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

Me on Your Mind

The next entry for my Blog is Me on Your Mind, which was written by Matthew West, Jeff Pardo, and Anne Wilson.  It was first released February 18, 2022.  A link to Matthew West singing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.


I’ve read the words in red
How You leave the 99
To find the one missing
Feels like that was written
With me on Your mind

And the prodigal son who ran, leaving his home behind
The part where the father came running to meet him
Did You say that with me on Your mind?

Who am I that the King of the world
Would give one single thought about my broken heart?
Who am I that the God of all grace
Wipes the tears from my face and says, “Come as you are”?
You paid the price, You took the cross
You gave Your life and You did it all with me on Your mind (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Me on Your mind (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)

Just knowing You’re mindful of me
Just knowing You call me Your child
It’s flooding my soul with unspeakable hope
Thank You, Lord, that it’s me on Your mind

Who am I that the King of the world
Would give one single thought about my broken heart?
Who am I that the God of all grace
Wipes the tears from my face and says, “Come as you are”?
You paid the price, You took the cross
You gave Your life and You did it all with me on Your mind (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
There was me on Your mind (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Oh, oh (Hallelujah)
Thank You, Jesus (Hallelujah)
Lord, it was me on Your mind

I’ve read the words in red of a heavenly home on high
You’re preparing a place where the sorrow’s erased
And when I stand before You, I’ll find
All along, it was me on Your mind

Who am I that the King of the world
Would give one single thought about my broken heart?
And who am I that the God of all grace
Wipes the tears from my face and says, “Come as you are”?
You paid the price, You took the cross
You gave Your life and You did it all with me on Your mind (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
With me on Your mind (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)

Woah (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
It was me on Your mind

I believe we all have times in our life when we feel all alone and we often get down and out and feeling sorry for ourselves.  Unfortunately, many people have this feeling way too many times and they lead very sad lives.  Maybe our friends and our families try to encourage us, but they really don’t understand.  The words of encouragement and friendly hugs and prayers may be there, but your heart is still hurting and sad.  Some people, such as our Christian friends, may encourage us to read our bibles and read about the promises of God in hopes that it brings us out of our depression.  Have you ever been in this situation before?  If so; didn’t you feel completely hopeless?  It seems even more distressing when you are in a group of people and everything in life seems perfect with them.

The writers of the song refer to the text in the bible that is written in red.  These red letters are words that came from Jesus, the son of the almighty God.  Not every bible has these letters, but the red-letter editions always put the words of Jesus in red.  There is a story in the bible that Jesus shared in the book of Matthew 18:12-14, which tells us just how much Jesus loves us and views each of us as his children.  “If a shepherd has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.”   We are the lost sheep until we acknowledge Jesus as our savior and God as our father.  No matter how far we wander away from God, he will be there with us.  Yes, the 99 sheep are still as important to him as they have always been, but for that moment in time; he is focused on getting us into the flock and becoming part of his eternal family.  When I reflect on the scripture above, it does seem as if I was the lost sheep Jesus came after and the red letters I had been reading were referring to me.  It is so important to know that none of us are ever alone and we can never hide from the eyes of God.

The writers of the song also tell us about a family member who ran away from home with the dreams of getting everything he wanted in life.  His father gave him his share of the inheritance and he went and squandered it all within a short time.  This parable is found in the book of Luke 15:11-22, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.  Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.  But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.  The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’  But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.   None of us are perfect, we all make mistakes every single day.  We say things we don’t mean and do things we don’t really mean to do.  God loves me when I hold him close to my heart and God still loves me when I wander away.  So maybe this story fits all of us in some way.

The chorus of the song is so powerful as it describes how the king of this entire world with its billions of people, still loves me and watches out for me every single day.  Why am I so special that he wipes the tears from my eyes, heals the hurts in my heart, and loves me unconditionally?   It is because each of us are his children and no matter how bad we act, he loves us unconditionally.  He allowed his only son to suffer a brutal death on the cross, so that we could spend eternity with him.  He wants us to come to him as we are and find comfort in his love.  I don’t know if I will ever be able to comprehend the depth of God’s love, but I do know he always has me on his mind and in his heart.  One day I will join him in the heavenly home he has prepared just for me and he has a special home for everyone who accepts him as their father and Jesus as their savior.  The day Jesus died, you and I were on his mind.

Click to Hear Matthew West Sing Me on Your Mind