Photo by niklas_hamann
Canadian Contemporary Christian artist Matt Maher began his career in 2000. He released eleven albums and 5 EP’s, including:
- The End and the Beginning (2001)
- Welcome to Life (2003)
- Overflow (2006)
- Empty & Beautiful (2008)
- Alive Again (2009)
- The Love in Between (2011)
- All the People Said Amen (2013)
- Saints and Sinners (2015)
- Lord, I Need You (EP, 2015)
- Echoes (2017)
- The Advent of Christmas (2018)
- Alive & Breathing Vol. I (EP, 2019)
- Alive & Breathing Vol. II (EP, 2019)
- Alive & Breathing Vol. III (EP, 2019)
- Alive & Breathing (2020)
- Alive & Breathing Vol. IV (EP, 2020)
In 2015, Maher received a Dove Award for Songwriter of the Year.
Original lyrics can be found at https://genius.com/Matt-maher-your-grace-is-enough-lyrics. I used Chris Tomlin’s version for review at https://genius.com/Chris-tomlin-your-grace-is-enough-lyrics because the original does not contain stanza headers. The lyrics are not identical, but close enough to give the same review.
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?
God’s faithfulness is amazing as He clashes with our wicked hearts, shepherding us to His rest. Nothing can keep His love from us. Maher requests God to remember us and the promises He makes, proclaiming contentment in God’s undeserved favor.
God is also a God of judgment, not just mercy. He uses what the world considers to be unfit as His leaders. As His sheep, we follow God to His green pastures of salvation, the same God who became a man and washes us in the Holy Spirit.
Score: 10/10
2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?
All of these lyrics are in alignment with Scripture.
[Verse 1]
Line 1: Quotes from Lamentations 3:23. Other good verses include Numbers 23:19, Deuteronomy 7:9, Psalm 33:4, Psalm 91:4, Psalms 119:90, 1 Corinthians 1:9, 1 Corinthians 10:13, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, 2 Timothy 2:13, Hebrews 10:23, 2 Peter 3:9, and 1 John 1:9.
Line 2: Genesis 32:22-32 tells the account of Israel’s wrestling with God. He was once called Jacob (deceiver) but now is known as Israel (God contends), painting a picture of God’s contention with our rebellious hearts (Jeremiah 17:9).
Line 3: The first part quotes from Psalm 23:2 and the second comes from Exodus 33:19, Psalm 86:5, Psalm 145:9, Lamentations 3:22-23, Luke 6:36, Romans 9:15-16, Ephesians 2:4-5, Titus 3:5, Hebrews 4:16, and 1 Peter 1:3. These combined ideas are known as God’s rest (Psalm 95:6-11, Matthew 11:28-30, Hebrews 3:1-16, and Hebrews 4:1-16).
Line 4: Nothing can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39).
[Pre-Chorus]
Lines 1-4: Borrows from Exodus 32:9-14. Maher is not accusing God of forgetting, but a human plea to God that He should help His people.
[Chorus]
Lines 1-3: Maher responds in much the same way as the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9, that God’s grace is sufficient.
[Verse 2]
Line 1: The same God who showed that He loves us (John 3:16 and Romans 5:6-8) will also judge the world (John 3:17-20, John 9:39, Acts 10:42, Acts 17:30-31, Romans 2:5-6, Romans 2:16, Romans 14:10, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Hebrews 9:27, and Revelation 20:11-15).
NOTE: Tomlin’s version omits “of Jacob” in this line, indicating that He is the God of Jacob (Genesis 50:24, Exodus 3:15, and Acts 7:32); However, it is included in Maher’s original.
Line 2: God uses what the world considers to be “foolish” as His leaders (1 Corinthians 1:27 and James 2:5). Moses is a prominent example, whose speech is terrible and was appointed by God as Israel’s leader (Exodus 4:10-17). Another is David, who was considered unfit because he was the youngest brother (1 Samuel 16:1-13).
Line 3: That is the role of Jesus, to draw mankind to Himself (John 12:32).
Line 4: Christ’s sheep hear His voice and follow (John 10:27).
[Outro]
Line 1: Repeats Chorus, line 1.
Line 2: That is, Jesus (Philippians 2:5-7).
Line 3: Repeats Chorus.
Line 4: Personalizes Chorus spoken to God instead of Maher’s audience.
Line 5: That is, immersed with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:33, Acts 1:4-5, Acts 2:1-4, Acts 11:15-16, 1 Corinthians 12:13).
Score: 10/10
3. How would an outsider interpret the song?
Those outside the camp of Christ should come to the same conclusions as my interpretation found in section 1. Even if they don’t know that grace is undeserved favor or that sin is lawbreaking, Verse 1 gives them enough breadcrumbs to comprehend that God’s grace is good and our hearts are bad.
Score: 9/10
4. What does this song glorify?
It glorifies God by highlighting the sufficiency of God’s grace in contrast to our wickedness and pre-conceived notions of “weak” people.
Score: 10/10
Closing Comments
Matt Maher’s Your Grace Is Enough is a wonderful song. It glorifies God as it highlights His undeserved favor in light of our sinful nature, that He uses the foolishness of the world as leaders in His Kingdom. Unbelievers will easily follow its basic message, even without full comprehension of terms like “sinner” and “grace”.
I highly recommend this song for corporate worship.
Final Score: 9.5/10
Artist Info
Track: Your Grace Is Enough (listen to the song)
Artist: Matt Maher
Album: Welcome to Life
Genre: Rock
Release Year: 2003
Duration: 4:20
Agree? Disagree? Don’t be shy or have a cow! Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.
Updates:
03/25/2021 – Updated per repetition announcement.
Comments
Linda Kitchen
This song which I don’t recall hearing before keeps playing in my mind and is answered by I remember my children I remember my people I remember my promises oh child and your Faith is enough for me
Didi Davila
I first heard Chris Tomlin’s version around 2007. It was one of the darkest times in my life. I was always a believer, but had drifted. This song helped me. I feel in my heart that God used that worship song to remind me He was still around in my time of need. This song absolutely glorifies God. What it did for me it can do for anyone with a receptive heart.