Speak, O Lord

Speak, O Lord is a modern hymn written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend, who are some of the best hymn writers alive today. They also wrote In Christ Alone, The Power of the Cross, among other well-known church hymns. Let’s take a look at the theology behind Speak, O Lord:

Speak, O Lord, as we come to You
To receive the food of Your Holy Word
Take Your truth, plant it deep in us
Shape and fashion us in Your likeness
That the light of Christ might be seen today
In our acts of love and our deeds of faith
Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us
All Your purposes for Your glory

Notice how in this first verse the authors weaved two crucial pillars of the Christian faith in beautiful poetry:

(1) the LORD speaks through his word
(2) we must COME to him and RECEIVE it

The scriptures are there. The Lord has spoken. However, if you don't open and read the Word of God, you can't truly receive it. Furthermore, if you don't seek wisdom when it's unclear, if you don't have a surrendering attitude, then the Word will not yield fruit. It's a two way street. The Lord will not force his work of sanctification upon your life. He wants you to COME to him and RECEIVE it.

If we approach the holy throne covered in prayer and humility, the Lord will then plant his truth deep in us, so that we may be fashioned in his likeness.Now, why should we go to the Lord and receive the food of his Holy Word? What benefit do we gain by doing so? When we allow the Lord to “shape and fashion us in [his] likeness” we are inviting Christ to shine through our lives. As the apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20, ESV)

And why would God want us to come to him, receive the food of his holy word? Why would God want to shape and fashion us in his likeness? Why would God want Christ to shine in our lives? What is the purpose of this entire process of sanctification? The purpose of it all is the glory of God. It is not about us, it is all about him. As Jonathan Edwards wrote in his sermon God Glorified in Man’s Dependence, "Faith abases men and exalts God; it gives all the glory of redemption to God alone." Our faith and the whole process of sanctification is not just for our benefit. It all circles back to God himself, bringing him glory.

Teach us Lord, full obedience
Holy reverence, true humility
Test our thoughts and our attitudes
In the radiance of Your purity
Cause our faith to rise, cause our eyes to see
Your majestic love and authority
Words of pow'r that can never fail
Let their truth prevail over unbelief

Why should we ask the Lord to teach us full obedience, holy reverence and true humility? Because in our sinful human state we aren't prone to obey, but to rebel. We aren't naturally inclined to be humble, but to boast in our abilities. This is not the way God created humanity when he made us in his own image in the garden of Eden. In the original plan, humans were in communion with God. However, when humanity fell into sin, we no longer enjoyed communion with God without his own spirit teaching us how to obey him exactly. 

Furthermore, why should we ask the Lord to test our thoughts and our attitudes? Because we have blindspots! We may *think* we're doing okay, but next to God's purity we are far from okay. So we ask the Lord to continually test our minds and hearts in contrast with his own purity. We will not reach perfection on this side of heaven, as we will continue to be affected by the fall. However, we have hope that when we cross into eternity, we will reach a new, sinless state. 

In the second half of this second verse the authors ask the Lord to increase their faith so that they may see both the love and the authority of the Lord. Yes, God is love; he loves us and wants us to love him. And, as our authority, he wants us to obey him. The Christian faith is not just about love and emotions. At the same time, it’s not just about blind obedience and checking boxes of good deeds. Love without obedience will only lead to misunderstandings of who God really is.

Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds
Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us
Truths unchanged from the dawn of time
That will echo down through eternity
And by grace we'll stand on Your promises
And by faith we'll walk as You walk with us
Speak, O Lord, till Your church is built
And the earth is filled with Your glory

In this third verse the authors ask God to reveal his plan for our lives. Note that they are not asking about what choices one makes here on earth (i.e. Which college should I go to? Which person should I marry?). Rather, the authors are asking God to reveal the plans that he already laid out in the scriptures – “truths unchanged from the dawn of time / that will echo down through eternity.” In other words, God’s plan for humanity is the same as it was back when the scriptures were written, and it will remain the same “through eternity.” Therefore, those same plans are valid for us today. His eternal promises will sustain us as we walk by faith.

Let’s pause for a second, lest you think that “walking in faith” comes from your own human abilities. The authors were careful in avoiding heresy by affirming God’s grace as necessary to the Christian walk. Read closely: “And by GRACE we’ll stand on your promises, / and by FAITH we’ll walk as you walk with us.” There is no faith without grace. We can’t possibly manufacture faith in the absence of God’s grace. Faith is kindled in light of grace. As Martin Luther wrote in his treaty The Freedom of a Christian, “we must also preach grace and the promise of forgiveness - this is the means by which faith is awakened and properly taught.” We walk by faith and we stand on God’s promises by grace alone. This is the Christian life.

Remember what Jonathan Edwards said in his sermon earlier? "Faith abases men and exalts God; it gives all the glory of redemption to God alone." God is glorified by our faith. The salvation story brings glory to God alone. Now look closely at the last lines of the hymn above. What is the ultimate purpose of God speaking his word into the world? To build up the church? That’s definitely a purpose, but not the ultimate purpose. Look again : “Speak, O Lord, till your church is built / and the earth is filled with your glory.” God speaking his word into the world will ultimately bring God glory, in a beautiful, excellent, harmonious manner, if I may borrow Edwardsian language. Next time you face a spiritual challenge, remember that it’s all for the glory of God. Our faith, our spiritual practices, our devotions, our Christian fellowship, our artistic expression, our commitment to our families, our work ethic… in everything that we do, when done in faith, God is glorified.

Listen to my piano arrangement of Speak O, Lord: