provision

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 🤷‍♂️)

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 CĂ©dric VT on Unsplash

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), Copyright © 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.

HONEY IN THE ROCK – Brooke Ligertwood, Brandon Lake

/ Jason Henry / 1 Comment

Image by Tim Mossholder from Unsplash

I’m not gonna lie; this song weirded me out at first. I thought to myself, “God made water come from the rock, not honey.” It turns out I was mistaken! This rich image does come from Scripture and it’s been used in church music for a long time. (Watch this video for another artist’s musical take on this idea. You’ll thank me later. Or hate me. 🤷‍♂️) The more I listen to “Honey in the Rock,” the more it grows on me, so before I go ahead and add it to Planning Center, let’s slow down a minute and ask ourselves, “Is it biblical? Will it worship?”

Focus

This song focuses on the sufficiency and provision of God. He is all that we need. A secondary and related theme is the singer’s need for him. “Honey in the Rock” is personal and vertical, using “I” language and addressing God as “You.” We also address Jesus by name and mention the Spirit.

Lyric Analysis

CHORUS 1
We come right out of the gate with the unusual title: “There’s Honey in the Rock.” What in the world does that mean? I find the idea in 2 places in Scripture: Deuteronomy 32:13 and Psalm 81:16. Let’s get a little context from Deuteronomy 32. Here’s an excerpt:

“The Lord alone guided him,
    no foreign god was with him.
He suckled him with honey out of the rock,
    and oil out of the flinty rock.
Curds from the herd, and milk from the flock,
    with fat of lambs,
But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked;
    you grew fat, stout, and sleek;
then he forsook God who made him
    and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation.
They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods;
    with abominations they provoked him to anger.
You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you,
    and you forgot the God who gave you birth.”

So the honey, water (Ex. 17:1-7), and manna (Exodus 16) in the chorus represent God’s provision for Israel in the wilderness. By extension, they represent God’s provision for us, and in declaring that there is honey in the rock, we are saying that we trust God to provide for us even when it seems impossible. This applies to our physical needs, but more importantly to our spiritual needs. The passage from Deuteronomy also uses the image of the rock to describe God. He is the steady, unshakable source of our life and salvation.

It’s also worth noting that in both places where the Bible mentions honey coming from the rock, it is in the context of Israel’s unfaithfulness. This is especially so in Psalm 81 where God longs to satisfy his people with honey and wheat, but they won’t turn to him. This song combats the natural tendency of our hearts to seek satisfaction and sustenance from sources other than our Maker.

VERSE 1
This verse describes a state of longing and need. The line “praying for a miracle” can be easily applied to any situation any singer of the song is facing. I appreciate that the song doesn’t promise that we’ll get the exact miracle we ask for, it just acknowledges our need for God’s intervention in the situation.

We also acknowledge our thirst for the Living Well. This comes from John 4:7-26, where Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at a well and describes himself as the Living Water. He tells her, “whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.” It’s interesting that this passage immediately turns to a discussion of worship, as if John wants us to understand that worshiping God in spirit and truth is how we enjoy the living water Jesus offers, but that’s just speculation on my part! Only God can satisfy our spiritual hunger and thirst (Isa. 55:2).

VERSE 2
The mercy seat is also called the atonement cover, and it’s the portion of the Ark of the Covenant where the high priest would sprinkle a bull’s blood, symbolically coming between God and the law tablets that represented the people’s sins (Lev. 16:11-14). In the context of the song, it can represent both forgiveness and God’s presence. Tasting and seeing that the Lord is good comes from Psalm 34:8.

VAMP
We repeat “there’s honey in the rock” a few more times. Hopefully the congregation will take this opportunity to meditate on what the words mean.

VERSE 3
Paul tells us that there is freedom where the Spirit of the Lord is (2 Cor. 3:17). As we discussed in the first chorus, the heart of this song is God’s ability to provide bounty for us in the wilderness. This is both literal in referring to Israel and metaphorical in describing God’s provision for us spiritually.

CHORUS 2
We repeat the words from chorus 1 and add a few more. This is the part of the song where we really identify God’s provision of honey in the rock for the Israelites with Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the cross. The purpose in God’s plan is to unite all things in heaven and on earth forever in Jesus through his death and resurrection (Eph. 1:9-10). “Power in the Blood” is the title of a classic hymn by Lewis E. Jones. For more on the power in Jesus’ blood, see my review of “Thank You Jesus for the Blood” by Charity Gayle. Jesus healed with the literal laying on of his hands (Luke 4:40), and the power to heal still belongs to God today. I love the line “everything you did’s enough,” because it declares the truth that we are saved by Jesus’ grace, not our own works (Eph. 2:8-9, Heb. 10:10).

The only line that gives me pause is “started flowing when You said it is done.” I take “it is done” to refer to Jesus’ statement “it is finished” on the cross (John 19:30). And the honey was made to flow in the wilderness roughly 1,200 years earlier, so that seems chronologically confused to me. If we take the honey as a metaphor for the sweetness of knowing and trusting God, this line still doesn’t make sense, because that sweetness has always been available to God’s people. As we mentioned earlier, Psalm 34 talks about tasting that the Lord is good. For this line to make sense, we have to see that the authors are drawing a specific parallel between the honey from the rock and the salvation we have through Jesus’ death. Jesus specifically calls himself the bread from heaven (John 6:51) and the source of living water (John 4:10), so it’s not much of a stretch to also see him as the honey from the rock. So, specifically, the sweetness of our saving relationship with him is what started flowing at the cross when he said “it is finished.”

BRIDGE
This looking and finding sounds like the wholehearted seeking that God celebrates in Jeremiah 29:13-14. (…and you thought 29:11 was the only good verse in Jeremiah!) We’ve already talked about God’s provision, which includes him giving, providing, and proving that he is all we need. God often moves in response to prayer (Exodus 32:10-14, James 5:16). I love that the bridge really clearly states what the rest of the song has alluded to. We sing to God “You are all that I need.”

ENDING
The ending sums up and encapsulates the whole song. It is so sweet to be able to trust in Jesus! I don’t think we need a chapter and verse for this one.

Accessibility

Accessibility is a big concern for this song. I’m a pastor and I didn’t even know that the Bible talked about honey coming from a rock. How embarrassing! Further, it took a great deal of analysis to discover that the whole point of this song is that Jesus is the rock and trusting him for provision and salvation is the honey. I am very skeptical that most members of the congregation will be able to make the connections needed to understand this song’s meaning without help. I wouldn’t feel comfortable leading this song on Sunday morning without some serious exposition beforehand.

Having said that, I don’t see much potential for any harmful misunderstandings of the lyrics. I suppose we could misapply the ideas of healing and provision, but I don’t see a big concern here.

Regarding congregational singing, the verse rhythms are a little tricky, but the chorus is eminently singable. The bridge is easy to pick up after a repetition or two.

Music

“Honey in the Rock” is a medium-length, country-gospel song. We start with a stripped-down piano-organ-acoustic chorus at the beginning. I think I might detect a hint of steel guitar in there too, maybe? I love the way this song starts because it gives the congregation an opportunity to learn the chorus before really diving into the song. I also love the breathy choir in the background. We build as we go, adding bass and drums. When we come back to the chorus throughout the song, it finds an infectious groove that you can’t not bob your head to. We do a quiet bridge that builds into another big chorus, and then we end with a quiet ending consisting of new lyrics. All in all, this song follows pretty standard worship song form, but that form is standard for a reason, and the dynamic arc works well here to create a peaceful atmosphere of joyful trust.

Conclusions

Will it worship? Yes, but…

“Honey in the Rock” is catchy and very congregational. Its lyrics forge a beautiful link between Old Testament imagery of God’s provision and salvation and the work Jesus did on the cross and the relationship of trust that we have with him as a result. I’m just worried that that link will go over many people’s heads. I almost feel like I would have to read and explain the section of Deuteronomy 32 that I quoted above every time we sing the song in church, and that’s a lot of explaining. This song would be easier to employ on a worship night or during a week of camp, when Sunday morning time constraints aren’t an issue and time could be devoted to teaching what it means.

Will we sing it at church? It’s still very possible, I just need to see if I can trim this 1,700-word blog post down into a 60 second song intro!

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), Copyright © 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.