“I’ve Nothing Else Fit For A King”

What do you give someone who has given you everything? 

I feel like this is often the struggle we face when trying to find the right gift for a loved one who has sacrificed so much for us. In terms of our relationship with God, the Bible tells us that we are to offer God all that we are (Romans 12:1). Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” The Bible Project interprets that statement as “devoting every possible opportunity and capacity you have to honoring God.” 

One of the songs we are going to sing this Sunday is “Gratitude.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God. James 1:17 tells us that every good and perfect gift is from God. We have no shortage of reasons to praise God! The question I have for us is: does our day-to-day life reflect a life of gratitude to God for who He is and what He has done?

Before we get into it, there is a temptation to view this song at a surface level and equate it to the Christian version of a cheesy love song. However, the more time I spent with this song, the more I appreciated the lyrics. If you’ll hang with me for a moment, allow me to share some of the scriptural themes I have found in this song.

Verse 1 speaks of an understanding that any offering we can give seems to fall short of the praise and worship that God deserves. Psalm 106:2 says, “Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord or declare all His praise?” The reasons to praise God are endless. How can we possibly express enough gratitude for all that God is and has done for us?

Verse 2 points to what I wrote at the beginning: our worship of God should go beyond singing. Every moment of our lives is an opportunity to bring God praise.  In Acts 4:20, Peter and John are told to stop speaking about Jesus, and their response is, “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Is the only praise you give to God during a song or two on a Sunday morning, or is your heart overflowing with love and gratitude towards God at all times?

Chorus
So I throw up my hands
And praise You again and again
‘Cause all that I have is a hallelujah hallelujah
And I know it’s not much
But I’ve nothing else fit for a king
Except for a heart singing hallelujah
Hallelujah

Hallelujah literally translated means “praise the Lord.” All that I can give God, for all that He is and all that He has done for me, is my praise. I am reminded of the words of David in Psalm 51:16-17: “For you do not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

I have “nothing else fit for a king”. The best I can do is to live day in and day out for His glory. Think back to verse one and the understanding that any offering we give is never really going to be enough to show our gratitude to God. Our church services last an hour. Our gifts are limited. They give glory to God, but what pleases God most is a heart bent in submission and worship to Him, to His will, and to His ways.

Bridge

Come on my soul
Oh don’t you get shy on me
Lift up your song
‘Cause you’ve got a lion inside of those lungs
Get up and praise the Lord

Here is where I struggled with the song a little. At first, I wasn’t a fan of the symbolism in the bridge. However,  the more I thought about it, the more I appreciated the metaphor of there being a lion in my lungs. Essentially saying, “I’ve got more to give”. Lions are seen as animals of immense power. Is my praise of God powerful and intense like a lion, or meek and quiet like a field mouse? Is my praise of God something I shout from the rooftops, or something I murmur under my breath to myself? Could I give more of myself to God, or am I holding part of myself back?

As we go through our week, think about this: “What does the way you live your life say about who God is and what He has done for you?” Are you holding back, or are you “devoting every possible opportunity and capacity you have to honoring God”? Is your worship confined to a song or a prayer, or is it the never-ending song of your heart that “can’t help” (Acts 4:20) but overflow into every area of your life?

Pastor Adam