You Will Be Found

The next entry for my Blog is You Will Be Found, which was written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.  It was first released December 16, 2022.  A link to Natalie Grant and Cory Asbury singing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

You Will Be Found

Have you ever felt like nobody was there?
Have you ever felt forgotten in the middle of nowhere?
Have you ever felt like you could disappear?
Like you could fall, and no one would hear?

So let that lonely feeling wash away
Maybe there’s a reason to believe you’ll be okay
‘Cause when you don’t feel strong enough to stand
Well, you can reach, reach out your hand

And oh, someone will come running
And I know, they’ll take you home

Even when the dark comes crashing through
When you need a friend to carry you
And when you’re broken on the ground
You will be found
So let the sun come streaming in
‘Cause you’ll reach up and you’ll rise again
Lift your head and look around
You will be found
Yeah, you will be found
Ooh (hmm)

There’s a place where we don’t have to feel unknown
And every time you call out, you’re a little less alone
And oh, if you only say the word, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
From across the silence, your voice is heard, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Even when the dark comes crashing through
When you need a friend to carry you
And when you’re broken on the ground
You will be found
So let the sun come streaming in
‘Cause you’ll reach up and you’ll rise again
If you’ll only look around (look around)
You will be found (you will be found)
You will be found, yeah, yeah

Out of the shadows (out of the shadows)
The morning is breaking (the morning is breaking)
All is new (everything is new)
Yeah, all is new (everything is new)
It’s filling up the empty
And suddenly, I see that (and suddenly, I see)
Everything is new, hmm

Even when the dark comes crashing through
And when you need a friend to carry you
And when you’re broken on the ground
You will be found
So when the sun comes streaming in
You’ll reach up and you’ll rise again
If you’ll only look around
You will be found

This is such a powerful song that reflects experiences that most of us have probably encountered at some point during our lives, even for only a brief period of time.  As I listened to this song a few times in preparation for this entry, I started thinking about experiences I may have had, those I have heard about, or perhaps those I have witnessed.  Take a moment to think about a time in your life when you felt as if you were all alone and that no one cared about you.  It was a time when you may have truly believed that no one really loved you or wanted to be with you.  For many people, these are feelings they have had in the past, or perhaps are having today as they are reading about this song.  It is almost as if you enter into a bad dream of being all alone in the middle of nowhere and then you start to believe it is all true.  You start thinking about whether or not people would even know you have disappeared.  The thoughts like this continue to overwhelm and totally consume someone as they fall deeper into the bit of depression and despair.  I believe the most descriptive example I can come up with is being stranded on a small deserted island all alone with no hope.  I know there are many comics that depict this setting, but this is a real issue for many people.  You truly feel as if no one really cares about you and would never miss you if you disappeared.

At some point, people give up all hope and fall to their knees in despair.  This is perhaps the lowest point in someone’s life and the song states we just need to raise up our hand and know that it will be taken by the hand of God.  He is always watching over us and is always there to help us in times of need.  He doesn’t force us to do things, but once we turn to him and ask for this help; he grabs our outstretched hand and begins to bring us peace, love, and comfort.  It doesn’t mean all of our problems go away, but it does mean that we do not have to face our problems alone.  He is the ship that will rescue you from the island of despair and help bring love, joy, and hope back into your life.  Once you have God in your heart and holding your hand, you can be lifted out of the deepest darkest pit or the smallest deserted island.  He is the friend that perhaps you never had, a true friend you can depend on at all times.  There are times when you have fallen flat on your face into a world of hopelessness, but he reaches down and brings you into his arms.  He brings the sunshine back into your life and regardless of where you fall down or how often you fall down, he is there to put you back on your feet and fill you with hope.  We can find the comfort we seek in the parable of the lost sheep in the book of Luke 15:3-7.  “And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”

We are the sheep that God protects and he never wants us to be alone and he doesn’t want us to be lonely, depressed, or discouraged.  He knows we will have dark times in our lives and that we will stumble and fall in our lives, but he wants us to know that he is always there to bring light into our lives and always has his hand extended out to each of us.  When you see that bright ray of sunshine breaking through the deep dark clouds, that is when you know God is there.  The darkness of this world will continue to try and overcome us, but nothing can overcome the love and light that God brings.  The more we call out to him, the less lonely we become, and the stronger we become as we face each and every day.  We are never out of his sight, he is always there with us.  He alone can lift us out of loneliness, addiction, despair.

Does this song describe the world you may be living in?  If so, it is time for you to turn to God for hope, love, and direction in your life.  You need to find a supportive church, you need to develop true friendships, and you may need to seek medical guidance.  Just know that God will be with you every step of the way and will pick you up whenever life fails you.  God doesn’t have to find you, he is there beside you.  He promises us this in the book of Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

 Select to Hear Natalie Grant and Cory Asbury Sing You Will Be Found

We Won’t Be Shaken

The next entry for my Blog is We Won’t Be Shaken which was written by Casey Brown, Jason Roy, Jonathan Lindley Smith, and Tim Roseneau. It was first released by Building 429 in 2013.  A link to Building 429 singing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

We Won’t Be Shaken

This world has nothing for me
This life is not my own
I know You go before me and I am not alone
This mountain rises higher
The way seems so unclear
But I know that You go with me so I will never fear
I will trust in You

Whatever will come our way
Through fire or pouring rain
No, we won’t be shaken
No, we won’t be shaken
Whatever tomorrow brings
Together we’ll rise and sing
That we won’t be shaken
No, we won’t be shaken
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
No, we won’t be shaken

You know my every longing
You’ve heard my every prayer
You’ve held me in my weakness ’cause You are always there
So I’ll stand in full surrender
It’s Your way and not my own
My mind is set on nothing less
Than You and You alone
I will not be moved, oh

Whatever will come our way
Through fire or pouring rain
No, we won’t be shaken
No, we won’t be shaken
Whatever tomorrow brings
Together we’ll rise and sing
That we won’t be shaken
No, we won’t be shaken

We will trust in You
We will not be moved
We will trust in You
And we won’t be shaken
We will trust in You
We will not be moved
We will trust in You
Yeah, we won’t be shaken
We will trust in You
We will not be moved
We will trust in You
Yeah, we won’t be shaken
No, we won’t be shaken

Whatever will come our way
Through fire or pouring rain
No, we won’t be shaken
No, we won’t be shaken
Whatever tomorrow brings
Together we’ll rise and sing
That we won’t be shaken
No, we won’t be shaken
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
No, we won’t be shaken
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
No, we won’t be shaken

If we think about the grand picture of life as it relates to eternity, it is a pretty small blip on the radar screen. Whatever we gain today physically, emotionally, or materially pales in comparison to the eternal home God offers us. We are in a temporary earthly life that God has given us and has allowed us the option to secure our eternal home by sending his son to die for us. We are basically living in a borrowed home as we prepare for our final residence. Jesus has come and has paid the way for all of us, we just need to accept him as our savior to earn God’s promise. Putting all of this in perspective, everything we have today will be replaced by an eternity of no pain, no fear, and no sorrow.

We face challenges that seem insurmountable. We have faced wars in the past, floods, hurricanes, fires, tornadoes, and Covid-19; and we have gotten scared, maybe lost our homes or loved ones. Perhaps we have reached the point of just throwing up our arms in despair since we just can’t seem to overcome the latest challenges or the culmination of events in our lives. We often reach that point when we can’t seem to find our way through the fog and over the mountains. The thing we seem to forget along the way is that we have never been and never will be alone. God knows what we are going through, he is there with us, and he is also on the other side of that mountain or challenge; he knows what it looks like on the other side of the storm we are facing. He alone holds the future and is there to hold our hand every step of the way; we just need to let him. He knows no fear since he is all powerful and we can feel his power whenever we completely lay our burdens at his feet and let him guide us along the way.

As we walk with God, no fear can overcome us; he will lead us over the mountains and through the valleys of life. With him, we can know that all things will truly work out as they should. We will not be shaken by the events in our lives or in our world because we have the assurance that we will never be alone and that this is just a temporary home. We can be like David, who faced impossible odds against Goliath. Our focus should be on God and what he wants us to do during our brief earthly life. In 1 Corinthians 15:58, we are told to stand strong and not be shaken: “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” We will be able to look back across our journey in life and will be able to sing praises to a God that delivered us from all evil and led us through every challenge that was hurled at us.

It is important to note that not only is God there in our deepest darkest times, he is also aware of every need that we have. He hears and answers our prayers, and in our weakest moments of depression, frustration, and angst; he is there to lift us up. Basically, God has already told us that he will take care of us and watch over us, so the next step is really in our court. We must give our lives to him and ALL of our trust, we can’t just go part way and take some things to him and try to handle some alone. For us to be everything he wants us to be, for us to stand strong in an overwhelming world, we must completely surrender to him and trust in him alone. Through this surrender we can sense and see the true love and power that only God can wield. As the song says, our focus is on his way; not our way.

Are you standing on the solid rock of Christ that brings the strength and peace that gives you power to face the never endings battles in this world, or are you still fighting alone?

Click to Hear Building 429 Sing We Won’t Be Shaken