Notes from Tom
I wanted a song that clearly connects Jesus to the creation of the world — to show that He wasn’t just present “in spirit,” but was the very Word by which all things were made.
The heavens declare the glory of God. We call this the “natural knowledge of God.” But creation doesn’t declare the cross. That has to be revealed.
That’s why God’s Word is so important. Without it, we can’t know Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life.
This song begins in Genesis, passes through John 1 and Colossians 1, and lands in the mystery that only Scripture makes known — that the Creator of all things also became our Redeemer. That the “I Am” who spoke light into being is the same Christ who bled and died to bring us life.
The refrain calls to mind the phrase from Psalm 95:6:
“Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.”
That phrase—“our Maker”— reminds us that God didn’t just create the world in a distant, mechanical way. He formed it with care. He formed uswith purpose.
Each verse reflects on that:
God speaks creation into being with a word (Genesis 1)
The Son, Jesus, is the Word through whom all things were made (John 1:1–3, Colossians 1:16)
The Spirit hovers over the waters (Genesis 1:2), active and present from the beginning
The heavens declare His glory (Psalm 19:1), but they don’t declare the cross
A note on the music
The tune is built on the meter ofDuke Street — best known as the melody for “I Know That My Redeemer Lives.” You’ll hear it in the interlude between each verse, as a kind of echo.
The verses themselves are set to a new melody, but it shares the same rhythm and shape. That means near the end — during the bridge — you’ll actually hear the familiar words of “I Know That My Redeemer Lives” sung to this new tune. That connection is intentional. It ties the creation story to the resurrection promise in a single musical thread.
Lyrics
Verse 1Before the sun, before the skies,
Before the world could yet arise,
The great “I Am,” the Lord Most High,
Spoke forth the stars to light the sky.
RefrainO Lord, our Maker, strong and wise,
Your works astound our searching eyes.
Yet Christ alone can make us free—
Your Word reveals this mystery.
Verse 2“Let there be light,” the Word proclaimed,
And darkness fled, the day was named.
Each mountain, sea, and mighty tree,
Came forth by power: “Let there be.”
RefrainO Lord, our Maker, strong and wise,
Your works astound our searching eyes.
Yet Christ alone can make us free—
Your Word reveals this mystery.
Verse 3Through Christ, the Word, all things began,
Our God, Creator, Son of Man.
The Spirit hovered o’er the deep,
The waters stirred, creation leaped.
RefrainO Lord, our Maker, strong and wise,
Your works astound our searching eyes.
Yet Christ alone can make us free—
Your Word reveals this mystery.
Verse 4The heavens tell Your glorious ways,
Creation sings a hymn of praise.
Yet nature’s song cannot explain
How Christ was sent to bear our pain.
RefrainO Lord, our Maker, strong and wise,
Your works astound our searching eyes.
Yet Christ alone can make us free—
Your Word reveals this mystery.
Verse 5The Scriptures speak what we must know:
How Christ redeemed us here below.
His cross, His blood, our sins erase,
And life is ours through boundless grace.
BridgeI know that my Redeemer lives;
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, He lives, who once was dead;
He lives, my everlasting Head.
RefrainO Lord, our Maker, strong and wise,
Your works astound our searching eyes.
Yet Christ alone can make us free—
Your Word reveals this mystery.
Your Word reveals this mystery.
Your Word reveals this mystery.
Verse 4 RepriseThe heavens tell Your glorious ways,
Creation sings a hymn of praise.
Yet nature’s song cannot explain
How Christ was sent to bear our pain.
RefrainO Lord, our Maker, strong and wise,
Your works astound our searching eyes.
Yet Christ alone can make us free—
Your Word reveals this mystery.
from I Am, released May 7, 2025
Lyrics and tune, Thomas J Bernthal, SDG
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