Phil Wickham - Wild River Lyrics
Lyrics
There is a fountain that never runs dry
Forever flows with water of life
You never stop moving
You never stop moving
Where Your river runs, everything lives
And where Your river goes will never thirst again
You never stop moving
You never stop moving
Your mercy flows like a wild, wild river
Your love is strong like the raging sea
God, all Your goodness goes beyond all measure
Your grace like a flood pouring out of me
You call me out to walk with You on the sea
Even in my doubt, deep calls to deep
You never stop moving
You never stop moving
Your mercy flows like a wild, wild river
Your love is strong like the raging sea
God, all Your goodness goes beyond all measure
Your grace like a flood pouring out of me
Your grace a limitless ocean
I'm swept away in the tide
Draw from the well of Your goodness
Drink from the water of life
Your grace a limitless ocean
I'm swept away in the tide
Draw from the well of Your goodness
Drink from the water of life
Your grace a limitless ocean
I'm swept away in the tide
Draw from the well of Your goodness
Drink from the water...
Your mercy flows like a wild, wild river
Your love is strong like the raging sea
God, all Your goodness goes beyond all measure
Your grace like a flood pouring out of me
Video
Phil Wickham - Wild River (Audio)
Meaning & Inspiration
Phil Wickham's "Wild River," released as part of the *Living Hope (Deluxe)* album on August 3, 2018, is a powerful declaration of God's unending and transformative grace. The song dives deep into the imagery of flowing water, not as a mere metaphor, but as a profound representation of the dynamic and life-giving presence of God. At its core, "Wild River" speaks to the persistent, unstoppable nature of divine love and mercy, a flow that never depletes and constantly renews those who surrender to it. The lyrics paint a picture of a spiritual wellspring that is always full, a fountain of life that ensures no one who drinks from it will ever thirst again, echoing the promise Jesus made to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:14: "but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." This imagery of an inexhaustible source directly relates to the concept of God's abundant grace, a theme consistently woven throughout Scripture.
The "wild river" and "raging sea" are not presented as chaotic forces, but as expressions of God's immense power and overwhelming goodness, extending beyond human comprehension. This aligns with passages like Psalm 36:5-6, which states, "Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgments are like the great deep; O LORD, you preserve both people and animals. How excellent is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings." The song emphasizes that God's goodness and mercy are immeasurable, a flood that pours out, transforming individuals from the inside. This resonates with the Apostle Paul's description of God's riches in Ephesians 3:8: "To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." The relentless movement of God, described as "You never stop moving," speaks to His constant engagement with His creation and His unwavering pursuit of humanity, reminding us that God is not a distant deity but an active participant in our lives, much like the living waters described in Ezekiel 47.
Furthermore, "Wild River" addresses the personal invitation to experience this divine flow, even amidst doubt and uncertainty. The line, "You call me out to walk with You on the sea," is a direct allusion to Peter's attempt to walk on water with Jesus in Matthew 14:28-29. This speaks to faith not as the absence of fear or doubt, but as the courageous step of obedience into the unknown, trusting in God's presence and power to sustain us. The depth of this spiritual experience, where "deep calls to deep," reflects Psalm 42:7: "Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your torrents and all your waves have passed over me." It is in these moments, when we are fully immersed in the flow of God's grace, that we are truly swept away, not in a destructive sense, but in awe and surrender to His limitless ocean of love. The repeated invitation to "draw from the well" and "drink from the water of life" serves as a profound reminder to continually seek our spiritual sustenance in Christ, who is the source of eternal life and unending grace.