One of Christian music's most beloved artists, Michael W. Smith, recently returned with his newest studio album A Million Lights (releasing just a week apart from his worship project Surrounded). As the singer/songwriter of the hit songs "Great Are You Lord," "Place in this World," "A New Hallelujah" and "Sky Spills Over," Michael once again has recorded upbeat songs set to a contemporary, electronically-tinged musical style reminiscent of a totally updated take on the sound of his classics "Secret Ambition" and "Go West Young Man." 

 

Fans of the latest releases by Matthew West and Jeremy Camp should enjoy this album, and it's a must-have release of this year. The album is filled with messages of hope, confession and worship to our great God and Savior. This is my favorite overall album by this legendary, award-winning artist. I can't get enough of the catchy songs filled with truth, including "Love Always Wins" and "Crashing Waves." I had the opportunity to interview Michael about "A Million Lights."

 

 

I wrote the melody for this song, and it was the first song I started writing for this album. It was one of those songs I found that I forgot that I had written. It felt contagious. We sped it up 10 beats per minute, and at first I didn't like that, but as I thought about it I got used to it. 

 

We talked about what the song made me think of, and I said that it made me think about space. As a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut. I'm still fascinated by space. I take out my binoculars and look at the stars and the craters on the moon. I have a God experience just looking at the sky. It's been that way my whole life. We partnered that thought with "all the stars are singing" and how God talks about creating the universe and all of space. 

 

 

James 1:17 (NKJV): "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."

 

Psalm 19:1-4 (NKJV): "The heavens declare the glory of God. And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world."

 

John 8:12 (MSG): Jesus once again addressed them: "I am the world's Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in."

 

Luke 1:78-79 (VOICE): "All this will flow from the kind and compassionate mercy of our God. A new day is dawning: the Sunrise from the heavens will break through in our darkness, and those who huddle in night, those who sit in the shadow of death, Will be able to rise and walk in the light, guided in the pathway of peace."

 

Colossians 1:12 (NKJV): "Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light."

 

Ephesians 1:10 (MSG): "He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in Him, everything in deepest heaven; everything on planet earth."

 

Ephesians 5:13-14 (VOICE): "When the light shines, it exposes even the dark and shadowy things and turns them into pure reflections of light. This is why they sing, Awake, you sleeper! Rise from your grave, and the Anointed One will shine on you."

 

 

This is one of my favorite title songs I've ever written. It was fun to work with my son on the video, and I got to be a make-believe astronaut in the video, which was like a dream come true. 

 

My job was to record the audio of the stars. I think the theme of the song is pretty universal, and it's bigger than just being written and sung for Christians. It's for people all around the world. We can all look at the stars and be awestruck and inspired by God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I sing this song to God with all of my heart, knowing that "with You, every day I'm feeling alive." The timeless Bible passage, James 1:17, has application for us today as we live in uncertain times. The Book of James is a very convicting for believers. When I read the Scripture, it challenges me to think about whether I am really acknowledging that "every good and perfect gift" comes from God. Believers need to understand that truth to be sanctified. It is about recognizing that all good things come from God, and He is the Creator and Sustainer over all. Before God created man, He created light. God sent Jesus so that we could have light return. As believers, that's our story and also our challenge, to think about how we are reflecting the light of Jesus and how we are spending our time before we die.

 

I find myself singing the song to myself throughout the day, very much like many of Michael's songs. It sinks from my head down to my heart and reminds me that we serve an awesome God. The Lord wants to use us, drawing us closer to Himself and sending us out filled with His Spirit, as in Ephesians 5:13-14: "When the light shines, it exposes even the dark and shadowy things and turns them into pure reflections of light." This song is another anointed, set apart, sacred offering to our King in the style of Michael's string of hit songs. God's love is unconditional. He is Sovereign over all. You can know this with all of your heart: "In You, I can feel Your reaching, For You, All the stars are singing." Amen to that!

 

Watch the music video below.