Matt Maher - Lord I need You - My One Defense My Righteousness Lyrics
Lyrics
Lord, I come, I confess Bowing here I find my rest Without You I fall apart You're the One that guides my heart
Lord, I need You, oh, I need You Every hour I need You My one defense, my righteousness Oh God, how I need You
Where sin runs deep Your grace is more Where grace is found is where You are And where You are, Lord, I am free Holiness is Christ in me
Lord, I need You, oh, I need You Every hour I need You My one defense, my righteousness Oh God, how I need You
Teach my song to rise to You When temptation comes my way And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You Jesus, You're my hope and stay
Lord, I need You, oh, I need You Every hour I need You My one defense, my righteousness Oh God, how I need You
You're my one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You
Video
Matt Maher - Lord, I Need You (Official Lyric Video)
Meaning & Inspiration
I keep coming back to that line, calling Him my one defense and my righteousness. It hits me because it feels like something Paul was wrestling with in his letter to the Philippians, that idea of not having a righteousness of my own, the kind that comes from the law, but having the one that comes through faith. I spend so much time trying to defend myself, justifying my own mess-ups or pretending I’ve got it all together, but singing that He is my defense feels like dropping a heavy weight. It’s hard to sit with, honestly, because I really want to be my own hero.
The part about grace being more where sin runs deep, that feels pulled right out of Romans. It’s one of those things I say I believe, but do I really trust it when I’m staring at my own failures? If He is my righteousness, then my standing before God isn't about how good I did today, and that feels almost too easy. It scares me a little, like I’m missing a catch, but then I think about how Christ becomes the very thing I’m lacking. It isn’t just that He covers my sin; it’s that He replaces my record with His. That’s a heavy trade. I wonder if I actually believe that my standing is that secure, or if I’m still secretly trying to add my own efforts to the pile, hoping it’ll be enough to make me acceptable.