The next entry for my Blog is Thank God I Do, which was written by Alecia B. Moore, Jason David Ingram, Jeffrey Bhasker, Lauren Ashley Daigle, and Nathaniel Ruess. The song was initially released March 8, 2023. A link to Lauren Daigle performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.
Thank God I Do
I’ve seen love come and I’ve seen love walk away
So many questions, will anybody stay?
It’s been a hard year, so many nights in tears
All of the darkness, tryin’ to fight my fears
Alone
So long alone
I don’t know who I’d be if I didn’t know You
I’d probably fall off the edge
I don’t know where I’d go if You ever let go
So keep me held in Your hands
I’ve started breathing, the weight is lifted here
With you it’s easy, my head is finally clear
There’s nothin’ missing when You are by my side
I took the long road, but now I realize
I’m home
With You, I’m home
I don’t know who I’d be if I didn’t know You
I’d probably fall off the edge
I don’t know where I’d go if You ever let go
So keep me held in Your hands
I don’t know who I’d be if I didn’t know You
I’d probably fall off the edge
I don’t know where I’d go if You ever let go
So keep me held in Your hands
You’re my safe place, my hideaway
You’re my anchor, my saving grace
You’re my constant, my steadiness
You’re my shelter, my oxygen
I don’t know who I’d be if I didn’t know You
Thank God I do
I don’t know who I’d be if I didn’t know You
I’d probably fall off the edge
I don’t know where I’d go if You ever let go
So keep me held in Your hands
I don’t know who I’d be if I didn’t know You
Thank God I do
Have you been in love before and believed that the relationship you were in was going to last forever? If/When our first love doesn’t work out, we are just devastated and initially think we will never love again and may never feel loved again. Maybe we go through this cycle multiple times in our lives and start to wonder, will I ever find that right one? How many times will my heart be broken? People that enter this seemingly endless and vicious cycle just want to give up; they just can’t imagine living through yet another broken relationship. Every night becomes a sad night, a night of sadness, and a night of tears. Have you been there and felt this intense loneliness and heartbreak that just sucks the life out of you? Even worse is you feel as if you are all alone and every minute of feeling this way seems like an eternity.
The good news is that love, hope, and warmth can be found through faith, faith in Jesus Christ as our lord and savior. He will never leave us and we are told this in the book of Deuteronomy 31:8, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” All we need to do is reach out our hearts and our hands to Christ and he will wrap his arms around us and fill us with hope and love. So many people try to find their own way and their way leads them to drugs, to alcohol, false hopes, and into despair and they may ultimately fall over the edge that is referenced by the song. The weight of our sorrow and loneliness is so great that we struggle to breathe, to survive, and just to take another step. The words of the song encourage us to keep holding the hand of God and he will keep us from falling into the pit of despair and from falling over the proverbial edge.
As we start to realize that we are never alone and that we have the power of God supporting us, we start feeling a glimmer of hope. We can start to live again and dream about a new beginning of hope, the sun is finally lighting up the sky as the clouds of despair disappear. We can finally take those deep breaths and feel our lungs fill with the air of relief as opposed to the shortness of breath we felt during our despair. At the same time, we start to realize that we are never alone and will never be alone again. It doesn’t mean that our path will always be smooth and that every dream will come true, but we will never be alone and there will always be hope through God and his son. The sad part is that so many of us get lost and struggle for so long before we ever bring God into our lives. We traveled through the valley of despair and darkness for a long time before we asked for help from the only source that can hold us, love us, and guide us. The path to this realization can be a very long one, but God’s response is immediate once we turn it all over to him.
Once we feel the presence of the hand of God, we realize we will never be alone and that at long last, we are home and in the company of someone who truly loves us, who will never reject us, and will never let go. He becomes our safe place, a place where we can escape from the world and find peace. We may have friends or family that change and move on with their lives and leave us alone, but the bible tells that Jesus never changes, which means his love for us is forever and that his commitment to us is unwavering. Hebrews 13:8 tells us that “Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” You may turn your back on Jesus, the son of God, who should be your best friend, but he will never turn his back on you. When you are looking for that hand to lift you up, his hand is already extended to you, all you have to do is grab his hand then feel the peace that only he can bring.
Notice in the song where the writer describes God as being a safe place, a hideaway, an anchor, a saving grace, a constant, a source of stability, a shelter, and a fresh breath. Aren’t these things we look for in a best friend? Don’t we all desire a best friend or even a group of friends who can provide all of this to us? Isn’t it true that although we expect all of this from our best friends, they can never meet every one of our needs? We all need good friends to turn to, but the only friend we have who can meet our every need is Jesus. Jesus is the only constant we will ever have in our lives. Isn’t it a good feeling to know that even though you feel as if you are on the edge of the precipice of life, there is someone ready to pull you back and give you unconditional love?
Thank God I do.