My Only Everything
This is another song designed for public worship. It’s a simple declaration of God’s satisfying provision in every state of life; hope in hardship and joy in the mundane. Even before I knew who God was, it seemed an obvious conclusion that to have joy independent of my circumstance, it would require an influence or power source beyond myself. The choice was, either I lower the ceiling of my expectations in life, reasoning that a small cup will “runneth over” easier than a large one, or, dare to look beyond only what my hand could clasp. Like tasting bread crumbs left on a path; eventually I was lead to God’s house… where he was holding a feast.
It really came down to this; I was looking for just one thing in everything, but to my surprise what I found was everything in one thing. There is a simple theological reason for this. I love C.S.Lewis’ quote regarding the pursuit of joy and people who are generally miserable in their quest for it: “.God can not give joy apart from Himself because it is not there - there is no such thing“. You see, once I am aware that God is to be my “only everything” and begin to pursue Him as such, seeking Him first (Matt 6), I find that the joy has been there waiting behind the promise all along, as if to say ”It’s about time, where have you been all your life?” And the ironic thing about this is, although my journey may have started with the pursuit of joy via God as the means, I forgot all about the pursuit being caught up in the wonderment of God himself (Psalm 37:4).
So my realization about discontentment and unfulfilled desire is this: it is not God withholding his blessings from us, but rather us withholding ourselves from Him.
My Only Everything
(Lyrics)
You are my light My sunrise For every day
You are my joy My rising voice In every praise
There’s not a name I can claim That can take your place
No other power that can shower Your amazing grace
You’re all I need and all I want Everything and nothing else
You are my only Forever glory Your love is for me
My only, my only My only everything
You, you’re my hope My stronghold In every fight
You, you’re my ark Star in the dark For every night
Words & Music by Daniel Applegate, Copyright c 2025 Plan Z Music Publishing (ASCAP)