Knowing Jesus doesn’t mean that we never struggle, it means that even WHEN we’re struggling, we have the assurance of His presence to get us through. Hannah Kerr’s song “Jesus Is Why” serves as a reminder that God’s love is constant and unchanging, and that His presence is the source of joy, hope, and peace in our lives. It answers the question, “Why am I smiling, why am I hopeful?” with the simple answer: Jesus.
We all have hard days. Blessing Offor wrote his song “Lift Me Up” during a season of grief. He opens up about what it feels like to need encouragement when you’re at your lowest. He shares, “When you need recharging, obviously God is the ultimate ‘lifter-upper’, and once He recharges you, we go and we lift up other people around us. And if we need lifting up, we have to be free and vulnerable enough to ask.” At its heart, the song is a reminder that while God is the ultimate Lifter of our heads, He often works through His people to remind us that we are not alone, and we are so very loved.
Mike Donehey shares about Tenth Avenue North’s song “Spirit Goes” by saying, “I think the revelation of God’s indwelling Spirit ought to give us some pretty radical confidence as we journey out into the world. We might not know where we’re going all the time, but we always know Who we’re going with. Maybe that’s why there’s a bit of that swag in the verses. Maybe that’s why it lets loose into a trumpet blasting party at the end. We want to help move the listener from paralyzing fear to Spirit filled audacity. If this sinks in, I think we’ll learn to rejoice in every season. Every loss becomes a lesson. Every bit of suffering turns into blessing. And even though we may not have all the answers to our questions, we can trust we are always with the One who does.”
Listen for “Jesus Is Why,” “Lift Me Up” and “Spirit Goes” on uplifting LifeSongs!