As a follow-up to their hit album Diamonds, which featured "Diamonds," "Live Like You're Loved" and "Drops in the Ocean," Hawk Nelson has released their eighth studio album Miracles, which features the standout songs "He Still Does (Miracles)" and "Parachute."

I've long enjoyed Hawk Nelson's brand of faith based music, especially their hit songs "Crazy Love," "Meaning of Life," "Live Life Loud," "Everything You Ever Wanted," "Words," "Diamonds" and "Drops in the Ocean." With Miracles, they have once again captured biblical truths in catchy songs. I had the chance to speak with lead singer Jon Steingard about "He Still Does (Miracles)."

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

For us as a band, much of the past 6 years has been a miracle with being able to continue to make music. It's been really cool to see God so present in our lives. For me personally, my wife and I just had our first little boy, and going through that process I was so amazed. During that time, I thought that if I didn't believe in God, watching a baby being born would make me believe. On a lot of levels, I've been thinking about how present God has been in our lives. He's always working. 

We believe that God is not just a God of the past. He's not just the God from the Bible or the God of our ancestors or our parents. He's a God who is present in our lives here and now.  He still does amazing things in our lives if we open our eyes to see it. That's really where the idea for this song came from. Knowing that for so many of us, we are in a spot where we need a miracle in a situation and in a relationship where we really need God to come through. I love having a song that speaks to His faithfulness and His ability to continue to show up in our lives. I wrote this song with these two Swedish pop song writers Oliver and Johan, and also Jason Ingram. They all helped finalize the musical vibe, lyrics and phrasing of the song.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

Daniel 3:16-18 (NIV): "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV): "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."

Matthew 17:20-21 (NIV): "He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Philippians 4:13 (NKJV): "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Hebrews 11:1 (NLT): "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see."

Isaiah 40:31 (VOICE): "But those who trust in the Eternal One will regain their strength. They will soar on wings as eagles. They will run--never winded, never weary. They will walk--never tired, never faint."

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."

Matthew 11:29-30 (NKJV): "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV): "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."

Romans 8:28 (NKJV): "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV): "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

What is the takeaway message?

When I think about miracles, I often think of the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They were saved by a miracle in the fiery furnace. The miracle was not them getting to avoid the furnace. The miracle happened once they were in the fire, and the miracle happened once they were in the situation most of us would try to avoid. I think about that a lot. Oftentimes, it seems that God doesn't save us from hard times and struggles, He saves us through them. So many times we pray to avoid hardship, and what we get sometimes is the hardship we are trying to avoid, but we learn so much about how with His help we are capable of walking through troubles--and we come out stronger on the other side. We get an additional sense of His faithfulness and can know that He protected us through the storms and will continue to protect us. 

If we open our eyes to what God is doing around us, He is constantly doing miracles. Sometimes people think miracles need to be impossible things, but God uses us in amazing ways as well. When my son was born, we needed an emergency C-section, and that was a miracle to me. We can choose to see things as ordinary, or we can choose to see that God has His hand in the details of our lives. When you look at life in that way, you can see God's miracles. 

As we were writing this album, we wanted the songs to be full of hope, joy and excitement about who God is and what's possible with Him in our lives. Our redemption, the things in our lives that need redeeming, when He comes in and redeems those things and works miracles, it brings glory to who He is. He wants to do amazing things in our lives.

Lyrics:
When you're at the end of the road
And it's not the one that you would have chosen
When you're at the end of your rope
And you're holding on
But feel like you're falling

With every option exhausted
You've tried everything you know
You saw a light then you lost it
But there is still hope

Like the fire in the night
Like the ocean parted wide
Like the grave, empty inside
You will see He still does
Miracles, miracles, miracles, miracles

Even if you don't see it now
Without a doubt, He's already moving
There is not a pain that you hold
He doesn't know, and He isn't using

With every option exhausted
You've tried everything you know
So reach for something beyond it
'Cause He is our hope

Like the fire in the night
Like the ocean parted wide
Like the grave, empty inside
You will see He still does
Miracles, miracles, miracles, miracles
Miracles, miracles, miracles, miracles

A broken heart can be restored
A broken soul can be reborn
And greater things are still in store
For us, for us

Like the fire in the night
Like the ocean parted wide
Like the grave empty inside
You will see He still does
Miracles, miracles
Miracles, miracles
Miracles, miracles
(He still does, He still does)
Miracles, miracles
Miracles, miracles
(More than you can dare to dream)

Miracles, miracles
(More than you have ever seen)
Miracles, miracles
(There's still more, there's still more)
Miracles, miracles 

This song reminds me that we need to have the type of faith that Jesus describes in the Bible: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Remember the definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1: "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." If you think about the type of faith we are called to have as believers, it is described as the faith of a mustard seed. The song includes some great faith statements: "Even if you don't see it now, without a doubt, He's already moving. There is not a pain that you hold He doesn't know and He isn't using."

Being a Christian means that we walk by faith, not by sight. Faith requires people to rely on the unseen. We all walk by faith every day. The beauty of walking by faith and not by sight is that we can learn to more fully trust God with our lives. Jesus is the Good News, the miracle that can hold us together when we have struggles. It seems harder than ever with so many distractions and temptations around us. This song is an offering and submission to God's supernatural ability when we can't see what is ahead in our lives. We all have freedom to be ourselves, and He has great plans for us. We need to live each day knowing that despite circumstances, God has a plan for "those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). 

"He Still Does (Miracles)" is a very convicting and sobering reminder that God sometimes allows trials to remind us how much we need Him. This song is all about having a strong faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Sometimes we have a tendency to think we can try to know everything. God tells us in the Bible that with faith, we can do anything in Christ. The key as a follower of Jesus is to walk by faith and to be guided in your daily walk by prayer and God's infallible Word, the Bible. I sing this song to God with all of my heart and know for a fact, "A broken heart can be restored, a broken soul can be reborn, and greater things are still in store for us." Amen to that!

Watch the lyric video below.