Cling to Truth: 6 Songs for Storms and Dark Moments

It was in the darkest moments that I understood the power of music.

Since I grew up in a musical family, I’ve always been around music. Until a few months ago, however, I never truly valued music. Only recently I understood what a gift it is. I have seen what it can do to my mind and my heart. I have seen how God can use it.

In the last year many songs have helped me speak truth into my life when I didn’t have the energy to do it myself. Many songs have been played on repeat in my room. Here are some of them.

When You Need to Redirect Your Focus

Perhaps it was the memorable piano tune that I wanted to hear again, or perhaps it was because multiple people told me just how much they loved the song and I wanted to finally form an opinion. Either way, I sat down one day to listen to it. Truly listen to it. Not just have it in the background. Few songs hit me as deep as this one did.

“Eyes on You” (620) Eyes On You (Lyric Video) – ICF Worship – YouTube by ICF Worship was a much-needed reminder to keep my eyes on Jesus. It’s so easy to focus on the millions of things that cloud our days when we should be looking to Jesus.

When the oceans rage and thunders roar
You hold my soul, You’re in control

When You Don’t Understand the Path You’re On

It can be hard to understand God’s plan sometimes, right? That’s exactly what “Desert Road” (620) Casting Crowns – Desert Road (Official Lyric Video) – YouTube by Casting Crowns is all about. It’s about not understanding the hardship, the unanswered questions, the dry desert road. But it’s also about knowing who is with us through it all: Jesus. Through it all, through the up and down, through the good days and the bad, through the dry and through the plentiful, He will never let go of your hand. And sometimes understanding that is enough.

You are close to the broken-hearted
‘Cause You’ve already walked this road
And You’re gonna finish what You started

When You Need to Remember that God is Good

A friend sent me this song when I was going through something difficult. “This sounds like it fits to what you’re going through,” she said. After listening to “I Know” (620) Big Daddy Weave – I Know (Official Lyric Video) – YouTube by Big Daddy Weave, I knew it was.

We know that God is good, right? But sometimes head-knowledge and heart-knowledge are worlds apart. Letting truth speak into my life with this song helped me to let that head-knowledge slip into the heart. I know that God is good. I know that all that will come in the future is so much better than what I leave behind, just as this song says. It is all about trusting God’s goodness, even when we don’t understand the situation at all.

On my darkest day
From my deepest pain
Through it all, my heart, will choose to sing Your praise

When You Need to Remember that God Is Stronger Than the Storm

I like to try to imagine what the people in the Biblical accounts where feeling and thinking when they were experiencing what we can read about now. One of these imaginings is that night of the storm when the disciples were on Lake Galilee. I have imagined the boat rocking and the roar of the wind thrashing at my face. I have imagined what it would be like to be captured by fear. And then, I have imagined what it would be like for Jesus to stand up and command the wind and the waves to be still.

While I’ve never been in a storm out on sea, I’ve been in my share of life-storms. I know what it is like to feel completely overwhelmed by the waves, and completely helpless to the wind. You probably do too. And I know what it is like to hear Jesus speak truth into the situation. I know what it is like to serve a God, who can still lies and fears inside my heart. “When You Speak” (620) Jeremy Camp – When You Speak (Audio) – YouTube by Jeremy Camp describes those very moments.

When You speak
I’m found in the sound of peace, be still
The wind and the waves bow to Your will

When God Calls You to Dance on the Waves

In a different incident, Jesus doesn’t calm the storm immediately. Once again, the disciples are on Lake Galilee and a storm rocks their world. In the midst of the chaos, they discover a figure walking towards them over the water. Their initial response is to think it is a ghost, even though it is actually their own Teacher, Lord and God.

Instead of immediately calming the storm, Jesus calls Peter to step out onto the waves with Him. The same way, God doesn’t always “fix” the situations in our lives immediately. But we too can step out onto the stormy waves because we know that Jesus is right there with us. He won’t call us into any difficult situation without being there Himself to steady us, calms us and catch us when we fall. Just like “Peace be Still” (620) Hope Darst – Peace Be Still (Official Lyric Video) – YouTube by Hope Darst says, I want to always be ready to step out and dance on the waves when Jesus calls.

Peace be still
Say the word and I will
Set my feet upon the sea
‘Til I’m dancing in the deep

When You Need to Feel Understood

And sometimes, sometimes our heart can’t hear more than one thing – that God understands. When I first heard “You Already Know” (620) JJ Heller – You Already Know (Official Audio Video) – YouTube by JJ Heller, I started crying. God knew. He knew what I was going through. He knew where I was going. He knew my worries, my fears. He knew what was going to happen. It felt so good to know I was understood. Friend, He already knows. And He – the all-knowing and all-powerful God – is the one, who holds your tomorrow.

In the deepest, darkest moments this was the song that helped me hold onto truth and to bit by bit believe it.

You already know
Everything I’m scared of
Everything I hope
You hold my tomorrow
And all tomorrow holds

Cling to Truth

The devil may whisper lies and try to get a hold on our heart. Fearful thoughts might come to mind, but we can choose if we dwell on them. Let’s choose to fill our anxious hearts with truth and dwell not on our fears but on His promises.