Words of Worship: Comfort

comfort (verb) - to give strength and hope to, to erase the grief or trouble of

Synonyms: assure, cheer, console, reassure, solace, soothe

Antonyms: distress, torment, torture, trouble

Everyone has something "material" that brings them comfort: a warm homemade chocolate chip cookie; a hug from someone who really, truly cares; an old favorite song you know every word to; a favorite pair of pajama or sweat pants; a perfectly made taco; a comfortable pillow that makes going to sleep the best activity of the day; going back home for Christmas to spend time with family. God wants all of us to feel that kind of comfort magnified by a million when we think of Him and when we turn to Him for any need. Can He show up in any of the material ways I just mentioned? I firmly believe so. But in the bigger picture of things, He is so, so much more than that.

Below are a few worship songs that deal with seeking comfort through Christ along with Scripture that goes along with the lyrics. All verses are taken from the New Living Translation of the Holy Bible.

I Surrender All (All I Am) by Caleb and Kelsey (written by C. Grimm, J. Van DeVenter, R. Hawkins, W. Weeden)

This song, featured on Caleb and Kelsey Grimm's new album Glorious Day: Worship and Hymns, is a little different from what I've become used to from the couple because while this is a cover of the classic worship song I Surrender All, they added in their own flair to it and made it their own which I really liked. It's incredibly important to me personally that I can give any problem or any praise to Jesus wholeheartedly and He will care for me no matter what. Having that kind of trust in a relationship is extremely comforting.

All to Jesus, I surrender/All to Him, I freely give/I will ever love and trust Him/In His presence, daily live/All to Jesus, I surrender/Humbly at His feet, I bow/Worldly pleasures all forsaken/Take me, Jesus, take me now/All I am, all I have/I give it back to You/Every breath, every step/Oh, I surrender all

Isaiah 43:1 But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine."

Everlasting God by Chris Tomlin (written by B. Brown, K. Riley)

This classic worship song from Tomlin's 2006 album See the Morning is still played fairly frequently both on the radio and in live worship services. With lyrics taken directly from Isaiah 40, we sing of the Lord never tiring and never giving up and comforting the weak in spirit, all of which are important components of the differences between God and man. Our physical bodies will inevitably run out of steam and break down, but the Lord will be there to hold us up until the end of forever.

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord/We will wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord/Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord/We will wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord/Our God, You reign forever/Our hope, our strong deliverer/You are the everlasting God, the everlasting God/You do not faint, You won't grow weary/You're the defender of the weak, you comfort those in need/You lift us up on wings like eagles

Isaiah 40:28-31 Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Faithful by Elevation Worship (written by S. Furtick)

Featured on their 2018 album Hallelujah Here Below and featuring lead vocals by Jenna Barrientes, this Elevation song is a beautiful example of experience comfort via God's unending faithfulness. During times of uncertainty when we begin to feel overwhelmed, all we need to do is turn to God and hand over all our fears to Him. That's MUCH easier said than done, I know from experience, but once it's done everything becomes significantly easier to bear.

When I felt like the burden was more than I could hold/When the whispers of worry overwhelmed my soul/You never left me alone/You were there all along/You are faithful, why should my heart be afraid/You are faithful, I know You're not gonna change/You are faithful/Faithful

Deuteronomy 31:6 So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.

With You by Elevation Worship (written by C. Brown, S. Furtick, T. Hammer)

Elevation's second contribution to this post comes from their 2019 EP At Midnight and features lead vocals by Tiffany Hammer. Probably our longest song on the list today at close to 10 minutes, it's a beautiful song to play as you sit and meditate on the comfort the Lord provides. Instead of worrying about things that we can't change on our own, we should focus inward on our hearts and souls and the comfort of our salvation in Jesus.

Here in the waiting, I won't worry about tomorrow/No need to focus on the things I can't control/All my attention on the wonder of this moment/Jesus, Your presence is the comfort of my soul/There's nowhere I'd rather be when You're singing over me/I just wanna be here with You/I'm lost in Your mystery, I'm found in Your love for me/I just wanna be here with You

Job 5:11 He gives prosperity to the poor and protects those who suffer.

Sweetly Broken by Jeremy Riddle (written by J. Riddle)

An older song from Riddle's repertoire before joining Bethel Music, Sweetly Broken is featured on his 2006 album of the same name. This is one of those songs that to me has a lot of somewhat simple parts that all intertwine to make something intricate and really beautiful. It may seem crazy to some to think that we should gain comfort from Christ's crucifixion because of how brutal the act was, but what we should really gain comfort from is why He went to the cross in the first place and, of course, the fact that He rose three days later.

To the cross I look, and to the cross I cling/Of its suffering I do drink, of its work I do sing/On it, my Savior, both bruised and crushed/Showed that God is love and God is just/At the cross, You beckon me/You draw me gently to my knees/And I am lost for words, so lost in love/I am sweetly broken, wholly surrendered

Romans 8:2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

Better Is One Day by Matt Redman (written by M. Redman)

I remember hearing this song for the first time when I was eight years old and falling totally and completely in love with it, asking my mom why our church's worship team didn't play it every week. My favorite version of the song is the live version featured on Redman's 2005 compilation album Blessed Be Your Name (The Songs of Matt Redman, Vol. 1) and features his fellow Passion worship leaders Charlie Hall and Christy Nockels. I know I talked about this song a while ago when I wrote my post about the Psalms since the text is taken directly from Psalm 84, but comfort is a huge theme in this song as well as Redman sings of worshiping in the house of the Lord for all time.

One thing I ask, that I would seek to see Your beauty/To find You in the place Your glory dwells/Better is one day in Your courts, better is one day in Your house/Better is one day in Your courts than thousands elsewhere/Better is one day in Your courts, better is one day in Your house/Better is one day in Your courts than thousands elsewhere

Psalm 119:81 I am worn out waiting for your rescue, but I have put my hope in your word.

Tremble by Mosaic MSC (written by A. Figueroa, H. Bentley, M. McManus, M. Fields)

I can't accurately put into words how much I love this song. God used it to bring me comfort in a really tumultuous part of my life about two years ago and it's been a huge help to me ever since. It's probably the most well-known song from Mosaic's 2016 live album Glory & Wonder, especially with those powerhouse vocals from Mariah McManus, but the entire album is one of my all time favorites and it's worth a listen through if you've never heard the whole thing. Peace and comfort go hand in hand, and Jesus is right there through it all to overcome every obstacle on your behalf.

Peace, bring it all to peace/The storm surrounding me, let it break at Your name/Still, call the sea to still/The rage in me to still, every wave at Your name/Jesus, Jesus, You make the darkness tremble/Jesus, Jesus, You silence fear/Jesus, Jesus, You make the darkness tremble/Jesus, Jesus

Jeremiah 20:13 Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord! For though I was poor and needy, he rescued me from my oppressors.

After this bizarre year, I think everyone could use a little extra comfort in their lives. Hopefully you found some good new music to listen to from my list, even though it's just a small sampling of all the awesome worship songs out there that talk about comfort. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!