Song Stories & Lyrics — Brittany Hope

Lyrics

What can I do with these hopeless days?

The swirling questioning in every way

The dreary doubts are chasing faith away

What can I do with hopeless days?

What can I do with these joyless days?

The gloom descending and I can’t escape

And all that’s good is painted muted grey

What can I do with joyless days?

But You will never leave

Your truth, it helps me see

And in the agony You help me breathe

Help me breathe

What can I do with these painful days?

The sadness suffocates each gasp of grace

The hollow weight I feel behind my face

What can I do with painful days?

Bandcamp

Song story & Inspiration

As someone who feels things deeply, the most difficult days are grey days, when joy and hope feel like wind I can't grasp. These dark thoughts and emotions sweep through and settle in like a morning fog that will not lift. It was on one of those foggy mornings that I wrote the words to this song.

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Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him,
my salvation and my God.
My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I remember You
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
from Mount Mizar.

- Psalm 42:5-6 -

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"The whole danger is that when the mood comes upon us, we allow it to dominate us and we are defeated and depressed. We say that we would like to be delivered, and yet we do nothing about it. ...Remind yourself of certain things. Remind yourself of who you are and what you are. You must talk to yourself and say: ...‘No, I do not feel anything, but whether I feel or not, I believe the Scriptures. I believe God’s Word is true and I will stay my soul on it, I will believe in it come what may.’"

- d. martyn lloyd-jones -

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The clouds may come and go
And storms may sweep my sky;
This blood-sealed friendship changes not;
The cross is ever nigh.

My love is oft-times low,
My joy still ebbs and flows;
But peace with Him remains the same;
No change Jehovah knows.

I change, He changes not,
The Christ can never die;
His love, not mine, the resting place,
His truth, not mine, the tie.

- horatius bonar -

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Lyrics

Rest in Jesus, lonely heart

Know His love and feel Him fill

Every deep and longing part

Of the aching void you feel.

Sweeter than the things You lack,

Truer than the trust you knew,

Stronger than this pain’s attack

Is the Savior’s love for you.

He bore every grief you bear,

Felt the pain of loss in full,

Suffered death and drank despair,

Torn apart to make you whole.

To the Father’s will He yields,

Knowing dawn would surely come,

Rising over shadowed fields

Streams of liquid golden sun.

Morning’s light will soon be found

Though this darkness falls with force;

Earth is simply turnin round,

On its axle, on its course.

So, friend, lift up your weary head

And fix your gaze on what’s to come:

Everlasting joys ahead,

Sure as this here rising sun.

Song story & Inspiration

I remember vividly writing out the first verse to this song in the middle of the night as I wrestled with a deep sense of loss. The ugliness of pain was turned to beautiful dependence on my faithful Savior. He knows–He knows–how you feel when good things hoped for are taken away. He faced losing perfect fellowship with His Father and He followed through. He fixed His gaze on the joy to come – eternal, unhindered fellowship with His Father and those He mercifully willed to save. This is where we draw strength to carry on through those eternal moments of pain. Everlasting joy is on its way.

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The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.

- Psalm 34:18 -

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Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

- Hebrews 12:1-2 -

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For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

- Hebrews 4:15-16 -

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Lyrics

Come near, restless heart, find peace without fear;

Your God has not failed and He’s brought you here.

Each undone endeavor and turn on the way

Is perfectly placed in the pathway He lays.

Your past is unclear and present plans few,

But Your Guide is good and His Word is true.

Your failures are covered and sins are erased,

For Jesus has clothed you in mercy and grace.

Come near, restless heart, find peace without fear;

Your God has not failed and He’s brought you here.

Spotify

Song story & Inspiration

This song, purposefully placed in the middle of the album, is about the aimless in-between. I've gone through long seasons of frantically searching for the will of God for my life, fearing I'm missing out on what He has for me. One spring day, driven out by that restlessness, I took a walk through the woods and these words came to me. My lost and confused feelings were confronted by the sovereign grace of God. He does not make mistakes; and His will for me is being faithful here; not out there. Even more, His good will supersedes all my failure. Jesus' blood covers every sin and His righteousness guarantees favor from the Lord to those who walk in the way of His Word. That reality presents a treasure trove of peace and joy that one can access at any time. Glory!

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This God—His way is perfect;
the word of the LORD proves true;
He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.

- Psalm 18:30 -

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Remember this, had any other condition been better for you than the one in which you are, divine love would have put you there.

- C.H. Spurgeon -

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All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.

- Psalm 25:10 -

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Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.

- Psalm 32:1 -

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Lyrics

This season’s glow and cheer

Casts sorrow’s shadow near;

A biting word, a vacant stare,

A broken vow, an empty chair–

Can God be with us here?

The Dawn, He came, so fair,

To banish death’s despair;

A promise kept, a baby born,

A sinless life, a Savior torn–

Could God be with us there?

Immanuel, Immanuel

Has come with us to dwell

The cup of wrath run dry;

God’s justice satisfied;

An empty tomb, a curse reversed,

A reigning King, a grace dispersed–

Our God is with His Bride.

This brokenness you fear

Holds treasures yet unclear;

A glorious aim, a Spirit’s care,

A present help, a strength to bear–

Our God is with us here.

Song story & Inspiration

As a child in a large, close-knit family, Christmas seemed to me the pinnacle of bliss. I anticipated all year long the exquisite experiences of happiness, feasting, love, and celebration. But as the years went by and the bitter reality of living in this fallen world sank in, it seemed increasingly to me that the cheery nature of the holiday season made the pain of loss, betrayal, and conflict even more acute. So, why celebrate? It was in search of an answer to that question that I wrote this five verse poem in 2014. Then, a year later, as I faced another Christmas season with more heartache faced by people dear to me, my dad and I put the poem to song.

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The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

- Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 -

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"Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus."

- Matthew 1:18-25 -

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Lyrics

Out of the depths of silent night,

Immanuel, come hear our cry:

Our grief is strong, our burdens great,

The night is long and hope is faint.

You came to set the captives free,

A Morning Star of joy and peace;

Why does this darkness feel so deep?

Why can’t our weary spirits see

Glory, glory, glory in the darkest place

Glory, glory, glory; let Your mercy reign

Out of the depths of silent night–

A Savior born, a mother’s sigh;

The darkness trembled at this Star,

A beam of hope for troubled hearts.

You came to make Your blessings known

And bear our curse of death alone;

You came to share our suffering

So in our sorrow we could sing,

© 2016 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI). Sovereign Grace Music, a division of Sovereign Grace Churches. All rights reserved. Administrated worldwide at CapitolCMGPublishing.com, excluding the UK which is adm. by Integrity Music, part of the David C Cook family. CCLI #7077597

Song story & Inspiration

"In a time when we seem to learn of a new tragedy each day, the unbearable lightness of Christmas seems absurd to the watching world. But, even in the best of times, we all know that we live in a groaning universe, a world of divorce courts and cancer cells and concentration camps. Just as we sing with joy about the coming of the Promised One, we ought also to sing with groaning that he is not back yet (Rom. 8:23), sometimes with groanings too deep for lyrics. We have a rich and complicated and often appropriately dark Christmas hymnody. ...Let’s sing that, every now and then, where we can be overheard." - Russell Moore

On November 29, 2016 I came across this article by Russell Moore, which the quote above was taken from. My heart resonated with his words. Later that night, as I thought about the need for more Christmas songs of lament, and I thought of my friend Becca facing her second Christmas without her husband, and I ached for too many of my friends who have lost someone dear, I opened my Bible to fill my heart and mind with truth, and my eyes fell upon these words in Psalm 130:

Out of the depths, O LORD, I cry to You!

With that, the first few lines to this song came quite quickly. I finished writing it over the next couple of days, but didn't plan on doing much with it. However, as Christmas approached, I felt increasingly that I should share it with others. My dad and sister, McKenzie, were gracious enough to record it with me. I posted it on Facebook, and, to my surprise, story after story after story came in from people whom God had met through this song.

When I look back, I marvel at God's hand in the formation and timing and spread of the truths in this song. He knows each story, every pang of grief, and every tear.

Praise the Lord, He came into our darkness to dwell with us, to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

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"Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD! O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.

O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities."

- Psalm 130 -

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"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

- John 1:14 -

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piano score

Lyrics

Amidst the deepest heartache I have ever known

I know that You are working out Your plan;

And though I have no clue of what tomorrow holds

I know You hold each moment in Your hand.

Although my circumstances whisper hopelessness

With You I’ll never be without a hope;

And as I trust in You to keep Your promises

The measure of your pow’r I’ll come to know.

So, I will follow You through this wilderness

And stay near You in the barren land

I will drink my fill from Your streams

Streams in the desert

Your Word proclaims the truth that answers every doubt:

You knew my name before the world began,

You proved Your love by giving up Your only Son,

Your faithful love will keep me to the end.

And one day soon You’ll break away the final cord

That binds me to this fleeting world of dust;

These shadows I am living in will disappear;

I’ll finally see the Savior whom I trust.

Song story & Inspiration

A number of years ago, my family walked with my sister through the wilderness of heartache after her husband left her. During that time, a friend shared with us a precious devotional by L.B. Cowman titled, Streams in the Desert. For many months, we took great comfort from that collection of precious truths and images from Scripture, which opened with this personal word from Mrs. Cowman:

"In the pathway of faith we come to learn that the Lord's thoughts are not our thoughts, nor His ways our ways. Both in the physical and spiritual realm, great pressure means great power! Although circumstances may bring us into the place of death, that need not spell disaster–for if we trust in the Lord and wait patiently, that simply provides the occasion for the display of His almighty power. 'Remember his marvelous works that he hath done; his wonders and the judgments of his mouth' (Psalm 105:5)"

In the wilderness shall waters break out and streams in the desert. (Isaiah 35:6)

I can't remember at what point this song began to take shape in my head and on paper, but I do know the truths and heart expressed in the lyrics are what I desire to live by. No matter what comes, I trust my King and my Guide. He is our hope. He is our strength. He is our reward.

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Lyrics

Do thoughts of a meager God meet you?

Does heaven seem silent as stone?

Do you think He’s not very willing

To bless and to give to His own?

It may not be quickly or clearly

Or evident now to our sight,

But in hidden riches of wisdom

He fashions His gifts with delight.

According to infinite mercy

According to infinite grace

According to infinite wisdom

He answers the prayers we pray

If only you knew what great blessings

He forms in the clouds up above

To pour down on us in good season

And lavish on us in His love.

And though we cannot see His working,

He says we need only believe

And look through the lens of His promise

To see the great glory He weaves.

So trust Him, my friend, in the waiting

And sing through this season of pain;

He gave up His life for your freedom

And He’ll bring you home for His name.

Song story & Inspiration

I remember exactly where I was when I wrote this song: sitting at my desk, fighting meager thoughts of God in the pain of hope deferred. Yet God, in His kindness, met me there. He met my arrogant and fearful doubting with His infinitely gracious kindness. This is our God.

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"The greatest sorrow and burden you can lay on the Father, the greatest unkindness you can do to Him is not to believe that He loves you."

- John Owen -

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“In all the setbacks of your life as a believer, God is plotting for your joy.”

- John Piper -

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"Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!"

- Psalm 31:19 -

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"Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the LORD!"

- Psalm 31:24 -

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"Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like streams in the Negeb!
Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him."

- Psalm 126:4-6 -

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