Declaring the Goodness of God Goes Viral Through Worship Song “Firm Foundation”

In 2016, I lived in Nashville, Tennessee, and I had the privilege of leading worship at a church called Nashville Life Church. I was at a worship retreat with my worship team, and I sat down with two friends to write a worship song for our congregation to sing. 

We prayed and asked the Lord, “God, what will your church need to be singing and declaring by the time this song is recorded and released? What will your church need to be declaring a few years from now?” Out of my mouth came these lyrics: “A Firm Foundation, my solid rock, you can’t be shaken, you won’t be stopped.” I was overwhelmed by the sense that something was coming, and as a body, we would need to be declaring who God was. He is a FIRM FOUNDATION, and He is certain even in our uncertainty. 

Shortly after, I felt God ask me to come to ministry school in Redding, California. I laid down music to focus on school, and in the fall of 2019, a multiple GMA Dove Award winning group named Selah recorded the song. Selah released the song as a single and named “Firm Foundation” the title of their whole album. I’ll never forget sitting in my bedroom during my third year of ministry school, watching the album chart on iTunes right next to Taylor Swift and Lauren Daigle. It was mind blowing for me. God is so faithful.

Fast forward to 2020, and the world is facing something it has never faced in my lifetime: a global pandemic. Selah happened to release the music video for “Firm Foundation” on March 19th, which was smack dab in the middle of the coronavirus hitting the United States. I truly believe this song was written for such a time as this.

In James 3, our tongue is compared to the rudder of a ship. Our tongue directs our body where it will go. 2020 has been called “The Year of the Mouth” according to the Jewish calendar. I feel that what we are declaring in this season is imperative for where we are headed. God is a FIRM foundation, and we as a people are called to walk forward steadily. We will not be shaken because we are walking on good ground.