Zach Williams, a husband, father, singer, songwriter, worship leader, and campus director at his home church in Arkansas, has amassed multiple awards during his career. Listeners have found inspiration in his singles, including "Chain Breaker," "Old Church Choir," "Fear is a Liar," "Rescue Story," and "There Was Jesus."
The central theme of Zach’s song catalog is the better life found in Jesus, which is beautifully portrayed in his latest full-length album, A Hundred Highways. I was moved by the exhortation in the bridge of the lead single, "Heart of God," where he sings, "He’s not sitting there shaking His head/Writing you off, leaving you lost/He’s not sitting there shaking his head/He went to that cross/He went to that cross." With these powerful words in mind, I had the privilege of speaking with Zach about his latest track, "Lookin’ For You."
Please tell me the personal story behind this song.
“Lookin’ For You” is the record's title track and expresses everything I wanted to convey. The line "hundred highways" in the chorus represents my 20-year journey. It’s a culmination of me realizing all these things that I tried to put in my life and try to fix and fill these holes that I had that only God could do for me.
I grew up with this old saying: the first place you find something is the last place you look for it. I realized the last place I looked, I found Jesus, and I realized that I’ve been looking for him my whole life when I go back and look at my past.
There’s no limit to what you can do in your life. That’s not saying there aren’t going to be bad days; there will be, but you soon realize those bad days are still better than the best days you had before Christ. Knowing you don’t have to do this alone, that Christ gave His life so you could have a new one, and it’s alright to stumble, fall, and mess up. He still loves you and doesn’t give up on you. So many people will relate to the song’s message. No one feels worthy or good enough to deserve God's love. Honestly, none of us do. But God knows that, and it's why He sent His Son.
Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?
Hebrews 4:15 (NKJV): “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
Romans 1:16 (NKJV): "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."
1 Peter 2:24 (NIV): "He bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; By His wounds, you have been healed."
John 15:13 (NKJV): "Greater love has no one than this than to lay down one's life for his friends."
Philippians 2:10-11 (NIV): "That at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
John 6:53-54 (NKJV): Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day."
John 14:6 (NIV): Jesus answered, "I am the way, truth, and life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Ephesians 2:1 (NKJV): "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins."
What is the takeaway message?
I’ve lived a lot of life in a short amount of time. My message has always been that it doesn’t matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done; God has a plan for you, and He will complete it somehow.
Along those same lines, the message of ‘Lookin’ For You’ is just surrendering your life and giving it all to Him. For me, God's love is the greatest characteristic of His heart, and that’s the message I’m trying to share.
I hope there are always songs that people will attach themselves to or be able to relate to. That's why I write from the heart, drawing inspiration from my own experiences and emotions. I hope that someone facing challenges like what I've experienced in my own life will come across a lyric or a song that resonates with them, providing the strength and support they need to get through their current season.
Lyrics
All the times that I worked hard Because I believed
That life could have meaning through Things I’ve achieved
You knew I was looking for You
Every time I thought of romance Might fill up the hole
That incomplete feeling Still ached in my soul
Oh, You knew I was looking for You
Down a hundred highways of empty pursuit And a thousand foolish things I went through
I didn’t know it back then but now I do
I was looking for You I was looking for You When I couldn't find comfort in the Things I could buy
When the party was over And the bottle was dry
Oh, You knew I was looking for You Oh, and I went searching
Down a hundred highways of empty pursuit And a thousand foolish things I went through
I didn’t know it back then but now I do
I was looking for You I was looking for You
Through the canyons and the heartaches (Oh) And the valleys full of pain (Oh)
Down those pathways of full of pleasure and those (Oh) Dead-end roads of shame (Oh)
Oh, I couldn’t name the hunger that (Oh) I tried to satisfy
Down a hundred highways of empty pursuit And a thousand foolish things I went through In a moment, I looked up from down on my knees And I cried out to heaven, I could finally see (See yeah) Jesus, Jesus, I know it’s true (Yeah) All of my life, I was looking for You
Closing Thoughts
We are all God's sons and daughters, and you are His beloved child. Carry His love with you wherever you go, and remember that His love is always with you. Take moments to reflect on and sing songs of praise to God, for it brings comfort and draws you closer to Him. He communicates with you through His gentle, still voice, as mentioned in Psalm 46:10, urging you to "be still and know that He is God."
Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to work within your life? Are you dedicating time to listening to His guidance? Surrendering to His guidance will set you free. God eagerly awaits your prayer. In this tumultuous world, we all require the reassurance that God is by our side and we are never alone. There is no time of day when our Lord Jesus is not with us.
With God by our side, we have the strength to endure anything. This song is a gentle reminder that our identity is rooted in who He is as our Father and who we are as His beloved children.
I've discovered that immersing myself in the teachings of the Word provides me with the unwavering truth that fear, worry, and anxiety are not part of God's plan for our lives. As followers of Jesus, we understand the importance of trusting God's Word, regardless of our circumstances. Many individuals find it challenging to apply the teachings of the Word to their lives. By learning to build our lives upon the foundation of scripture, we can navigate life's challenges with a solid footing.
The beautiful message conveyed in this song mirrors the Good News of the Gospel: God accepts us unconditionally, regardless of our past actions or current struggles.
“Lookin’ For You” is a great prayer to rid ourselves of worldly distractions and temptations that lead us away from God, praying “Down a hundred highways of empty pursuit/And a thousand foolish things I went through/I didn’t know it back then/but now I do/I was looking for You.”
As Christians, we believe that Jesus is the only way, which is the core of our faith. Despite what a secular culture tells us, it's not true that all roads lead to heaven. This song is meaningful and inspiring, as it encourages us to be bold in expressing our belief in Jesus and celebrating His victory over sin through His death on the cross.
The Good News of the Gospel is that there is a single path to eternal life. This song beautifully echoes the truth in John 14:6, where Jesus says, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
You have the choice to acknowledge your sins, believe that Jesus is the Son of God who selflessly sacrificed Himself on our behalf, and make the conscious decision to accept Him as the Lord of your life. It's a matter of surrendering ourselves to His goodness, allowing His atoning blood to cover us and course through our very beings.
This song celebrates our commitment to run the race well and boldly proclaim the gospel of Jesus. Sing along and proclaim these words as a prayer for salvation for our hurting world: “Down a hundred highways of empty pursuit/And a thousand foolish things I went through/In a moment I looked up from down on my knees/And I cried out to heaven, I could finally see/Jesus, Jesus I know it’s true/All of my life I was looking for You.” Amen to that.
NRT lead contributor Kevin Davis is a long-time Christian music fan and an avid collector. He credits the message of Christian music for leading him to Christ. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and three daughters.
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