Photo by Kirill Pershin
Contemporary Christian artist Laura Story officially started her career in1996. Originally part of Silers Bald with Shane Williams, she pursued a solo career in 2002, releasing Indescribable. Chris Tomlin popularized it two years later, jumpstarting her sales. Her other albums and EP include:
- There Is Nothing (2005)
- Great God Who Saves (2008)
- Blessings (2011)
- God of Every Story (2013)
- God with Us (2015)
- Open Hands (2017)
- I Give Up (EP) (2019)
Story won a Grammy in 2012 for Best Contemporary Christian Music Song (“Blessings”) and six dove awards, including Inspirational Album of the Year (2009), Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year (2012), Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year (2012), Song of the Year (2012), and Inspiration Recorded Song of the Year (2015 and 2016).
Also, check out my review of Blessings and Indescribable.
Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site! Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.
1. What message does the song communicate?
Laura Story does not deserve God’s grace; His undeserved favor. She is too proud. She does not fix her eyes on Jesus. Yet, she recognizes that God nudges her to obedience, slowly transforming her mind to align with His. She credits God as the One working through her when she does great things for Him.
The next stanza, Story speaks for God as if He is speaking. Speaking for God is a very dangerous prospect which ought to handle with care. Old Testament prophets were killed for falsely speaking on God’s behalf. With that in mind, Story accurately represents God’s response to the number of times forgiven, namely, none. She is also correct about continual acquirement of the power of God’s grace. Namely, seeking Him daily.
Finally, Story realizes that repayment is a futile effort. Instead, she learns to obey.
Score: 10/10
2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?
All of Story’s lyrics are consistent with the teachings of the Bible.
Lyrics posted with permission.*
Since this song does not contain a Verse/Chorus/Bridge structure, I assigned stanzas to each paragraph.
[Stanza 1]
My heart is so proud. My mind is so unfocused
This is the human condition, that we are deceitful and desperately wicked above all other things (Jeremiah 17:9).
I see the things You do through me as great things I have done
This acknowledges and credits God as the One who works through Story, as opposed to her operating on her own strength (Galatians 2:20).
And now You gently break me, then lovingly You take me
It seems reasonable that, considering how patient God is with us (2 Peter 3:9) and that Jesus is gentle at heart (Matthew 11:29), that God is gentle in His breaking of us. This requires us to repent, spoken by Story in Stanza 5.
It is the love of God that compels Story to follow Him. He showed it through sacrifice for Story’s undeserving, wicked heart (John 3:16 and Romans 5:6-8).
And hold me as my father and mold me as my maker
That is, God is with Story (Deuteronomy 31:6-8, Joshua 1:5-9, Psalm 23:4, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 139:7-10, Isaiah 41:10, Jeremiah 23:23-24, Zephaniah 3:17, Matthew 6:25-34, Matthew 28:20, John 14:16-17, Hebrews 13:5, Romans 8:38-39, and Revelation 3:20) and transforms us through Jesus (Romans 6:1-11, Romans 7:4-6, Galatians 2:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:11, and 1 Peter 2:24) and conforms her to His image (Romans 12:2) and conforms her to His image (Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:22-24, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Colossians 3:10, and 1 Peter 1:14-15).
[Stanza 2]
I ask you: “How many times will you pick me up
When I keep on letting you down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory
How far will forgiveness abound?”
And You answer: ” My child, I love you
And as long as you’re seeking My face
You’ll walk in the power of My daily sufficient grace.”
How many times will God forgive? Jesus’ answer of seventy times seven in Matthew 18:21-22 is meant to communicate “countless”, not an exact figure.
Story informs us that receiving the power of God’s grace is contingent upon seeking Him (Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:9, and 2 Corinthians 12:9).
[Stanza 3]
At times I may grow weak and feel a bit discouraged
Knowing that someone, somewhere could do a better job
For who am I to serve You? I know I don’t deserve You
And that’s the part that burns in my heart and keeps me hanging on
Story admits that the forgiveness she received is undeserved. The Bible calls this phenomenon “grace”.
[Stanza 4]
I ask you: “How many times will you pick me up
When I keep on letting you down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory
How far will forgiveness abound?”
And You answer: ” My child, I love you
And as long as you’re seeking My face
You’ll walk in the power of My daily sufficient grace.”
Repeats Stanza 2, lines 1-7.
You are so patient with me, Lord
See commentary in Stanza 1, line 3.
[Stanza 5]
As I walk with You, I’m learning what Your grace really means
The price that I could never pay was paid at Calvary
As Story continues to walk through life, she becomes more and more aware of her sin, continually transforming her understanding of the depth of Christ’s sacrifice for her lawbreaking (Isaiah 53:1-12, Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45, John 1:29, John 3:16, John 19:30, Acts 4:12, Acts 20:28, Romans 5:6-10, Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 1:3-4, Galatians 3:13, Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 2:14, 1 Timothy 2:6, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 9:15, Hebrews 9:22, Hebrews 9:26, 1 Peter 1:17-21, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 John 1:7, 1 John 2:1-2, and Revelation 5:9).
So, instead of trying to repay You, I’m learning to simply obey You
By giving up my life to you For all that You’ve given to me
Rather than attempting to pay God back through good works, Story chooses to honor Christ’s sacrifice by obeying God as He commands (Matthew 25:34-40, John 14:15, John 14:21-24, John 15:10-14, 1 Peter 1:14-15, 1 John 2:3-5, 1 John 4:19-20, 1 John 5:2-3, and 2 John 1:6).
[Stanza 6]
I ask you: “How many times will you pick me up
When I keep on letting you down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory
How far will forgiveness abound?”
And You answer: ” My child, I love you
And as long as you’re seeking My face
You’ll walk in the power of My daily sufficient grace.”
Repeats Stanza 2, lines 1-7.
Score: 10/10
3. How would an outsider interpret the song?
It communicates to unbelievers a loving God who encourages and grants undeserved favor, with Story learning to an obedient servant to God. They too could receive God’s strength if they would daily seek Him. Story’s lyrics are testimonial and easy to comprehend, with words such as “maker”, “grace”, and “Calvary” pointing to Christianity.
Score: 10/10
4. What does this song glorify?
It glorifies God in that Story communicates her dependence on God’s grace and obedience in response to it. She seeks God daily, receiving His power.
Score: 10/10
Closing Comments
Laura Story’s Grace is a great song. It brings glory to God in that Story recognizes her sin, that God gives her undeserved favor, that she responds by obeying His commandments, and that her weakness is made perfect through God’s strength, acquired by seeking Him daily. Unbelievers should easily see this song as Story’s testimony that attempts to draw them closer to our God.
I highly recommend this for corporate worship.
Final Score: 10/10
Artist Info
Track: Grace (listen to the song)
Artist: Laura Story
Album: Great God Who Saves
Genre: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)
Release Year: 2008
Duration: 4:34
Agree? Disagree? Don’t be shy or have a cow! Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.
*Copyright © 2007 Laura Stories (ASCAP) New Spring Publishing Inc. (ASCAP) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Updates:
06/07/2021 – After prayerfully considering Jordan’s comments, I removed my criticism and granted this song a perfect score, a significant improvement from 7/10.
03/25/2021 – Updated per repetition announcement.
Comments
jordan
“2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
As to grace:
Walking in the “power” of God’s daily sufficient grace, is not the same as walking in God’s sufficient grace. I agree that God’s grace is given regardless of whether we are seeking His face or not. Yet, it’s only when we are seeking His face, that we come to recognize this sufficient grace, and walk in its power. like what Paul said “I rather glory in my infirmities (condition) that the power of Christ may rest upon me (result).”
As to repentance:
Songs like these are testimonial, speaking from the writer’s own experience of who God is to her, and sharing it with the world. You don’t have to write the word “repent” in the lyrics when its woven into the response towards God in the lyrics. When there is no repentance, there is no recognition of God’s grace, and there is no walking thereof in its power. Basically, none of the lyrics would exist.
Regardless, I appreciate the review. thanks for the work put in. this is simply another viewpoint. cheers.
Vince Wright
jordan,
Thank you for your comments!
How did I miss that word, “power”? You’re right, they are not the same thing and it certainly changes the meaning of Story’s message!
While believers will understand it’s assumed, I don’t have the same level of expectation from unbelievers. That’s why I deducted points in section 3 and not the others. Still, with my criticism removed, it’s a moot point.
I updated my review.
-Vince Wright