You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all
I’m seeking You like a precious jewel
Lord, to give up I’d be a fool
You are my all in all

Refrain:

Jesus, Lamb of God
Holy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Holy is Your name

In writing on my journey through Hymns and looking for the amazing truths found within Christian music, it would be neglectful at best for me to ignore the whole of modern worship music. This genre is fairly dominant in the Church today, and it is just as important to delve into them, perhaps more so, because of the number of worshippers they reach. Here is the thing: I’m a bit of a music snob. My training is in classical music, singing in church choirs and pulling out the hymnal every chance I get. Modern worship music is not something I relate to well. So, as I endeavor to broaden my own horizons, bear with my fumblings and call me out if I am unfair to these works written with love, by God’s children, for His glory.

All In All is a song I can’t remember hearing for the first time, it just seems to have always been there. That could be because it was published when I was three, but that goes to show how quickly it spread, being adopted by churches as an anthem for adults and children alike. The song is fairly straight forward with a refrain that is a tad generic and repetitive (sorry, but it is), however, there is an incredible message here which may slip by unnoticed.

The phrase “all in all” is one that we might use on occasion, but with such flippancy that it may have lost much of its meaning in our minds. It is very similar to the emphatic Hebrew paradigm. Think of the praises “king of kings,” “holy of holies,” or “song of songs.” The doubling of the word adds a great amount of emphasis: it isn’t just any song; it is the greatest song among all songs. The Holy place isn’t just kind of holy; it is the holiest place on earth, filled with the very presence of God.

When we read “all in all,” we ought to hear more than just “God is pretty much everything we need. “All in all” is everything, literally every single thing you could ever possibly need. The verses of the song illustrate this well. God is a jewel we would be foolish to stop seeking. He quenches us when we are in need. He takes away our sin and shameful lives. What more could we possibly require?

Maybe that is why I struggle with the refrain. The verses are jam packed with glorious metaphors, but often they are rushed through to get to the refrain which seems to have nothing to do with the rest of the song. Perhaps if it read, “Jesus, lamb of God, name above all names,” or “provider of all things,” or even more simply, “you’re my everything.” Then we could see more clearly the glorious message of the verses pour over into the refrain which would then sink deeper into the hearts of the singers.

Nevertheless, the message of this song is true and can benefit the Church at all ages. God provides us with everything we will ever need. We would be complete fools to think we could do better for ourselves. He is the great and steadfast provider, our all in all.

SDG,

-Paul Hart Cochran