This is a song of surrender to the Lord. Sin has broken us all and that brokenness inhibits our trust in the Lord. When Lauren Daigle wrote this song with Michael Farren, she was going through a time of substantial loss which sent her searching for clarity in her life. She explained:
"My grandfather had just passed away and he and I were super close. When I lived in Baton Rouge and went to LSU, I lived with him. He was so much fun and one of the most influential men in my life. He was the first person really close to me that I had lost. I was telling Michael Farren about it and he told me about a book he was reading by a man who once worked for Mother Teresa. Upon arriving, she said, 'Is there anything I can do for you?’ And he said, 'Yes, you can pray for me. You can pray that I have clarity.' And she said, 'No, I am not going to pray that you have clarity because clarity is the last thing that's holding you back.' He said, 'Mother Teresa what are you talking about? You have had clarity your whole life.' She said, 'No, I've never had clarity, I've only had trust.' When I heard that, I knew it was not about seeing the big picture. It's about trusting that the Lord is going to be there for you."
The song begins:
“Letting go of every single dream. I lay each one down at Your feet. Every moment of my wandering. Never changes what You see.”
Daigle is speaking to her realization that she’s willing to lay down her ambitions at the feet of Jesus. Jesus’ love for us is greater than any dream or ambition that we have for ourselves. He gave His life for us and wants us to be involved in what He is doing. Yet, it’s not about what we do for Christ, it’s always about what He does for us. Our motivation is not that we have to have great personal sacrifice to be a Christian; it’s that we want to sacrifice our personal ambitions in order to follow Christ because He already offered Himself as a great sacrifice for us.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s Will is – His good, pleasing and perfect Will.” (Romans 12:1-2 NIV)
The song continues:
“I’ve tried to win this war I confess. My hands are weary I need Your rest. Mighty Warrior, King of the fight. No matter what I face, You’re by my side. When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move. When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through. When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You. I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You!”
Even though this song does not explicitly mention the name of Jesus or God in it, there are plenty of keys to understand that it’s referring to Him. Daigle describes the “You” in the song as the individual in which she finds rest, a mighty warrior, a King, One who can move mountains, the source of her strength and comfort, and the solid Rock; a foundation to which she stands – namely God. He is the only one strong enough to accomplish these things.
We all have a spiritual war inside of us. Thanks be to God that He is always with us and fights for us. And the best thing is this: He has already won the greatest war for us. We now get to live in His victory over sin, death, and the devil. And because of His victory, we can put our trust in Him. (Romans 7:21-25).
The song continues:
“Truth is, You know what tomorrow brings. There’s not a day ahead You have not seen. So, in all things be my life and breath. I want what You want Lord and nothing less.”
God is omniscient; He knows everything, even our deepest, most hidden desires and thoughts. (Psalm 139:4). We ought to surrender ourselves completely to Him, trusting that He knows what is best for us. As we draw closer to God in our faith and trust in Him, through prayer and reading His Word, God draws nearer to us. God wants us to submit to Him and humble ourselves before His greatness. If we do, He will exalt us. (James 4:7-10).
The song’s bridge:
“You are my strength and comfort. You are my steady hand. You are my firm foundation; the Rock on which I stand. Your ways are always higher. Your plans are always good. There’s not a place where I’ll go, You’ve not already stood.”
The entire bridge (and the end of my analysis) basically describes several attributes of God that He has revealed to us in His Holy Scriptures. This is by no means an exhaustive list of God’s attributes. He is strong. (Psalm 118:14). God gives us comfort. (Psalm 23). He is immutable; absolute. (Isaiah 43:10). God is a firm foundation. (1 Corinthians 3:10-11). He is incomprehensible; we cannot comprehend His thoughts and His ways. (Isaiah 55:8-9). God has good plans for us. (Jeremiah 29:11). And again, God’s omniscience. (1 Chronicles 28:9).
Soli Deo Gloria!
Philip Frank
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