Housefires - Great Is the Lord Lyrics
Lyrics
Sing in splendor, in majesty.
Strength and beauty be.
Unto your name, Ancient of days,
You're Holy.
And we tremble before your throne,
Our hearts prepare you room.
We come and adore, ruined before your glory.
Great is the Lord most worthy of all praise.
Great is the Lord most worthy of all praise.
Sing in splendor, in majesty.
Strength and beauty be.
Unto your name, Ancient of days,
You're Holy.
And we tremble before your throne,
Our hearts prepare you room.
We come and adore, ruined before your glory.
Great is the Lord most worthy of all praise,
Great is the Lord most worthy of all praise,
Great is the Lord most worthy of all praise,
Great is the Lord most worthy of all praise.
You are Holy,
You are Holy.
You're crowned with wonders, majesty.
You are Holy,
You are Holy.
You're crowned with wonders, majesty.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
In the morning,
In the evening,
At the end of all days.
I will sing,
I will shout,
You are worthy of praise. x3
Great is the Lord most worthy of all praise,
Great is the Lord most worthy of all praise,
Great is the Lord most worthy of all praise,
Great is the Lord most worthy of all praise.
You are Holy,
You are Holy.
You're crowned with wonders, majesty. x5
We sing Holy,
You are Holy,
You're crowned with wonders, majesty.
You are Holy,
You are Holy,
You're crowned with wonders, majesty.
Video
Housefires - Great is the Lord (feat. Pat Barrett)
Meaning & Inspiration
The song "Great Is the Lord" by Housefires, released on March 19, 2014, as part of their self-titled album *Housefires*, stands as a profound declaration of divine majesty and human reverence. From its initial notes, the piece immediately draws attention not to complex melodies or intricate instrumentation, but to the unwavering truth embedded within its simple yet powerful message. This is a song born from a deep wellspring of adoration, articulating a universal Christian experience of encountering God's overwhelming presence and responding with unreserved praise.
The core meaning of "Great Is the Lord" is a direct, unfiltered testament to God's supreme worth and holy nature. It begins by calling for worship in "splendor, in majesty," acknowledging that "strength and beauty" emanate from His being, a reflection of passages like Psalm 96:6 which states, "Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary." The invocation of "Ancient of days" directly references the eternal, sovereign figure described in Daniel 7:9-10, emphasizing God's timelessness and authority. This God is inherently "Holy," set apart in purity and glory beyond human comprehension, an echoing truth found throughout Scripture, most notably in Isaiah 6:3 where seraphim ceaselessly proclaim, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!"
The song then shifts to the appropriate human response to such a magnificent God: "And we tremble before your throne, Our hearts prepare you room." This trembling is not of fear in the worldly sense, but a holy awe, a profound reverence that humbles us in the face of infinite power and goodness, as encouraged in Psalm 2:11, "Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling." To "prepare you room" in our hearts signifies a willingness to surrender, to make space for God’s transformative presence, aligning with the call to offer our lives as living sacrifices as outlined in Romans 12:1. The subsequent line, "We come and adore, ruined before your glory," captures the biblical experience of prophets and apostles who, upon encountering God's unblemished holiness, felt their own inadequacy and brokenness, much like Isaiah exclaimed, "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips" (Isaiah 6:5). Yet, this "ruined" state is not one of despair but of brokenness leading to true worship and purification.
The central refrain, "Great is the Lord most worthy of all praise," anchors the entire song, reinforcing the unwavering truth of God’s unmatched greatness and deservingness of every accolade. This declaration resonates with numerous psalms, such as Psalm 145:3, which proclaims, "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable." The repetition of this line serves as a powerful meditative chant, allowing the truth to sink deep into the soul, becoming not just a sung phrase but a settled conviction. As the song progresses, it reiterates God's holiness, declaring, "You are Holy, You're crowned with wonders, majesty," a direct echo of the celestial worship described in Revelation 4:8-11, where heavenly beings worship an enthroned God whose holiness is the very essence of His being. The wonders referred to are not mere tricks, but the awe-inspiring acts of creation, redemption, and sustained providence that define His reign.
Towards the song's latter section, the commitment to worship expands across time: "In the morning, In the evening, At the end of all days. I will sing, I will shout, You are worthy of praise." This passage speaks to the enduring nature of worship, not confined to specific moments but an unbroken continuum throughout life and eternity, mirroring the spirit of Psalm 113:3, "From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised." It’s a personal vow, an unwavering resolve to lift up God's name, irrespective of circumstance or time. The cumulative repetition of "Great is the Lord" and "You are Holy" builds an undeniable sense of intensity, not through musical crescendo alone, but through the sheer weight of the truth being declared. It transforms the song from a simple melody into a powerful, almost liturgical experience, inviting everyone to participate in this profound act of recognizing and celebrating God's unparalleled greatness, holiness, and majesty. "Great Is the Lord" ultimately serves as an invitation to a deeper relationship with the divine, fostering a spirit of awe, submission, and perpetual adoration that aims to elevate God above all else in the human heart.