Ellie Holcomb, GMA Dove Award winning New Artist of the Year, is the daughter of legendary Christian music producer Brown Bannister. She broke into the music scene when she was just five years old by singing back-up vocals with Amy Grant. I first heard Ellie Holcomb sing with her husband's band Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors when they opened for NEEDTOBREATHE on their 2013 tour.

As Sure As the Sun, which was one of my Top 3 Albums of 2014, is Holcomb's full-length follow-up to EPs Magnolia and With You Now. She raised the funds needed to make the album with a Kickstarter campaign, resulting in one of the most funded music projects to date.

Having previously enjoyed her songs with Drew like "Hung the Moon" and her duet with Christa Wells on "Have Your Eyes Open," I was excited to hear the songs from her new album, all of which are based on Scripture. Her debut single "The Broken Beautiful" and her follow-up single, "Marvelous Light," have already blessed listeners. I had the chance to speak with Ellie about her single "As Sure as the Sun."

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

I remember that this is one of the first songs I wrote for this album, while I was pregnant with my little girl. Before I was even expecting a child, my husband and I would dream about the little person that we would take care of and love. 

We were at his parents' house, and his mom is a piano player. She would wake him up in the morning by playing hymns on her piano. While I was praying for our eventual child, I sat down at that same piano and started praying the words of this song and playing it exactly the way that this song sounds. I wanted to sing about the truths that I wanted my child to know in the deepest parts of their soul. 

The song is about how God's love and mercy never runs out on us. At the time I was memorizing Hosea 6:3, and the words of this song came out. It says, "Let us acknowledge the Lord, and as surely as the sun rises, He will appear, He will come like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth." I was also memorizing Lamentations 3:22-23. I've never really moved on from those two passages. What I love about those promises specifically, is that as sure as the sun rises, He promises us His presence. That is something that rings really true with me. Even as I see all the darkness in the world, I'm reminded that God is light, and there is hope.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?
Hosea 6:3 (VOICE): So let's know Him; let's strive to know the Eternal. As surely as the sun rises, He'll come out from His lair. As surely as the rains come each year--those spring rains that drench the earth--He'll come back to us.

Hosea 6:3 (NIV): Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NKJV): Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

Proverbs 3:24 (NKJV): When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.

Proverbs 3:25-26 (MSG): No need to panic over alarms or surprises, or predictions that doomsday's just around the corner, Because God will be right there with you; He'll keep you safe and sound.

What is the takeaway message?

The song reminds me to know that God is good, and not think that maybe God is good. As sure as the sun will rise, God is good and faithful, and He is with us. That is a promise that I felt I could sing to my little child no matter what was going on in my life or my child's life. It has been such a joy to sing this to her every night. It's been amazing, as at the end of the day, I often feel like a complete failure as a mom. I tell people that being a mom is my favorite thing I've ever done that I don't know how to do. There are a lot of days where I feel like I didn't do things well, or feel like a failure as a friend or wife or follower of Jesus. 

Even though I wrote the song for my kids to know the truth that they needed, it turns out that it's really the truth that I need to know in the depths of my being. When I sing this song to my daughter I start crying because it's exactly what I needed, and my voice would start to crack when I cry. Even as a little baby, my daughter would stick her little hand over my mouth and say "Mom that sounds terrible" when I start crying while I'm singing.

It has been one of the most beautiful lessons as a mom that even as the Lord has given me the blessings of my little girl, and my little boy that's about to be born, that even though He's given me these children to love, they belong to Him, and He's going to take such good care of them. I am still His beloved daughter, and He's going to take such good care of me too. This song is an anchoring truth for me. I am beyond grateful for His presence and the truth that surrounds this song. Even when you feel alone, you're not alone. There is power in the name of Jesus.

Lyrics:
There is good news,
There is good truth,
That you could never change,
No matter what you do.

You are loved,
More than you know,
More than you could hope for,
After everything you've done.

As sure as the sun will rise,
And chase away the night,
His mercy will not end. His mercy will not end.

There is good news,
There's a promise,
That no matter where you go,
You will never be alone.

In the dark,
In the doubting,
When you can't feel anything,
O His love remains the same.

As sure as the sun will rise,
And chase away the night,
His mercy will not end.

Even through the night,
Ohh...
Silver stars will shine,
Hope of glory's light,
That will wake us once again.

As sure as the sun will rise,
And chase away the night,
As sure as the sun will rise,
His mercy will not end. His mercy will not end.

As expressed in Luke 7:47 (NKJV): "Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." Ellie loves a lot, and that is evident throughout her stellar "gourmet" offerings of praise and worship. 

"As Sure As the Sun," "Marvelous Light," "The Broken Beautiful," "Night Song," "Love Never Fails," "Love Broke Through," "The Valley" and "I Want to Be Free" are all stand-out tracks filled with overwhelming biblical truth and are companions in my personal prayer and worship time. Ellie has captivating and catchy songs filled with inspirational lyrics, and she brings sincerity and relatable themes that get deeper with each listen. As Sure As the Sun is a moving and prayerful worship experience.

This song reflects the yearning for Jesus that I pray for my daughters to feel in their hearts as well. Being married for 20 years and having three daughters, I've seen how women tend to beat themselves up about moments of anxiety. We can lift up our hands in surrender and confidence to God and know that His mercy is unfailing. His love is never-ending. He is our refuge and our strength. God's ultimate will is not to bring affliction upon people, but to restore us so that we may experience His unfailing love.

This song moves me every time I hear it. That Hosea 6:3 passage alone is enough to wreck you. We are all that harlot being discussed in that Book of the Bible. We've all gone astray, and God calls out to us anyway and loves us despite what we've done. He died for everything we've done and will do, including our acts of righteousness that we sometimes do to try to cover up for our sinful natures.

That Hosea passage and this song challenges me to want to know God more deeply and have more faith and security in my relationship with God. The whole song and album is about crying out for God's presence and desiring to know Him personally. Let's strive to know God, and as surely as the sun rises, He will come to us. We have the privilege to know Him, and if you are a follower of Jesus, He lives in you and has made you His home. You can know "After everything you've done, as sure as the sun will rise, and chase away the night, as sure as the sun will rise, His mercy will not end, His mercy will not end." Amen to that!

(Watch Ellie sing the song here.)