In planning our Sunday worship service, we’re excited to introduce a powerful new song to our congregation: “Great Are You Lord.” One particular lyric from the chorus has deeply resonated with us, and we believe it holds a profound message for all of us: “It’s your breath in our lungs, so we pour out our praise.”
This simple yet profound line beautifully encapsulates the essence of worship. Just as our offerings are a return of what God has already provided – the very abilities and resources to earn – our worship through song is equally a response to God’s prior gift: the breath of life itself. Every note we sing, every word of praise we utter, is enabled by the very breath He has given us. It’s not about impressing God with something we’ve conjured up, but rather acknowledging and giving back a small portion of the immensity He has first bestowed upon us.
To truly grasp the depth of this lyric, let’s consider some foundational scriptures. 1 Chronicles 29:14 poignantly asks, “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.” This verse perfectly sets the stage, reminding us that all we possess originates from God. Similarly, Psalm 116:12 questions, “What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me?” This is the heart of worship – a response to God’s overwhelming goodness.
Isaiah 42:5 further clarifies God’s role as the giver of life: “This is what God the Lord says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, life to those who walk on it.” He is not just the creator of the universe but the sustainer of every breath we take. Psalm 24:1 reinforces this ownership: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” Everything belongs to Him, including the very air we breathe. James 1:17 echoes this truth, stating, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
This understanding diminishes any notion of self-importance in our worship. As another worship song, “I Will Offer Up My Life,” questions, “Jesus, what can I give, what can I bring / To so faithful a friend, to so loving a King?” It’s humbling to realize the sheer magnitude of God’s gifts compared to our limited ability to repay. Another song, “Great Are You by Downhere,” expresses this sentiment beautifully: “Because I’ll never hold the picture of the whole horizon in my view / Because I’ll never rip the night in two / It makes me wonder Who am I, Who am I, Who am I / And great are you.” We are finite beings trying to comprehend an infinite God.
Have you truly contemplated God’s immensity, His power, His boundless knowledge, His transcendence? When we sing “It’s your breath in our lungs,” it’s an acknowledgement of this very truth. It’s a declaration that our praise is not manufactured but flows from the very life He breathes into us. Let us approach worship with this understanding, pouring out praise that is genuinely a response to the breath of life He has gifted us.
Let’s reflect again on our key verse as we prepare our hearts for worship:
1 Chronicles 29:14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.
