Natalie Grant wrote this song with a couple named Sam and Becca Mizell. The inspiration for the song is probably best described in Natalie Grant’s own words:
"This song is such a confession for me personally. To confess, I'm a bit of a control freak. I'd like to say that when things get shaky I'm prone to peace, but I'm not. I'm prone to panic. I think that's why the song just resonated with me. The line ‘How could I make You so small, when You're the One who holds it all?’ really hit me deep at the core of myself. I talk very openly about our struggle with infertility, and this song is another example of how during that time I was prone to panic instead of peace, and I questioned God. That's okay, and I don't think you need to feel guilty about questioning God, asking, ‘Why are You allowing this?’ I think He can handle it.”
This song accurately confesses that God is the Almighty King of all His creation. The theme of this song is that it is foolish to acknowledge and confess Him as the King of the world, yet perpetually live in your own world of control, doubt, worry, anxiety, stress, and fear. I would agree.
From time to time, and with different degrees of intensity, we all exert ourselves as if we are actually in charge of our own lives and the world around us. Yet, despite all our efforts, we only repeatedly destroy ourselves with that same control, doubt, worry, anxiety, stress, and fear. We seem to forget that there are far more things outside of our control than those we can control. So, if we are to acknowledge Jesus Christ as truly the King of this world, it would behoove us to start thinking and acting that way, don’t you think? After all, Jesus has already overcome this world (John 16:33).
I think this song is geared more towards believers than unbelievers. To understand this song, one must already believe the truth that Almighty God is surely the King of the world. This song makes a veiled attempt to tell us that we need God’s Gospel, but sadly it falls short of that. It fails to bear witness to God’s saving grace through Jesus Christ, as one would witness to an unbeliever. The overall focus of the song is a good and accurate message to remember because God’s Law does convict us of our sins. However, there is no proclamation of His Gospel; there is no message of repentance and belief for the forgiveness of our sins and salvation in Jesus Christ alone.
The line in the song that stands out the most to me is: “I try to take life back, right out of the hands of the King of the world.” As sinners, we often do try to take matters into our own hands, especially when we grow impatient of God’s timeline. Sometimes, we are even so arrogant to think that we can take control of our own justification. We try to prove ourselves worthy of God’s grace through our good works. If only we just did more, gave more, or sinned less, we would earn His justification, right?
Wrong. That would be a reliance on our own failing strength, but none of us will ever be strong enough to earn His justification. Only Jesus Christ can provide that to us. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23 ESV). None of us will ever be able to keep His Law perfectly. If we were able to achieve perfection, therefore achieving our own salvation, there would be no reason for Jesus Christ to have stepped down from His throne, die on the cross, or rise from the dead.
Do you think that the prodigal son can only return to his father once? No! If the prodigal son left his father’s house 100,000 times to squander his wealth, his father would still be watching and waiting for him to return 100,000 times. And every time, out of sheer joy and unconditional love, the Father would run out to his son, embrace him, and throw a celebration.
God has revealed Himself to all mankind, so we ought to revere Him and thank Him for His grace and mercy through our adoration and praise of Him, every moment of every day. The redemption that is in Jesus Christ is not something you receive one time and then hope you can hold onto it under the guise of your own strength. Jesus’ blood was spilled for us and for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus already paid the price of sin in full. There is nothing left for us to do for our salvation. It is finished.
Believe. Repent. Be forgiven. All in Jesus Christ’s holy name.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Philip Frank
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