Song Story: In Your Hands

Below is a song story for In Your Hands, a song I wrote at Calvary Church in Miami. I got the opportunity to write this song story for their blog and was so honored to do so. I also had the privilege of working with some of the greatest people on earth while producing and recording this song. It wouldn’t sound this good if it wasn’t for them! The end product is something we were truly proud of. You can view the original song story post here. Find out where to listen to In Your Hands on Calvary Music’s website. There’s also a pretty rad music video you can watch at the end of this post. Enjoy!

---

Have you ever noticed your hands at work? Throughout the day we constantly use our hands. We grasp our morning cup of coffee one moment and hold tightly to a steering wheel the next. In about ten seconds we can give our child a pat on the back, grab the next cookie in the jar and press the power button on our TV remote without skipping a beat. We hold great power within our hands, power that can be used for good or evil. We can use our hands to build and create or we can use them to break and cut down. We can use our hands to lift up and restore or we can use them to push down and tear apart.

I think our hands have great potential. Let me rephrase that. I know our hands have great potential. I know this because we were made in the image of our God and the Bible talks often about His hands. And whenever it does, it’s pretty mind-blowing if you ask me! Here’s just a few instances:

Isaiah 48:13

My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens.

Job 12:10

In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.

Psalm 145:16

You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

After reading so often about the hands of God, I was naturally encouraged to write a song about them. Boy was it difficult! My ultimate goal was to give the church practical promises that they could sing and declare over their own lives while at the same time focusing on the always-working, strength-giving, life-sustaining hands of God.

The result was a year and half journey of many words, melodies and in-car song-writing sessions. And I know this because my Evernote document for this song says it was first created in March of 2014! As I wrote the song, I knew the verses would tell the story (in so many words) of the miraculous power of the hands of God, but what would the chorus say? And what about the bridge?

After much prayer and hard work, I found it most natural to have the chorus be a response to all that we see God do with His hands. “In Your hands” You do all these things and because of that “I will look to You.”

As for the bridge, it had already been written by Edward Mote in 1834 in a song called “On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand.” I had also re-worked the wording and melody of this very popular hymn and was using it in another song, but it didn’t quite fit there. When I placed it in the context of this song it completely made sense.

THE FINISHED PRODUCT IS A STORY OF THE POWER OF GOD’S HANDS IN THE VERSES, A RESPONSE OF WORSHIP AND TRUST IN THE CHORUS AND A DECLARATION OF THE STEADFASTNESS OF GOD IN THE BRIDGE.

My hope is that anyone could take this song and the promises therein into their everyday lives and situations. Pray for God’s hand to be upon you, to be upon your loved ones and to be upon your future. We have a God who is always at work on your behalf and wants the best for you!

Below are the finished lyrics for reference. Be blessed!

---

 

Verse 1:

Chorus:

Verse 2:

Bridge:

Jesus you’re all my hope and stay

---