Chelsea Plank Tells Rich Wilkerson Jr. the Incredible Story of How ‘What a God’ Became a Worship Anthem

Some songs seem to explode overnight. Others are planted in one season, sit quietly for years and then suddenly become the anthem people need.

For Chelsea Plank, the journey behind the worship song “What A God” has looked a lot like the latter.

During a recent conversation with Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. on the “Mature Me” podcast, Plank opened up about the unexpected story behind the song, revealing that it was actually written nearly four years ago: long before it began reaching congregations on the level it is today.

“’What a God’ was written almost four years ago now,” she told Wilkerson.

Plank said the song came together while writing with Roosevelt Stewart, Brunes Charles, Kenzie Walker and Bobby Walker around the time of an SEU conference. Although the writers had no idea what the song would become, she remembers sensing something different about the session.

“There’s songwriters that you just know are very special,” she said. “You don’t always know like, ‘Oh, this is going to be it,’ or anything, or ‘This is going to have a wide reach.’ … But you can tell when there’s just a grace on a session.”

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According to Plank, the writers were united by a sense of awe and wonder toward God when Stewart began developing the powerful bridge centered on the idea that if the highest place a believer ever reaches is at the feet of Jesus, nothing has been lost.

“All of us just felt that,” she said. “It was like we all felt the testimony of that song.”

Yet what happened next is perhaps the most remarkable part of the story.

The song was eventually recorded and released, but it didn’t immediately reach the audience it does today. Instead, years passed.

“It didn’t … gain the maybe reach that it has now until a couple years after it was released,” Plank said.

That delay offers a powerful reminder to believers who wonder whether the things God placed in their hearts in previous seasons still have purpose. The testimony behind “What A God” belonged to these songwriters years ago, yet God would use it to minister to others at another time.

“That for us was a testimony of four years ago,” Plank said, “but it’s still a testimony for people today and in this past year.”

Today, she says one of the greatest joys has been watching churches embrace the song and entire congregations sing its message together.

Wilkerson has witnessed that impact firsthand, calling “What A God” a “faith igniter” that redirects people’s attention toward the Lord.

Perhaps that is the deeper testimony behind “What A God.” What looks quiet is not necessarily forgotten. What doesn’t happen immediately is not necessarily finished.

Sometimes God places something in your hands in one season because He already knows who will need it in the next.

Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.