If as Christians, we aren't living our lives rooted in the Word of God, then our foundation is on sinking sand instead of the Rock of Jesus Christ, our firm foundation. There are hymns of the faith based on the idea that God is our Rock, He is our strength, and He is our Redeemer.  

 

Living as a Christian means that we know that the Lord is ever present and He dwells in us. Sanctification is a life-long process as we run the race, the journey. The Word of God, prayer, and God's Way is our Rock, and our foundation. Rather than run to God only in our times of desperate need, we need to commit to allowing the Truth of His Word wash over us daily.

Channeling Amy Grant's soothing vocal style, Yancy's new album, Roots For The Journey, is filled with edifying Scripture-based songs for adults. As the writer of Avalon's hit song "I Don't Want To Go," which is also included as the last song on the album, from start to finish, the "journey" of this album is one you'll want to take as a believer in Christ.

About her new album Yancy shares, "I'm so excited about this music that is unplugged, organic and simple. The songs are all based on Scripture and the outcome is a really nice, chilled-out worship experience." I recently interviewed Yancy about her song, "Safe." 

 

Please describe the message behind the album and the song "Safe." 
 

In general, I started off making this a lullaby CD. If something were to happen to me, I wanted to take some key Scriptures and truths that I wanted to pass on to my son and make sure he knew and understood the direction and answer these Scriptures provide us. As I worked in the studio, I realized that the music was shaping up to be way more than lullabies. It started by me making my own list of Bible verses, and then also from asking on my website and Facebook page for people to share their favorite verses with me that they want their kids to know. I added some of those suggestions to the ones I had written down. Then, I went into the Bible and looked up different translations to see what they had to say.

If you've spent time in church or reading the Bible, it's obvious which passages I'm singing about. It's not Scripture memory songs, where I'm not just repeating the verses, but parts of the songs are paraphrased, or taken from the core part of the verse, and maybe I explain what it means to me in the songs. 

 

Regarding "Safe," I went into it quoting Proverbs 18:10, and expanding on it some more. Some cool things have happened even after I finished the album last year. As I've lived out my life these past six months, when people start naming their prayer requests, these songs minister to people. I've found that with a lot of the songs on the album, a lot of them can be encouragement or help or an anthem for people. I wrote the song to make sure my son understood the comfort and protection that we can get from the Lord.

In these past six months, a teenage girl at my church was in a car wreck. All she remembers doing before her crash was calling out the name of Jesus. Her car was totaled, but she was fine. Her mother was recounting the story and the fact that her daughter calling out for Jesus was a reminder of this Scripture passage: "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." The Lord protected her and kept her safe in that moment after she called out the name of Jesus. When our foundation in life is God's Word, that's what will come out of us. That's been a story for me that has been an example of the power of God's Word. 

 

Which Bible verses go with the song?  Do you have a life verse?
 

The song is based on Proverbs 18:10 (NKJV): "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."

 

My life verse is Romans 8:31 (NKJV): "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"
 

How can listeners apply that message in their walks as Christians when they listen to the song and this album? 
 

I believe music has such an amazing power in our lives and is an amazing tool for the church and for parents to use to teach their children about Jesus. I know there are songs I learned as a child that sticks with me to this day. It could be something I hear in a sermon or a random conversation that triggers the memory and I can still sing the song to this day after so many years. When those songs are filled with the truth of God's Word then it's an awesome opportunity for us to help plant the Word of God into our children's hearts. Isaiah 55:11 promises us the Word will not return void. That is my motivation and passion for what I do. Helping kids and their entire family really learn about Jesus in the package of some fun, rocking music they can have a blast listening to and singing along to is what I'm all about.
 

Already, when I meet people in my life that are facing big mountains, fears or need answers I've been able to use these songs as a way to help strengthen their faith and help them meditate on what God's Word says. I can't wait to see how God uses these songs to strengthen the faith of those young and old. We all have those days where we just want to stay in bed and not talk to anyone. It's in those moments, that I hope people can find comfort in the words of these songs. 

 

 

 

Proverbs 18:10 tells us that the Name of the Lord is a strong tower. His Name is a strong tower, Jesus, our Lord, will keep us safe. This is a truth for believers to cling to. We're not supposed to hope it's true, or turn to the Lord as only our last resort, but daily be washed by the Truth of the Word of God. 
 

Matthew Henry says, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower to those who know how to make use of it as such. The righteous, through prayer and devotion, run into it with complete confidence as their city of refuge. Having made sure that they take the comfort and benefit, they come out of themselves, retire from the world, live above, dwell in God and God in them, and they are safe."
 

What an awesome comfort, to know that calling out the name of the Lord, Jesus, is a promise that He will keep us safe. As followers of Jesus, we are His sons and daughters, and we are His redeemed ones. We know from the teachings of Jesus, that the wise build their houses on the Rock. So many people struggle to apply God's Word to their lives. If we learn to build our lives on Scripture, we would all have a Rock as our foundation, in how we navigate our lives. This song is a great reminder to not build our houses on sinking sand, but instead be wise and build our lives "on Christ the Rock." Amen to that!
 

(You can watch the music video here.)