Saturday Song Stories - "Hope Will Rise"

When I first stared to learn how to finger-pick (I'm talking about guitar, not my nose), I came up with a catchy pattern that I would use to impress people when we were sitting around someone's living room. I could play it fast because I would use it as a warm-up whenever I practiced, seeing how fast I could play it. But try as I might, I couldn't put words to it.

One night as I read through the writings of an ancient prophet named Isaiah, the words struck me as profound. Isaiah 35 talks about God coming to save his people, a pretty common theme in the Bible. But the imagery that Isaiah used was intense. Lines Like "Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way", "say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear, your God will come...", and "he will come to save you...Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy...They will enter Zion with singing."

It's every songwriters dream to have someone else write the poetic stuff for you (after all, Isaiah isn't about to sue me for copyright infringement). When I played around with different chord progressions, it fit perfectly with my show-off finger-picking lick.

How often in our world are we faced with fears? And how comforting is it to know that God will cause hope to rise within us because of his promises? It has happened on a few occasions that people who have heard this song, among a couple of others on the album, found comfort in the midst of storms that they were facing. That is one of the reasons why I write music.

(Please note, that the phrase "Finger-picking lick" is not an endorsement of KFC)