Related texts: Psalm 73:2, 23-28; 2 Tim 2:13
When I wrote this song, I was wrestling through some doubt while watching a family in my church- and then later on some high school students at a camp- wrestle with some of the hardest trials I’ve ever witnessed (see Story Behind the Song for more on those stories). I was drawn, like I usually am in times of spiritual unrest and distress, to the psalms.
In case you don’t know, the psalms are songs written by a small handful of people (mostly King David) and they tend to be emotional mini-roller coasters. It seems to me that David ‘s writing was therapeutic to him. He usually starts out with a truth about God, then will cry out in question or doubt or fear or another form of struggling with who God is and/or the current situation that David had found himself in, and almost always wraps up back around to praising God. Most of the psalms would not be very good worship songs by our standards today, considering that David accuses God of forsaking him quite a bit. However, with so much rich truth and experiential wisdom written in these words, it’s no wonder that they still inspire so many songs of praise and worship today.
2 Timothy 2:13 was my driving force verse for the song: “If we are faithless, He remains faithful- for He cannot deny himself.” God embodies faithfulness, so walking away from us would be in opposition to His own character. There’s a long list of verses all over the Bible describing God’s incredible faithfulness- Psalm 33:4, Deut. 31:6, Romans 8:38-39, and 1 Cor 1:9 all come to mind, though that’s barely the tip of the iceberg. With 2 Tim 2:13 as the driving force, I came really quickly to the chorus “You are faithful, You are faithful God; even when I wander far away, faithful You remain, faithful You remain”. I drew a little inspiration from the old hymn “Come Thou Fount” written in 1757 by Robert Robinson, specifically the line “prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love; take my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above”. That line has always resonated with me, knowing that I am so inclined to walk away from God and follow a sinful path instead of the righteous path of God.
I honestly just stumbled upon Psalm 73 by accident while I was writing this song. This Psalm really informed the verses and bridge of the song as a response to God’s faithfulness. Verse 1 was informed by Psalm 73:2,26, with the wordplay driven specifically to what was happening around me at that time. Psalm 73:23-24 were essentially just rearranged to make the second verse of the song. Take a look at both the scripture and the song lyrics of the second verse:
“Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.”
“You take ahold of my hand, and with Your wisdom guide me; I will walk alongside of You and give You all glory.”
Really, I nearly ripped off these verses directly as they were great truths to grab onto in this season for me and were further emphasizing the incredible faithfulness the God has toward us!
Psalm 73:23, 25, and 28 were all plucked out of the order the Psalm was originally written in and grouped together to form the bridge: “As for me the nearness of my God is good, I have made the Lord my God my refuge; Thankfully You will keep me with You; What do I need but You?” The bridge solidified a lot of the “why” behind the “what”. The “what” being God’s faithfulness described in the verses and the choruses, while the “why” explained our desperate need for God and His ultimate faithfulness through the bridge. What else in Heaven or on Earth could ever compare to the goodness of God? According to Psalm 73:25-26, there is nothing that compares. God is our strength and our portion forever- He has given us the greatest gift of salvation through Jesus, His Son, dying on the cross and rising again that we can partake in a new life and an eternal kingdom! He humbled himself by being obedient- you could even say faithful here- to follow the direction of the Father all the way to death, even death on a cross (Phil 2:8) so that in Christ’s faithfulness we get to be heirs to the riches of grace that we don’t deserve but that God is faithful to give us anyway (Romans 8:17).
“You Are Faithful” is available for listening on all streaming platforms and for purchase on all digital music providers. You can stream the song for free on YouTube by clicking here. This document is also available in a PDF in the resources tab.
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Kevin McClure has been leading worship in the local church for over 10 years in different capacities of student and adult ministries. As a songwriter, musical artist, and worship leader he has had the honor of touring the United States both as a performer and worship leader over the better part of the last decade. With a heart to see believers learn how to take the act of worship beyond the setting of a group gathering, Kevin is incredibly intentional with his time on and offstage to help teach the practice of worship as a lifestyle. Kevin lives in Omaha, Nebraska with his bride Hailey and his two daughters, Everleigh (7) and Eliska (2). His favorite food is coffee (lifesource), loves bonfires, and is convinced that Jesus is a Chicago Cubs fan.
Kevin McClure 