Matt Redman – Better is One Day

It’s been an interesting 2019!

Kanye West found Christ and released Jesus is King.  Lauren Daigle was essentially the #1 Christian artist artist who happens to be Christian.  I was interviewed by We the Exiles about this website and became a ministry partner with Shores Community Church in Victoria Harbour, Ontario.

As I had done with Jamie Lee Riddle’s Revelation Song in 2018, I wanted to end the year with a positive review.  Matt Redman’s Better is One Day receives this honor for 2019!  His songs 10,000 Reasons and Blessed Be Your Name received perfect scores last year.

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?

Redman describes God as lovely, beautiful, and glorious.  Redman had a taste of God and wants more of His living water!  He pours out his heart and flesh to God, drawing near to Him.  Redman proclaims that it is better to dwell with God in His Presence for 24 hours than to spend thousands of days apart from Him.

Score: 10/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

All lines align with God’s inspired Word.

Lyrics posted with permission.*

Since there is no Verse/Chorus/Bridge designation, I assigned stanzas to each paragraph.

[Stanza 1]

How lovely is Your dwelling place
O Lord Almighty
My soul longs and even faints for You

Paraphrases Psalm 84:1-2, describing the greatness of God’s abode and man’s desire for Him.

For here my heart is satisfied
Within Your presence

Grabbed from Psalm 17:15, we receive satisfaction when we enter God’s Presence.  Also see Psalm 16:11, Psalm 22:26, Psalm 37:4, Isaiah 58:11, Matthew 5:6, and Philippians 4:19.

I sing beneath the shadow of Your wings

According to Psalm 63:7, we sing here because God helps us.

[Stanza 2]

Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere

Based on Psalm 84:10, it describes a comparison between a single day in the presence of God with a thousand outside.  The Scripture does not have the thousand as plural; However, its plurality in Redman’s lyric does not diminish the same truth described by the sons of Korah in Psalm 84: it is better to “stand at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness”.

Why is one day in God’s courts better?  Stanza 1, lines 4 and 5 answers this question: because He satisfies us.

[Stanza 3]

Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere

Repeats Stanza 2.

[Stanza 4]

One thing I ask, and I would seek
To see Your beauty

Psalm 27:4 describes one thing that the Psalmist asks in three parts.  The second part is to behold God’s beauty.

To find You in the place Your glory dwells
Your glory dwells

The first part of Psalm 27:4’s singular request is to dwell in God’s house.  Redman wishes to stay within God’s house because God is there (Psalm 27:8).

[Stanza 5]

Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere

Repeats Stanza 2.

[Stanza 6]

Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere

Repeats Stanza 2.

[Stanza 7]

Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere

Repeats Stanza 2.

[Stanza 8]

Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere

Repeats Stanza 2.

[Stanza 9]

My heart and flesh cry out
For You, the Living God

Captures the essence of the second portion of Psalm 84:2, describing Redman’s yearning for God.

Your Spirit’s water for my soul

Describes living water that satisfied Redman’s heart and soul (Jeremiah 17:13, Zechariah 14:8-9, John 4:7-26, John 7:37-39, Acts 2:1-13, Revelation 7:13-17 [compare with Revelation 6:9-11], Revelation 21:6-7, and Revelation 22:1-5).

I’ve tasted and I’ve seen
Come once again to me

Redman tasted and saw that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8) and wants more.

I will draw near to You
I will draw near to You
To You

A response to Jesus’ statement, that Christ will draw all men unto Himself (John 12:32).

[Stanza 10]

Draw near to You
I will I will, I will
Draw near to You
To You

Essentially repeats Stanza 9, lines 6-8.

[Stanza 11]

Better is one day
One day
One day
One day
One day
One day

Repeats the first half of Stanza 2, line 1.

Oh to be with you
Oh be with you
Oh to be, be with You
For here my heart is satisfied
For here my Spirit finds new life
For here I drink and I am satisfied
Within Your presence, Lord

See commentary on Stanza 1, lines 4 and 5.

I will draw near to You

Repeats Stanza 9, line 6.

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

It should be easy for those outside the camp of Christ to comprehend Redman’s main message.  After all, it shows up six times!  Though they do not experientially understand the greatness of God, they will easily see that Christians think God is great and want to be with Him, in plain language.

Score: 10/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies God through Redman’s description of God’s beauty, satisfaction, and superiority in comparison to other places.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Matt Redman’s Better is One Day deserves more attention.  This song contains a deep, rich message that God is better than everything else, satiating our thirsty souls with His glorious beauty and wonder.  This, along with the ease of unbeliever interpretation, brings glory to God.

Proclaim this one on your rooftops.

Final Score: 10/10

Artist Info

Track: Better is One Day (listen to the song)

Artist: Matt Redman

Album: Passion For Your Name

Genre: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)

Release Year: 1995

Duration: 6:25

Agree?  Disagree?  Don’t be shy or have a cow!  Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.

*Copyright © 1995 Thankyou Music (PRS) (adm. worldwide at CapitolCMGPublishing.com excluding Europe which is adm. by Integrity Music, part of the David C Cook family. Songs@integritymusic.com) All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Updates:

03/25/2021 – Updated per repetition announcement.   I updated sections 1, 4, and conclusion.  After raising their scores, this increased the overall rating, from 9.5/10 to 10/10.