"This Is God" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 artist Phil Vassar

Phil Vassar

Phil Vassar is an American country music artist. Vassar made his debut on the country music scene in the late 1990s, co-writing singles for several country artists, including Tim McGraw , Jo Dee Messina , Collin Raye , and Alan Jackson Phil Vassar (born May 28, 1964 in Lynchburg, Virginia) is an...

. It was released in January 2003 as the second single to the album, American Child

American Child

American Child is the second studio album by American country music artist Phil Vassar. Released in 2002, the album initiailly contained twelve tracks, with the title track serving as the lead-off single, reaching Top Five on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts.After the lead-off...

. It peaked at #17 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs

Hot Country Songs

Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...

 chart, and #9 on the U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.

Background and writing

Vassar penned this song on a December 2002 plane ride and it was quickly released to country radio. It was made available on subsequent pressings of the album, American Child.

Content

The lyric has God saying that all he's asking for is love. It is a call for accountability and a reminder that there are consequences to your actions.

Critical reception

Deborah Evans Price, of Billboard

Billboard (magazine)

Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

magazine reviewed the song favorably, calling it a "powerful, emotional song that takes a look at mankind's actions from a divine perspective." She goes on to say that it's not preachy, "just poignant, thought-provoking, and heartfelt, and Vassar's passionate delivery beautifully drives the message home."

Music video

The music video was directed by Deaton-Flanigen Productions

Deaton-Flanigen Productions

Deaton-Flanigen Productions is a music video directing duo composed of Robert Deaton III and George Flanigen IV. The two have directed multiple music videos, primarily in the field of country music...

and premiered in early 2003.

Chart positions

"This Is God" debuted at #53 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of January 11, 2003.

Chart (2003)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks	17
U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100	9