My book Seasons of Sorrow: The Pain of Loss and the Comfort of God is now available. And so, too, is the song that was inspired by it. “In the Valley (Bless the Lord)” was written by CityAlight and features Sandra McCracken. It is (or soon will be) available wherever good music is sold or streamed. You can listen to it on YouTube right here and right now:
Song Story
Some time ago, the songwriters for CityAlight reached out to ask if I would like to collaborate on a song. Intrigued by the idea, I suggested they read the manuscript for Seasons of Sorrow to see if it might inspire a song. My great wish, I told them, is that it would be a song suitable for congregational singing. Over the months that followed we did some back-and-forth and the result is a lovely song titled “In the Valley (Bless the Lord).” Every song has a story and the story of this song is one of sorrow and loss, a story of passing through a dark valley. But it is also a story of God’s sweet comfort and of his people blessing his name even in the darkness. I trust that it will give words to your heart as it has to mine.
We sang the song at the book’s launch event and have sung it once congregationally at my church. In both cases I was struck by how easy it is to sing and how easily even very untrained singers can pick it up. I recommend trying it!
Lyrics
Verse 1
When the path that I feared
Is the way He has set
And I long to give in and retreat
Still to Jesus I hold
As I face every step
For the Lord he will give me His peace
Chorus 1
Bless the Lord, He will give me His peace
Bless the Lord, He will give me His peace
And if I should remain in the valley today
Bless the Lord, He will give me His peace
Verse 2
When the road that I tread
Fills my heart with despair
And it seems like my grief has no end
Still to Jesus I hold
Who will walk with me there
And the Lord he will give me His strength
Chorus 2
Bless the Lord, He will give me His strength
Bless the Lord, He will give me His strength
And if I should remain in the valley today
Bless the Lord, He will give me His strength
Verse 3
On the road that You walked
With the weight of the cross
All my pain and my sorrow You held
So to You I shall hold
You redeem every loss
For my Lord You have given Yourself
Chorus 3
Bless the Lord, for He gives me Himself
Bless the Lord, for He gives me Himself
And if I should remain in the valley today
Bless the Lord, for He gives me Himself
