One Way Through the Chaos

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John 14:6 — Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

Have you ever noticed how exhausting it is to keep up with everyone’s expectations?

Everybody has an opinion. Everybody has advice. Everybody promises a better path. Yet all those voices often leave us more confused than confident.

That’s one reason Jon Reddick’s song “The Way” resonates with me.

His heart wasn’t simply to write a song. It was to help people find their way to God and to one another. And I think that’s what most of us are looking for.

Not another life hack.

Not another shortcut.

We’re living in a world overflowing with options but starving for direction. And here’s the paradox: more choices don’t always create more freedom. Sometimes they create more confusion.

Our deepest problem isn’t a lack of information; it’s a lack of direction.

That’s why Jesus’ words are so powerful. He never presented Himself as one option among many. He didn’t say He knew the way. He said, “I am the way.” He is the road home, the path through the wilderness, and the bridge between a holy God and broken people.

The enemy would love for us to spend our lives chasing dead ends, believing fulfillment is waiting around the next corner. But every detour eventually reveals the same truth:

When life feels uncertain, clarity isn’t found in knowing the whole path. It’s found in trusting the One who does.

That’s why Reddick’s song feels so timely. Our deepest need isn’t more advice.

It’s a trustworthy Savior.

So today, consider the loudest voice shaping your decisions. Is it fear? Pressure? Success? Disappointment?

Then spend a few moments asking Jesus to lead your next step. You don’t have to see the entire road ahead to trust the One who is The Way.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What voices or expectations compete most for your attention each day?
  • Have you ever followed a path that seemed right but ultimately left you feeling empty or lost? What did you learn from it?
  • Jesus said, “I am the way.” What does that truth mean to you personally?
  • What decision or situation do you need to trust Jesus to lead you through right now?
  • What is one practical way you can follow Jesus more intentionally today instead of following fear, pressure, or the opinions of others?

LYRICS:

I’ve had it with the way of this world
I’ve spent my last day chasing those lies
And now I want the world to hear me say
Jesus is the way (Jesus is the way)

I’ve had it with the schemes of the devil
He ain’t got no grip on me
Let the gates of hell tremble when I say
Jesus is the way (Jesus is the way)

You are the way
You’re the only way
For the saint, for the sinner
For the world today

You are the way
And I will follow You
Cause Jesus only You
Are the life the truth
The way

So, where You lead that’s where I’m going
Lord, I’ve got my eyes locked on You
Remind my heart if I start to stray
Jesus is the way
Jesus is the way

You are the way
You’re the only way
For the saint, for the sinner
For the world today

You are the way
And I will follow You
‘Cause Jesus only You
Are the life the truth
The way

You are the way out of the darkness
You are the way out of the storm
You are the way out of the broken
Just like You’ve been before

You are the way through the valley
You are the way on high
You make the way before me
So, I will testify

You are the way
You’re the only way
For the saint, for the sinner
For the world today

You are the way
And I will follow You
Cause Jesus only You
Are the life the truth

The way
You are the way
You’re the life the truth
The way

Written by Jon Reddick, Matthew West, and AJ Pruis

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The Gospel Still Changes Everything

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Joel 2:13 — Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.

Have you ever noticed how quickly the best news in your life can turn ordinary?

The promotion. The wedding day. The birth of a child. At first, it changes everything. Then, over time, it becomes part of the wallpaper.

I think that’s what can happen with the Gospel. It’s easy to wake up carrying burdens and forget that Jesus already carried them. We forget that the story of Jesus isn’t just about getting into heaven someday. It’s about being brought from death to life today.

That’s why I love the song “Running Back To You” by Seph Schlueter. At its heart, it’s a modern retelling of the Prodigal Son story. You know the one.

A son wanders away. A father watches and waits for his son to come home. And when the son finally turns around, he discovers something shocking: the father is still glad to see him.

He’s not tolerant.

Not reluctant.

Glad. 

The son had rehearsed his apology, but the father prepared a celebration. The son came home ashamed, but the father met him with love.

That sounds a lot like how God is described by the prophet Joel. He is the God who is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, and overflowing with faithful love. That’s the Father the prodigal ran toward. And that’s the Father we can run to today.

And maybe that’s what makes repentance so beautiful. It’s not crawling back to a disappointed Father. It’s running back to love.

The Gospel is the best news ever. It announces that Jesus has already done what we never could. What sin separated, Jesus restored. What death claimed, Jesus conquered.

It only becomes ordinary when we forget what it rescued us from.

So today, remember. Remember the chains He broke. Remember the life He gave. Remember the Father who still watches the road for His children to come home.

And if you’ve wandered, even a little, you can still turn around.

You’ll find Him exactly where He’s always been. Waiting with arms wide open.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Have you allowed the good news of the Gospel to become familiar instead of life-changing? What helps you remember what Jesus has done for you?
  • Is there an area of your life where God is inviting you to return to Him today?
  • How does knowing that God is merciful, compassionate, and full of unfailing love change the way you think about repentance?

L Y R I C S

(Oh-oh-oh-oh)
(Oh-oh-oh-oh)

I was an orphan
Defined by mistakes
Thought I was forsaken
That You gave up the chase
I went to the reaches
To try and ease the ache
Turned my back on the One
Who kept calling my name
You kept calling

Didn’t matter where I was at
You just kept calling me back

Back to the table
Back to my home
Back to my Father who never lost hope
For the first time in ages
I know what to do
With my arms wide open I’m running to back to You

(Oh-oh-oh-oh)
I’m running to back to You
(Oh-oh-oh-oh)

Now I have been rescued
My soul is remade
But even the ransomed
Can fall on their face
When I’m drowning in questions
When I’ve lost the path
Your love is the answer
You’re calling me back

Back to the table
Back to my home
Back to my Father who never lets go
Whatever I’m facing
I know what to do
With my arms wide open I’m running to back to you

(Oh-oh-oh-oh)
I’m running to back to You
(Oh-oh-oh-oh)

It doesn’t matter all the times where I’ve been in over my head
I’m never too far gone where Your arms cannot pull me back again
I’m never been so lost where Your love could not fill my emptiness
I’m never too far gone where Your arms cannot pull me back again

Back to the table
Back to my home
Back to my Father who never lets go
Whatever I’m facing
I know what to do
With my arms wide open I’m running to back to you
Back to the table
Back to my home
Back to my Father who never lost hope
For the first time in ages
I know what to do
With my arms wide open I’m running to back to you

(Oh-oh-oh-oh)
I’m running to back to You
(Oh-oh-oh-oh)
I’m running to back to You
(Oh-oh-oh-oh) Oh-oh-oh-oh
I’m running back to You
(Oh-oh-oh-oh)
I’m running to back to You

Songwriters: Seph Schlueter and Jacob Sooter

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The Beauty in the Broken Road

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Psalms 103:2-4 — Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things He does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.

Have you ever driven through a construction zone and thought, This is such a mess. Who planned this?

Lanes suddenly shift. Orange barrels are everywhere. Traffic slows to a crawl. Dust is flying, and nothing looks finished. Then you come back six months later, and there’s a new road, fresh pavement, and a bridge where there wasn’t one before.

Suddenly, the mess starts making sense.

Peter Burton’s song “Where Would I Be” comes from a deeply personal place, and it reminds me of that kind of roadwork. He has talked openly about his struggles with mental health and how God walked with him through every step of recovery.

He calls the song his testimony—a reminder that Jesus changes everything, and even in the mess, God is still at work.

Maybe that’s why the song hits home for so many people.

It’s your testimony and mine too.

We all have chapters we’d rather skip. Seasons where you felt buried under shame. Choices you wish you could erase. Anxiety, fear, bitterness you didn’t know how to shake.

But then Jesus steps into the mess. He starts breaking ground, healing hearts, doing a deep work in us. And one day you look back and barely recognize who you used to be.

He’s that good.

He’s the God who forgives all your sins, heals your diseases, redeems your life from destruction, and crowns you with love and tender mercies. Don’t forget that.

Because those moments that felt like falling apart were often the very places God was quietly rebuilding you.

And somewhere along the way, you may find yourself asking what Peter Burton asks in the song:

“Where would I be? Where would I be if it wasn’t for the love of God?”

…and honestly, thank God we’ll never know.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What “construction zone” season of your life can you only now see God was working through?
  • Where do you need to remember (not just believe, but remember) that God has forgiven, healed, and redeemed you?
  • Is there a part of your story you tend to skip over or feel ashamed of—how might God be inviting you to see it differently?
  • How has your testimony changed as you’ve looked back and recognized God’s presence in the middle of the mess?
  • Who in your life might need to hear your story of how God met you in a difficult season?

Lyrics:

Standing where I stand now
I know that He’s the reason
I almost can’t believe it

Every wrong turn He turned around
and I can just imagine
If it didn’t happen
How it happened

Oh
Seeing how good He’s been to me
Oh
I can’t help but think

Where would I be if I didn’t have Jesus
Pulling me outta that grave
Where would I be if I didn’t have mercy
Pulling me away from my ways
I’d probably crash and burn
Stay stuck down in that dirt
Like a prodigal running from home
Where would I be if I didn’t have Jesus
Thank God, thank God, thank God
I’ll never know

I used to feel the weight
Of the chains that I was holding
Til my savior came and broke em

I used to walk with shame
I was living at a loss
Til he settled up my cost
At the cross

Oh
Giving His life so I could live
Oh
Didn’t leave me where I’ve been

Where would I be if I didn’t have Jesus
Pulling me outta that grave
Where would I be if I didn’t have mercy
Pulling me away from my ways
I’d probably crash and burn
Stay stuck down in that dirt
Like a prodigal running from home
Where would I be if I didn’t have Jesus
Thank God, thank God, thank God
I’ll never know

Thank God
I’ll never know

Where would I be if I didn’t have Jesus
Pulling me outta that grave
Where would I be if I didn’t have mercy
Pulling me away from my ways
I’d probably crash and burn
Stay stuck down in that dirt
Like a prodigal running from home
Where would I be if I didn’t have Jesus
Thank God, thank God, thank God
I’ll never know

Thank God
I’ll never know
Thank God
I’ll never know

Written by Peter Burton, Matt Armstrong, AJ Pruis

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From Dusty Bibles to Daily Bread

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Matthew 4:4 — But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

There’s something haunting about the phrase “dusty Bibles.”

Like… I can remember to charge my phone every night, but my Bible can sit untouched on a shelf for weeks. That image is what sparked Josiah Queen’s song “Dusty Bibles.”

And the song isn’t really condemning technology. After all, social media helped launch Josiah Queen’s career. Instead, it asks a harder question: what has our attention?

Because attention is never neutral.

Whatever consistently fills our minds eventually starts shaping our hearts. And that’s why so many people feel exhausted right now—not just physically tired, but spiritually drained.

You know what I mean. Constantly connected. Constantly consuming. Constantly scrolling… yet still somehow hungry for peace.

Maybe that’s why this song has resonated with so many young adults. Underneath all the noise, there’s still a hunger for something real.

Jesus once reminded people that life is more than bread. Human beings carry a deeper hunger—one that food, success, entertainment, or distraction will never satisfy. Souls were made for truth. Souls were made for the voice of God.

And here’s the tension: it’s possible to feed every appetite and still starve spiritually.

But the good news is this—God doesn’t wait for people to get it all together. He meets us the moment we turn our attention back to Him.

Not when we become perfect. Not when we finally “fix everything.” Just when we turn.

And the beautiful part is this: the moment we return our attention to God, we realize He never stopped giving His attention to us.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What tends to consistently capture your attention most throughout the day?
  • How has constant “consuming” (social media, news, entertainment, etc.) affected your peace or focus?
  • What would it realistically look like for you to give God your attention first—even in a small way this week?
  • Where do you notice a “spiritual hunger” in your life right now?
  • What might change if you believed God has been fully attentive to you all along?

LYRICS:

We got dust on our Bibles
Brand new iPhones
No wonder why we feel this way

Hey, how you been?
It’s been a while and I’m just checking in
I miss the way things used to be back in 2017
And I just miss my friend

Hey, I’ve been fine
I’ve been struggling to find some peace of mindFrom Dusty Bibles to Daily Bread
It’s the problem of our nation and in our generation
We’re too busy and can’t find the time
Are we busy or is it all a lie

We got dust on our Bibles
Brand new iPhones
No wonder why we feel this way

We walk with our eyes closed blind leading blind folks
I’m done with those idols and dusty Bibles

We only get this one life
I don’t want to sit and watch it pass me by
I’m so done being complacent
There ain’t no replacement
For a life in the light of your way
Oh I’m done, had enough of my way

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Leaving No Survivors

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1 Peter 2:24 — He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By His wounds you are healed.

The hardest things to surrender are usually the things we’ve learned to survive with.

Maybe that’s why Jeremy Camp’s song “No Survivors” hits so hard. Beneath the gritty guitars and explosive chorus is a deeply honest truth: the old life doesn’t go quietly.

Most of us know what it’s like to keep parts of the old self (who you were before Christ) on life support. Maybe it’s pride dressed up as independence. Maybe it’s the need to control every outcome because trusting God feels too risky. Maybe it’s a habit, a wound, a bitterness, or a private struggle we keep trying to “manage” instead of surrender.

But the gospel was never about management.

Jeremy Camp sings, “My ego, my pride / My grip on my life / Throw it all into the fire…” Those lyrics feel intense because surrender is intense, but that’s the tension in the song. It’s the battle between flesh and spirit…the daily war between who we used to be and who God is making us into.

Jesus didn’t come merely to improve us.

He came to make us new. The old self was crucified with Christ, and now we learn each day to walk in the freedom He purchased for us.

Real freedom begins when we stop trying to leave escape routes for the old version of ourselves. It begins when we trust God enough to give Him everything and let Him transform us from the inside out.

Scripture paints that picture clearly: “He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By His wounds you are healed.”

Maybe that’s the invitation today. Not striving harder but surrendering deeper. Let God have the things you’ve been holding onto—the pride, the control, the bitterness, the habits that keep pulling you backward—and step into what He’s been offering all along.

And maybe somewhere in that surrender, you’ll discover the strange freedom of leaving behind no survivors.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What part of your old life are you most tempted to keep “on life support”?
  • Is there an area where you’ve been managing a struggle instead of surrendering it?
  • How does Christ’s sacrifice on the cross give you confidence to let go?
  • What would deeper surrender look like in your life right now?
  • What freedom might God be inviting you into if you fully trusted Him with that area?

Lyrics:

I’m at war with my humanity
Trying to reclaim my sanity
Nothing in my veins but vanity
It’s the same old, same old

You told me it’s Your battle, God, so I need You to fight
‘Cause if I’m gonna live then there’s some things that need to die

My ego, my pride
My grip on my life
Throw it all into the fire
And leave no survivors
Survivors

Somebody give my past my sympathies
Tell the old me I’m not missing me
He can call, but I’m not listening
To the same old, same old

My ego, my pride
My grip on my life
Throw it all into the fire
And leave no survivors
Survivors

You’re pushing back the dark to get me closer to the light
Somebody tell my enemies there’s nowhere left to hide
You told me it’s Your battle, God, so I need You to fight
Cause if I’m gonna live, then there’s some things that need to die

My ego, my pride
My grip on my life
Throw it all into the fire
And leave no survivors
Survivors

Cause if I’m gonna live, then there’s some things that need to die
Survivors
Survivors
Throw it all into the fire
And leave no survivors

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When Joy Fills Rooms

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Psalm 70:4 — But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, “God is great!”

The room is loud before the first note even lands.

Lights rise, hands follow, voices spill forward like they’ve been waiting all week for this. From the stage, Darren Mulligan, the lead singer of We Are Messengers, saw what most people couldn’t.

A girl near the front is singing, but her mascara is running. Off to the side, a man stands still as stone. His eyes are shut tight, like if he opens them everything might fall apart.

And still… they’re singing.

There was a time Darren would’ve called the feeling in a room like this “happiness.” Everyone’s singing. This is it.

But life has a way of telling the truth after the music fades. Because happiness is loud. It rises fast. It disappears just as quickly.

Joy, though… joy is stubborn.

These aren’t people who showed up because they were happy. They came because they were looking for Jesus.

And in that stubborn reaching toward God, something was happening. You could almost feel it rising in the room. Like a current running underneath every voice. A gladness that doesn’t wait for life to make sense. It wasn’t shallow or forced. Together, the crowd was declaring, “God is still good. He’s still worth it. He’s still here.”

There on the stage, Darren was struck by this thought.

“Those who go looking for Him somehow find gladness. Real joy meets people in their hunger and desperation for Jesus. And the ones who’ve tasted even a little of His rescue can’t help but say it over and over again: ‘To God be the glory.’”

Maybe that’s what these songs are for. Not to help you escape—but to help you find God. To trade the fragile kind of happiness for something stronger. And over time, almost without noticing, your own song will start to rise…one that sounds like this.

To God be the glory.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What is the difference between happiness and joy in your own life?
  • When have you experienced joy even in the middle of difficulty or pain?
  • What does it look like for you to genuinely “search for God” right now?
  • How has worship helped strengthen your faith during hard seasons?
  • What are some ways God has shown His goodness and faithfulness to you recently?

L Y R I C S

When the ground beneath my feet
Is shaking like a leaf
God, You’re still good to me
When my hope is all but gone
And I’m barely hanging on
God, You’re still good to me

When my heart can’t find the beat
When it’s dark and I can’t see
I will put my hope in You

I’ll trade ashes for beauty
I’ll trade joy for my mourning
I’ll trade, to God be the glory
To God be the glory
I’ll trade strength for my weakness
I’ll trade pain for my healing
I’ll trade, let this be my story
To God be thе glory, oh

You love mе at my best
You love me in my mess
God, You’re so good to me
There’s one thing I am sure
Your promises endure
You make a way for me

When my heart can’t find the beat
When it’s dark, and I can’t see
I will put my hope in You

I’ll trade ashes for beauty
I’ll trade joy for my mourning
I’ll trade, to God be the glory
To God be the glory
I’ll trade strength for my weakness
I’ll trade pain for my healing
I’ll trade, let this be my story

To God be the glory
to God be the glory
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)

And whatever comes my way
I will always praise Your name
I will put my hope in You
When I run into Your courts
I will fall into Your arms
I will sing a song of praise
I’ll trade ashes for beauty
I’ll trade joy for my mourning
I’ll trade, to God be the glory (forever and ever)

To God be the glory
I’ll trade strength for my weakness
I’ll trade pain for my healing
I’ll trade, let this be my story (forever and ever)

To God be the glory
I’ll trade ashes for beauty
I’ll trade (I’ll trade), joy for my mourning
I’ll trade, to God be the glory

To God be the glory
I’ll trade strength for my weakness
I’ll trade pain for my healing
I’ll trade, let this be my story
To God be the glory

Songwriters: Ran Jackson / Darren Mulligan / Taylor Hill / Andrew Lee Bergthold

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Paddleboards and Praise

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Revelation 15:3-4 — Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God, the Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations. Who will not fear you, Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous deeds have been revealed.

It wasn’t a stage. It wasn’t a writing room.

It was water.

During the chaos and uncertainty of 2020, Chris Tomlin found himself in Montana, sitting alone on a paddleboard in the middle of a still lake at sunset. No noise. No crowd. Just water and silence.

And on that lake, something unsettled him—in a good way.

He became deeply aware of how small he was… and how vast God is.

Not in a crushing way. In a clarifying way.

He had spent years writing songs of deliverance—songs people cling to when they need rescue, grace, and mercy. And those songs matter. Deeply.

But out there on the water, something else was rising.

A different kind of worship song. It was not one that sounded like “God, come through for me,” but “God, you are holy.”

The kind that echoes what’s already been sung long before any of us arrived:

There in that awe-inspiring setting, Chris was reminded of the book of Revelation, where believers from every nation worship before God’s throne crying out, “Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God Almighty… for you alone are holy.” He also thought about the angels surrounding God’s throne declaring, “Holy, holy, holy.”

That’s where Holy Forever was born—out of stillness, not striving.

It holds both sides of worship we often separate: the God who rescues us, and the God who stands far above us. Because we need both the God who meets us in our mess, and the same God who reminds us He was never overwhelmed by it at all.

And maybe that’s what your soul needs today—not just rescue, but reverence.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • When was the last time you truly stopped and felt awe at God’s greatness?
  • Do your prayers lean more toward asking God for help or worshiping Him for who He is?
  • How does remembering God’s holiness change your perspective on your problems?
  • What helps you slow down enough to notice God’s presence?
  • Why is it important to remember both God’s nearness and His majesty?

Lyrics:

A thousand generations falling down in worship
To sing the song of ages to the Lamb
And all who’ve gone before us and all who will believe
Will sing the song of ages to the Lamb

Your name is the highest
Your name is the greatest
Your name stands above them all
All thrones and dominions
All powers and positions
Your name stands above them all

And the angels cry, Holy
All creation cries, Holy
You are lifted high, Holy
Holy forever

If you’ve been forgiven and if you’ve been redeemed
Sing the song forever to the Lamb
If you walk in freedom and if you bear His name
Sing the song forever to the Lamb
We’ll sing the song forever and amen

Hear your people sing, Holy
To the King of Kings, Holy
You will always be, Holy
Holy forever

You will always be, Holy
Holy forever

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When Silence Finds a Song

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Isaiah 65:24 — I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!

No singing in the house—that was the rule.

Jamie MacDonald’s parents had already split up when she was young, and somewhere in the aftermath, her voice became something to hide. She was a kid who loved to sing, but she learned to swallow it—the music, the feelings, all of it.

But at age twelve, at youth camp, something broke through anyway. She felt the nearness of God in a way she couldn’t explain. He wasn’t distant or cold. No, He was close and personal.

But she went home, and real life got loud again. That closeness faded into the background.

By sixteen, she had dropped out of high school. Life became unstable—partying, drugs, just trying to survive. The people around her were unraveling too. Some overdosed. Some ended up in jail. Some didn’t make it out at all.

“I’m tired of that life,” she finally said in the weight of it all. “I remember what You spoke to me, God… and I want to live for You.”

That’s where things began to change.

Not all at once. Not perfectly. She quietly started showing up. She read her Bible, slipped quietly into church, and let God begin rebuilding what had been worn down. Over time, doors opened. She led worship. Served on mission trips. She even helped with prison ministry, where she saw something she’d never forget. She saw women clinging to truth in the prisons like it was oxygen.

Five years later, after spending time caring for her father through Parkinson’s and dementia, she returned to Nashville carrying carrying profound heartbreak and a deep need for healing.

And that’s where the song “Desperate” was born.

Not as a performance, but a real prayer.

“I’m not asking… I’m begging.”

Because somewhere along the way, she realized something she didn’t know before. Life was no longer about staying quiet or praying perfect prayers. It was about being real.

Even as a girl forced into silence, God had been leaning in the whole time. Listening before she could finish the sentence. Moving toward her before she found the right words. He’s the kind of God who answers before we call, who hears even the prayers we can barely get out.

And maybe that’s where this meets you. Not in having the right words. Not in having it all together.

But in letting yourself be honest right where you are, trusting that even your most desperate prayers are already being heard…

And right now, in your desperation, you are already being held.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Have you ever felt like you needed to hide parts of yourself from God or others?
  • What does this devotional teach us about God’s response to desperate prayers?
  • Why do you think honesty before God matters more than having “perfect” prayers?
  • Have you experienced a season where God was working in your life before you fully recognized it?
  • What would it look like for you to bring your real struggles honestly before God today?

L Y R I C S:

I’m at the end of myself and I’m
Tired I’ve tried all that I know to do
Right now it’s just by a thread but I’m
Hangin’ onto You

I’m running outta hope
I need a miracle
And if I ever needed You it’s right now

Oh God I’m desperate
Down on my knees
Send help from Heaven
Cuz that’s what I need
Redeem this wreckage
Restore my peace
I’m not asking I’m begging
Lord come through for me

I need Heaven and I’m
Desperate
Desperate
Oh, I need Heaven
Need Heaven and

I’ve prayed all the prayers I can pray but I
I won’t stop knocking til You open the door
You can move a mountain, You can calm a storm
I know You can cause I’ve seen it before

Oh God I’m desperate
Down on my knees
Send help from Heaven
Cuz that’s what I need
Redeem this wreckage
Restore my peace
I’m not asking I’m begging
Lord come through for me

I need Heaven and I’m
Desperate
Desperate
Oh, I need Heaven
Need Heaven and
I’m
Desperate
Desperate
Oh, I need Heaven
Need Heaven and I

Oh
And You’re my only hope
I need a miracle
If I ever needed You it’s right now
Oh God I’m desperate
Down on my knees
Send help from Heaven
Cuz that’s what I need
Redeem this wreckage
Restore my peace
I’m not asking I’m begging
Lord come through for me

I need Heaven and I’m
Desperate
Desperate
Oh, I need Heaven
Need Heaven and I’m
Desperate
Desperate
Oh, I need Heaven
Need Heaven and I

More About Jamie MacDonald in her interview with Rita Springer on her podcast, Worship is My Weapon

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The Blood-Bought Glow Up

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Ephesians 2:13 — But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.

It started with a question: “What has God done for you?”

Charity Gayle and others were sitting in a loose circle at a songwriting retreat. Around the room you could see faces of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds all carrying their own story to tell.

One by one, they began to share what God had done for them.

A man talked about who he was before grace found him—how far he ran from God for years. A woman followed, sharing her past regrets and breakthroughs. Then another shared. And another.

And without anyone planning it, a pattern began to form.

Every story started in the same place: far from God.

And every story ended the same way: Jesus met them there and gave them new life.

Lost, then found.

Charity sat still, listening, feeling something stir. She thought about the songs she used to sing in church as a child. You can almost hear it—threads of Amazing Grace weaving through the air, carrying the steady truth of Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.

It was the reality that people who were once distant didn’t stay that way. They were brought near by the blood of Christ.

That moment would become the heartbeat behind her song, “Thank You Jesus for the Blood.”

But the story didn’t stay in that room.

Because it’s your story too. And mine.

Maybe yours doesn’t feel dramatic. Maybe it’s simple or you grew up in church or it’s hard to put into words. But it still holds the same miracle—a before and after and a life that didn’t stay the same.

And somewhere, someone is sitting across from you, needing to hear it. You’re living proof that Jesus is alive and that His blood was enough. There’s power in your testimony.

And I hope you will tell it too.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Your Story:
When you think about your own life, where do you see the “far” and “brought near” moments in your story?

Recognizing Grace:
Is there a part of your past you’ve minimized or overlooked that actually shows God’s grace at work?

Sharing Your Testimony:
Who in your life might need to hear what God has done for you—and what’s holding you back from sharing it?

Personal Connection to the Gospel:
Does your relationship with Jesus feel personal right now, or more distant? What would it look like to lean back into that closeness?

Gratitude and Worship:
How can you intentionally thank Jesus today for bringing you near—through your words, actions, or time with Him?

 

 

L Y R I C S

I was a wretch, I remember who I was
I was lost, I was blind, I was running out of time
Sin separated, the breach was far too wide
But from the far side of the chasmYou held me in Your sight

So You made a way, across the great divide
Left behind, Heaven’s throne, to build it here inside
And there at the cross You paid the debt I owe
Broke my chains, freed my soul, for the first time I had hope

Thank You Jesus, for the blood applied
Thank You Jesus, it has washed me white
Thank You Jesus, You have saved my life
Brought me from the darkness into glorious light

You took my place, laid inside my tomb of sin
You were buried for three days but then You walked right out again
And now death has no sting and life has no end
For I have been transformed by the blood of the Lamb

Thank You Jesus, for the blood applied (thank You, Jesus)
Thank You Jesus, it has washed me white
Thank You Jesus, You have saved my life
Brought me from the darkness into glorious light

There is nothing stronger
Than the wonder working power of the blood, the blood
That calls us sons and daughters
We are ransomed by our Father through the blood, the blood
There is nothing stronger
Oh, the wonder working power of the blood, the blood (it calls us)
That calls us sons and daughters
We are ransomed by our Father through the blood, the blood

Thank You Jesus, for the blood applied
Thank You Jesus, it has washed me white
Thank You Jesus, You have saved my life
Brought me from the darkness into glorious light

Glory to His name
Glory to His name
There to my heart was the blood applied
Glory to His name

Songwriters: Bryan McCleery / Charity Gayle / David Gentiles / Ryan Kennedy / Steven Musso
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Peace is Still Preaching

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Colossians 3:15 — And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Some stories don’t begin with peace. They begin with the storm.

That was true for Hope Darst when she walked into the songwriting room. Anxiety swirled around like a storm she couldn’t outrun. And her friend and co-writer, Mia Fieldes, was carrying her own struggles she couldn’t shake on her own. Things like disappointment, fear, uncertainty.

“We need to write a song about peace.” Mia said, breaking the silence.

It was not because either of them felt it, obviously. But it was because they didn’t.

So, they began writing. Not for a performance. Not for applause. But as a declaration over their own hearts. You may have heard the chorus:

“Peace be still. Say the word and I will set my feet upon the sea ‘till I’m dancing in the deep. Peace be still. You are here so it is well. Even when my eyes can’t see, I will trust the voice that speaks. Peace. Peace over me.”

Hope had to sing those words over herself long before anyone else ever heard them. there’s power in moments like that—when we let the peace that comes from Christ rule in our hearts, not just visit when life feels calm, but take authority even in the middle of the storm.”

When we come in agreement with the storm-calmer. The peace that comes from Heaven is greater than our emotions, and it speaks a better word.

Maybe today, you’re carrying something heavy—fear of what’s next, anxiety that won’t quit, disappointment that lingers. What if peace didn’t wait for circumstances to change? What if you let it settle in your heart and rule your thoughts and choices even when the waves are still crashing around you?

It can. So just declare it today.

Peace.

Peace over me.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Where in your life right now do you need God’s peace to take the lead instead of your emotions?
  • What would it look like today to let peace “rule” your thoughts, not just visit them?
  • Is there something you need to declare truth over—like Hope did—even if you don’t feel it yet?
  • How can you intentionally invite God’s peace into one stressful moment today?

 

 

Lyrics

I don’t want to be afraid
Every time I face the waves
I don’t want to be afraid
I don’t want to be afraid

I don’t want to fear the storm
Just because I hear it roar
I don’t want to fear the storm
I don’t want to fear the storm

Peace be still
Say the word and I will
Set my feet upon the sea
Till I’m dancing in the deep
Peace be still
You are here so it is well
Even when my eyes can’t see
I will trust the voice that speaks

I’m not gonna be afraid
‘Cause these waves are only waves
I’m not gonna be afraid
No I’m not gonna be afraid

And I’m not gonna fear the storm
You are greater than its roar
Oh I’m not gonna fear the storm
No I’m not gonna fear at all

Peace be still
Say the word and I will
Set my feet upon the sea
Till I’m dancing in the deep
Peace be still
You are here so it is well
Even when my eyes can’t see
I will trust the voice that speaks
Peace, peace over me

You speak peace

Let faith rise up
O heart believe
Let faith rise up in me

Let faith rise up
O heart believe
Let faith rise up in me

Let faith rise up
O heart believe
Let faith rise up in me

Oh let faith rise up
O heart believe
Let faith rise up in me

Peace be still
Say the word and I will
Set my feet upon the sea
Till I’m dancing in the deep oh
Peace be still
You are here so it is well
Even when my eyes can’t see
I will trust the voice that speaks
Peace, peace over me

I hear You speaking
Peace, peace over me

Oh peace
Over me

You speak peace
You speak peace
Over me

You speak peace
You speak peace
You speak peace

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