every sinner is saved. To redeem or ransom someone (see verse 2) means to pay a price for that person’s rescue or liberation. Jesus has paid the price for the redemption of every human being. Some may reject him and flee from him, like Hosea’s redeemed wife left him, but this does not lessen the scope of Christ’s great redemption.

VERSE 4
The Bible doesn’t give us much information about what happened inside Jesus’ tomb. We don’t know all the ins and outs of the trinitarian relationship, but it seems evident that the Holy Spirit played a major role in the Resurrection. Romans 8:10-12 says, “if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” Genesis 2:7 says that when God was making the world, Adam became a living creature when the breath of life entered nostrils. So Christ’s resurrection, the breath of life reentering his lifeless body, is the moment when the New Adam inaugurates the New Creation.

The dual image of Christ as Lion and Lamb is found throughout Scripture, but especially Revelation 5:5-6. Jesus has given his life as the sacrificial Lamb and he has triumphed over death as the glorious Lion of Judah. He is alive and glorified!

CHORUS 3
The name Emmanuel means “God with us,” so it’s interesting that the songwriters use this title here, at the height of Jesus’ glorification in heaven. Even when he is so very far above us, so enthroned that the very stars worship him, he is still near to us.

Much as he has exchanged a crown of thorns for many crowns of glory, Jesus has exchanged the mocking robe of the soldiers for one of true rulership. In Revelation 19:11-16, Jesus rides at the head of the armies of heaven wearing a robe dipped in blood and bearing the name “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” His reign and victory are just, faithful, and true. None is more worthy, none is more powerful. This enthronement of the Lion/Lamb King is the event for which all of creation has been longing (Rom 8:18-22). The stars and all of creation erupt in worship, and when we sing this song, we join in with them (Ps 148), declaring “long live the King!”

Accessibility

This song has a lot of words and Scripture references, but it also paints really clear and beautiful mental images that anyone can latch onto. For instance, the final chorus references Revelation 19, Romans 8, and Psalm 148, but you don’t have to know those passages to be able to picture the resurrected King Jesus filling heaven with his presence and taking his rightful place on the throne.

The main concern I have for misinterpretation is that some people might take the line, “every sinner now redeemed” as a statement of universal reconciliation, which most Christian churches do not teach. It’s also possible for people to get hung up on the intricacies of verse 3, but I’m confident that is a tangle that only experienced church people will stumble into, and if anything it will lead them into deeper study of God’s word.

The constant refrain, “Long live the King!” is easy to pick up (though the melody gets kinda funky in the second half of the song). The verses repeat the same melodic material over and over, so I think it will be easy for a congregation to learn and sing. The choruses are a little trickier, but well within the bounds of what is congregational. The melody jumps around quite a bit (slightly more than two octaves šŸ˜¬), so range may be a concern. Still, the majority of it stays within an octave+2, so I don’t think you’ll lose people except on the very highest and lowest notes.

Music

The music of this song matches the words perfectly. The beginning is somber, then becomes hopeful, driving, and finally triumphant. And man is that ending triumphant! This is one of my very favorite expressions of the glory of the ascended Son of Man, and it has brought me to tears more than once. Having said all that, dynamics are super important in this song. It’s got to start quiet, it’s got to drive hard through the middle build, and it’s got to have a big ending.

The chord structure is another one of my favorite features of this song. It largely uses the chords you expect in worship songs and pop music, but it also throws in a couple minor 5s and flat 6s that somehow open up the tonality to invoke a level of majesty that you just don’t get in your typical G D Em C worship progression.

With those funky chords, the crazy dynamics, and the wide vocal range, this song demands a lot of a worship band, and it’s not for the faint of heart.

Function

Gathering | Word | Table | Sending

I would use this song anywhere in a worship service except for the very end. It unites God’s people with a shared acclamation, it declares the story of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and glorification, and it provides us with an opportunity to respond to that story from our hearts with love, devotion, and awe. So it works well as an opening song, a song of the Word, or a Communion/response song. The tricky part is fitting it into the dynamic or energy level flow of a service, since it starts so quietly and ends huge.

I would resist the temptation to use this one as a closer. The ending is big and powerful and exciting, but it lacks the kind of call-to-action that makes for an effective sending song.

Conclusions

Will it worship? You bet!

I started writing this post several months ago, before schoolwork and life circumstances necessitated taking a break from blogging. Since then we have sung “Long Live the King” a few times in church, beginning on Easter. I found that people were profoundly moved by the song, though it was more difficult than average for a congregant to learn and be able to sing along.

So, if your band is up for a challenge and you don’t mind some challenging lyrics about Jesus defeating hell, go for it! I am confident this song will bless your congregation and facilitate their heartfelt response to the gospel and the glory of Jesus.

Image by Tom Gainor on Unsplash

Scripture quotations are from the ESVĀ® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard VersionĀ®), Copyright Ā© 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.

Promises or Prosperity? A Biblical Analysis of ‘The Lord Will Provide’

/ Jason Henry / Leave a comment

Zack Shelton introduced me to “The Lord Will Provide” (Brett Younker, Chris Davenport, and Jess Cates) at ICYC last year, and I have to confess a little hesitation toward it in the beginning! Songs about God’s promise to provide for us often feel weird to me. We don’t sing them often in my church, in part because we are concerned about the false promises of the prosperity gospel, and we don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea. But after hearing several hundred students belt out their trust in the Lord to this song, my heart softened! And the truth is, God does promise to provide for our needs and answer our prayers.

So the question is: does this song offer us a valuable way to express trust in God and give thanks for his provision without overstepping and adding to his word? In other words, is “The Lord Will Provide” biblical, and will it worship?

Focus

“The Lord Will Provide” (as the title might suggest) is about God’s generosity in providing for our needs. It calls us to seek God’s kingdom and trust him to care for us rather than worrying about getting what we want or need.

This song freely floats between singing to God and singing to one another. It’s mostly personal, using me/my language to describe the relationship between the individual and the Lord, only acknowledging “us” once in the bridge. God is often addressed as You, and we call him God, our Father, and the Lord.

Lyric Analysis

VERSES
Verse 1 says “I don’t have to wonder; I know what You’re doing.” What he’s doing, in this song and in Scripture, is providing for our spiritual and physical needs.

The verses refer to Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:26-34. He invites his followers to consider the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. The birds don’t save up for winter or retirement, and the flowers don’t know how to sew. If our heavenly Father feeds and clothes them, then we can certainly trust him to take care of us!

One aspect of this story I’ve never considered before is that Jesus chooses living things which have relatively short lifespans for this example. It’s easy to watch a flower sprout, bloom, and fade all in a season. Sparrows (Mt 10:29-30) only live for 2-5 years. God cares for these creatures, but that doesn’t mean they last forever or face no hardship. Indeed, Jesus’ acknowledges our own mortality when he says, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (Mt 6:27)

PRE-CHORUSES
Each pre-chorus provides a little opportunity to respond in trust to God’s provision. Instead of worrying, we can look to God’s faithfulness. Instead of chasing more, more, and more, we can recognize that God’s love is what really satisfies us. He doesn’t just provide us with enough; he is enough.

A note about anxiety: Jesus gives firm but gentle correction in v. 34 when he calls the worrier “you of little faith.” When someone is in the pit of anxiety, these words can feel like a harsh rebuke, a command to do better, quit worrying, and just have faith! I have a couple thoughts that I hope will help. First, in vv. 31-32, Jesus defines worrying as behaving like godless Gentiles, constantly pursuing their own food and clothing rather than trusting that our Father knows what we need. Second, the solution isn’t just to have more willpower and stop feeling anxious. The way Jesus tells us to combat anxiety is by seeking his Kingdom. That can mean a lot of different things, but all of them involve focusing a little less on ourselves and a little more on other people. I won’t try to fully explore what seeking the Kingdom means here, but a great place to start is the wider Sermon on the Mount, of which this teaching on worry is but a small part. So Jesus doesn’t just tell us to stop being anxious, he gives us a picture of the kind of Kingdom life that will help us entrust our worries to him (1 Pt 5:7).

CHORUS
The chorus is short, sweet, and repetitious. God our Father has all we need, and we can trust him to provide it for us. Another meaning of “my Father has it” could be in the sense of “God’s got this.” If there’s a situation that seems out of control, these lyrics are a reminder that he’s still in control.

These words could certainly be misapplied. I need $50,000 to pay off my student loans. I need my estranged daughter to forgive me. I need policies to change so my family won’t be deported. I need a cure for this disease I’ve just been diagnosed with. These are all legitimate needs, and doesn’t the Bible say, “ask, and it will be given to you?” (Mt 7:7) This is, of course, one of the oldest questions in the world. If God is powerful and cares about me, why doesn’t he give me what I ask for in prayer? To be sure, sometimes, he does! Sometimes the disease is healed and the finances are provided. If we ask God continually for our daily bread, we find that he continually provides it, and that’s part of what this song is about. But what about when he doesn’t? In those instances, I think Jesus directs away from the God-has-to-give-me-what-I-ask-for mentality and toward trust. The answer isn’t that God doesn’t care, or that I sinned so he won’t hear me, or that I don’t have enough faith. If we look at the next few verses in Matthew 7, Jesus says, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” And in our main text for this song, he says, “your heavenly Father knows you need them.” We have a God who knows us, and he knows our needs. Even when it doesn’t seem like he’s coming through, he still cares for us and provides for us, and he still has good in store for us.

BRIDGE
We already alluded to this idea: seeking God’s Kingdom is the antidote to anxiety over our own needs. Being focused on loving others and trusting in the generosity of the Father will help us not to be wrapped up in what we think we need. His blessings often look different than we thought they would.

Accessibility

Trusting in God to provide for our needs can go wrong when we fall into two big errors: 1) thinking that he has to give us what we ask for and 2) thinking that when he doesn’t, it’s because he failed or we didn’t have enough faith. Expecting God to always come through the way we think he should is setting ourselves up for disappointment.

“The Lord Will Provide” could be misunderstood in this way, but it offers two correctives. First, the Pre-chorus 2 says that God is enough, and his love will satisfy us. I wish this truth were repeated more throughout the song. Second, it takes our eyes off of our anxiety for our present needs and sets them on God’s Kingdom.

One of the strongest lines in the song is also the most confusing. We’re supposed to seek the Kingdom and its treasures, but what does that mean? I don’t think most people in church really know, and this song doesn’t explain it.

The range of this song is all within an octave! And most of it falls within a 5th! Incredible! The repetitive melodic and rhythmic patterns make it extremely singable and easy to learn. All the bonus points!

Music

“The Lord Will Provide” is in 6/8 with a little bit of swing. It almost forces you to nod your head or sway a little bit. This rhythm draws you in and evokes a sense of steadiness and trust, a perfect match to the lyrics. When the singing starts, the melody paints the same picture. The chorus is insistent with its refrain “my Father has it.” The bridge drives forward, propelling the worshiper forward to seek God’s Kingdom.

This song relies on piano, drums, and bass, adding guitars throughout for more energy. For the most part, I don’t anticipate it being too difficult for beginner/intermediate musicians to play. The drum beat on the bridge is a little offbeat, so it might take some extra practice. The bass guitar does some really cool grooves, but these are not critical and can be omitted as skill requires. The piano lead line at the beginning shouldn’t be hard, but for some reason, it really tripped me up! I especially like having a soprano double the melody for extra power on the bridges.

Function

Gathering | Word | Table | Sending

“The Lord Will Provide” is most appropriate in the second half of the service. After the Word has been presented, the congregation has the opportunity to respond in trust. The challenge to “seek first the Kingdom” also gives this song a missional thrust appropriate to the Sending.

This song would be especially meaningful paired with a reading of Matthew 6:26-34 or 10:28-30. It would make an excellent response song to any teaching about anxiety, trusting God, his provision, or seeking the Kingdom. We’re introducing it right now during a teaching series on money and possessions, and I think it’s a great thematic fit.

It would be cool to see a worship service composed entirely of the Sermon on the Mount and various songs that express and respond to the ideas there. This song would be one of them.

Conclusions

Will it worship? Every single time! (sorry šŸ¤·ā€ā™‚ļø)

I mentioned my concern about assuming God is going to answer all our prayers exactly how we want, the false promise of the prosperity Gospel. But I think “The Lord Will Provide” combats that misunderstanding effectively. It bases its lyrics heavily on Scripture and says what the Bible says without going a step further. It’s hard to argue with that!

We’re singing “The Lord Will Provide” this Sunday, and I’m confident the congregation will be grab onto it quickly to sing their trust and hope in God and his provision.

Image by CĆ©dric VT on Unsplash

Scripture quotations are from the ESVĀ® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard VersionĀ®), Copyright Ā© 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.