Walk into any youth camp, Sunday morning service, or even a random grocery store aisle where someone is humming a tune, and you’ll likely hear it. That specific, driving rhythm. Those simple, declarative words. He reigns our god is an awesome god is more than just a catchy chorus; it’s a cultural phenomenon that has survived the rise and fall of countless musical trends.
It’s weird, right? In a world of complex theological songwriting and high-production worship albums that look more like Coachella than church, this 1980s classic refuses to die.
Honestly, it’s because the song taps into something primal. It’s not trying to be clever. It isn't trying to impress you with poetic metaphors that require a seminary degree to unpack. It’s a shout. Rich Mullins, the man behind the masterpiece, didn’t write it to be a radio hit. He wrote it because he was obsessed with the idea of a God who was both terrifyingly powerful and intimately present.
The Scruffy Prophet Behind the Lyrics
Rich Mullins was an anomaly. He lived in a hog house. He wore tattered jeans and often performed barefoot. He famously gave away most of his money, living on a small salary that matched the average American's income at the time. When he sat down to write what would become a global anthem, he wasn't thinking about CCLI rankings.
The song first appeared on his 1988 album, Winds of Heaven, Stuff of Earth. If you listen to the original recording, it’s very "80s synth-pop meets campfire folk." It’s got that heavy percussion and those layered vocals that feel a bit dated now, but the core—the actual message that he reigns our god is an awesome god—cuts through the production.
Mullins was deeply influenced by the grandeur of the American West and the liturgical traditions of the church. He saw God in the thunder and the silence. People often forget that the verses of the song are actually quite dark and intense. They talk about the "judgment and wrath" at Sodom and the "darkness" of the cross.
Most people just remember the chorus. They skip the heavy lifting of the verses to get to the "Awesome God" part. But the chorus only carries weight because of those verses. You can’t appreciate the light unless you acknowledge the shadows Mullins was painting.
Why "Awesome" Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means
We’ve ruined the word "awesome."
Nowadays, we use it to describe a good burrito or a cool pair of shoes. For Mullins, and for the biblical writers he was channeling, "awesome" meant "full of awe." It meant something that makes your knees shake. It’s the feeling of standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon or watching a massive storm roll across the plains.
When we sing he reigns our god is an awesome god, we aren't saying God is "pretty cool." We are saying He is formidable. The Hebrew concept of yirah—often translated as "fear" or "awe"—is exactly what this song is trying to bottle up.
It’s about sovereignty.
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The "reigns" part is the kicker. In a world that feels increasingly chaotic—politically, socially, and personally—the idea that someone is actually in control is deeply comforting. It’s a protest song against the chaos.
The Michael W. Smith Boost and Global Reach
While Mullins wrote it, the song arguably reached its peak ubiquity through covers. Michael W. Smith’s version brought it to a much wider audience, stripping away some of the folkier elements and making it an arena-rock staple.
Then came the 2000s.
Artists like Hillsong and various "Passion" conference leaders kept it alive by weaving it into medleys. It became the ultimate "bridge" song. If a worship leader felt the room's energy dipping, they’d just drop into that chorus. It’s a guaranteed win.
But it’s also been sampled in hip-hop and remixed into EDM tracks. Why? Because the cadence is perfect. It’s got this natural, driving force that works in almost any genre.
- It’s used in schools to teach kids about rhythm.
- It’s sung in underground churches in countries where Christianity is restricted.
- It’s a staple for high school marching bands.
There’s a specific kind of magic in a song that can be sung by a five-year-old and a ninety-year-old with the same level of sincerity.
The Theological Tension of the Lyrics
Let’s get nerdy for a second.
The song says "Our God is an awesome God who reigns from heaven above with wisdom, pow'r, and love."
That triad—wisdom, power, and love—is actually a pretty sophisticated theological statement. If God had power and wisdom but no love, He’d be a tyrant. If He had love and wisdom but no power, He’d be well-meaning but useless. If He had power and love but no wisdom, He’d be dangerous.
By hitting all three, the song creates a balanced view of the divine.
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There’s also the bit about "judgment and wrath." Modern worship songs tend to shy away from that. We like the "God is my friend" vibes. Mullins wasn't afraid of the "God is a consuming fire" vibes. He understood that for God to be truly good, He has to be against evil. He has to judge.
That’s why the song feels "heavier" than your average pop-worship track. It’s got some teeth.
Misconceptions About the Song’s Meaning
A lot of people think the song is just about God being big. They miss the "reigns" part.
Reigning implies a kingdom. It implies that there are rules, a structure, and a direction to history. It’s not just about a static being sitting on a cloud. It’s about active involvement.
Another misconception? That it’s a happy-clappy song.
If you look at the life of Rich Mullins, he struggled. He was lonely. He felt like an outsider in the very industry that made him famous. When he sang about God reigning, he was often singing it to himself, trying to believe it in the midst of his own depression and confusion.
It’s a song of defiance, not just a song of celebration.
The Cultural Footprint: From Movies to Memes
"Awesome God" has popped up in the weirdest places. It was in the movie The 40-Year-Old Virgin (not exactly a sanctuary setting). It’s been used in countless "Christian cringe" videos on TikTok, where Gen Z creators poke fun at the intense energy of 90s youth group culture.
But even when people are mocking the culture around the song, they rarely mock the song itself. It’s too sturdy. It’s like a Shaker chair—simple, functional, and impossible to break.
Even in 2026, the song continues to trend on streaming platforms every time a new "throwback" playlist hits the front page. It has a "stickiness" that songwriters would kill for.
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The Evolution of the "He Reigns" Medley
In the early 2000s, the band Newsboys released a track called "He Reigns." For a while, people got the two songs confused, or worship leaders would mash them together.
The Newsboys track focused more on the global nature of faith ("It's the song of the redeemed, rising from the African plain"). While that song is great, it’s fundamentally different from the Mullins classic. The Mullins song is about the character of God; the Newsboys song is about the response of the people.
When you hear people talk about he reigns our god is an awesome god, they are usually combining the sentiments of both. They are talking about a God who is big enough to cover the whole world but specific enough to care about the "darkness" of an individual’s cross.
How to Actually Apply This "Awe" Today
So, what do you do with this? Is it just a nostalgia trip?
If you're going to engage with this song or this concept, you have to move past the surface level. It’s about recalibrating your perspective.
Most of our stress comes from the feeling that we have to reign. We have to control our careers, our kids, our reputations, and our futures. The song is an invitation to resign from the position of "King of the Universe."
It’s an admission. "I don't reign. He does."
That’s where the peace comes from. It’s not from everything going perfectly; it’s from knowing that the person in charge is "awesome" in the true sense of the word.
Actionable Steps for Deepening the Experience
If you want to move beyond just humming the chorus, try these specific shifts in how you approach the music and the message:
- Listen to the full lyrics of the verses. Don't just skip to the chorus. Read the lyrics like a poem. Notice the references to Genesis and the Gospels. It provides the necessary context for the "praise" part.
- Research the "Ragman" story. Rich Mullins was a storyteller. Look up his "Ragman" monologue or his writings on St. Francis of Assisi. Understanding the man’s heart helps you understand why he chose words like "wisdom, power, and love."
- Practice "Awe" outside of music. Go somewhere that makes you feel small. A mountain, a planetarium, or just a quiet park at night. The song is meant to be a soundtrack to that feeling, not a replacement for it.
- Compare different versions. Listen to the Mullins original, then the Michael W. Smith version, then a modern gospel arrangement. Notice how the emphasis changes. In gospel versions, the "reigns" is often emphasized with a rhythmic, driving "He reigns! He reigns! He reigns!" that feels like a victory march.
- Use it as a "reset" button. When you feel overwhelmed by the news or personal drama, literally speak the words. It’s a way of grounding yourself in a reality that is bigger than your current Friday afternoon problems.
The endurance of he reigns our god is an awesome god isn't an accident of the Spotify algorithm. It’s because the song says something we are all desperate to believe: that there is a power in the universe that is both massive and good.
It’s a simple truth, but as Mullins knew, simple truths are usually the ones that save us.