Jeremy Riddle's third full-length album from Vineyard Music, Furious, is the newest collection of songs penned by this gifted songwriter and worship leader. Furious communicates the story of God’s love and kingdom with strong worship anthems like the title cut and "One Thing Remains" to introspective musical devotions such as "God of the Redeemed" and "The Lord is My Shepherd."

Jeremy’s newest songs are exceptional for congregational worship and personal worship moments. I had the opportunity to interview Bethel Live worship leader Jeremy Riddle, known for his hit single “Sweetly Broken” about his catchy new worship song “The Lord Is My Shepherd” from his great new worship album.

Please tell me the message behind the song. Do you have any personal application regarding your walk as a Christian in writing the song?

I think over the past four years, I walked through the most stressful time of my entire life. There was tons of uncertainty, and I lacked clear direction and vision. I was overwhelmed and dealing with a lot of painful situations, and we had relational and financial difficulty that we were wading through. I remember flying home from somewhere and I was thinking about all of the things we do with our pain and stress. We all have coping mechanisms, and they are all different. Some people turn to hard drugs or alcohol and just because as Christians we don’t do those things it doesn’t mean we don’t have addictions. It can be television, food, or all types of places.

I was at this time in my life where I realized that my heart was in pain. I just prayed to God, “Of all the places to take my pain, I want to take it to You.” I wanted to turn to the actual source of relief. I didn’t want to veg out and watch a movie; I wanted to give my life to God and receive healing. That became the opening line of the song: “Let the pain of my life find its healing in Your eyes.” That’s how the song started and it flowed from there.

Did you base the song on any Bible verses?

All of Psalm 23: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

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

Ultimately I had quite a bit of stress of where next month’s bread was coming from, and I found there was such power in declaring, “The Lord is my Shepherd and I want for nothing.” The Lord knows my needs, and He knows what my heart and what my family needs, and I will not be forsaken by Him. That is the cry of the song. The same with the second verse: “Every day I make a choice, to be led only by Your voice.”

I’m not going to be led by temptations, especially when you’re hurting for money to stay true to your convictions, and what you know what your life is supposed to be about even when it doesn’t make financial sense. I knew I needed to use my gifts for God and nothing else. That’s what God had spoken to me. It’s a mix of the daily choices of my life and to remember to bring my stress and anxiety to the Lord. He’s my Shepherd, my Father and my caretaker. Faith in who God is and believing what He says, delights Him. When God brought us out of that season to a great and plentiful place, I have gotten to do the things my heart has desired. The beauty of the song is that it is so true.

In those moments of strengthening ourselves through His promise, His Scripture, there is something so powerful about that. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. It delights Him to see us fully submit to Him. He takes all situations and makes them right, and it paves a way to allow God to move. David describes these crazy situations in the Bible, and always he declares Who God is and what He’s going to do. David got a hold of something and I love the Psalms. I’ve experienced the power of Scripture in my life.

Lyrics:
Let the pain in my life
Find its healing in Your eyes
Every hurt, every loss
Pull me closer to Your heart

Let the wind and the waves
Bring anew, courage and faith
I’m singing out, singing out…

The Lord is my Shepherd and I want for nothing
You lead me to water for You know I’m thirsting
And I, am only satisfied by You

Every day, I make a choice
To be led, only by Your voice
To be bold and unafraid
Knowing I am covered, I am safe

For even now, in my need
You are proving yet again to me
You are there
You are there
Always there

The Lord is my Shepherd and I want for nothing
You lead me to water for You know I’m thirsting
And I, am only satisfied by You

Here’s Asbury’s Bible commentary about Psalm 23: “In Psalm 23 the image of the royal shepherd unites the entire work. No lowly peasant shepherd here, this is Yahweh, the King, in the figure of Shepherd as known since earliest days in the ancient Near East and frequently in the prophets' hope for the mighty David to rule after the Exile. This Shepherd has the resources, authority, power, and goodness to supply life's deepest needs; to rescue from death and guide through mortality; to judge and vindicate lavishly in the presence of foes; and to offer unending bliss by His very presence.”

If you like the song “Sweetly Broken,” you’ll love the album Furious. If you like the Brit-rock-inspired style of praise and worship artists Hillsong UNITED, Matt Redman, Tim Hughes, Jesus Culture and Delirious?, then you can’t go wrong with Jeremy Riddle. Every song on this album has quickly become a staple in my playlist of my favorite worship anthems. Every song is worshipful and catchy. For sure, this will be among my top worship albums of the year.

“The Lord is my Shepherd” is a wonderful song that really brings me into a state of personal worship along with Jeremy. I imagine this song is the way David sang these same profound words of comfort to the Lord. David was a shepherd and he knew that the Lord was his only guide and hope.

Jeremy is one of my all-time favorite male singers and you can really hear his sincerity and yearning in his vocal style. This song is all about submitting to God all of your worries, anxieties and stress and letting God be your guide. God wants to walk beside you and He wants us to be bold and unafraid. When Jeremy sings the bridge, I get goosebumps and sing along at the top of my lungs: “For even now, in my need You are proving yet again to me, You are there, You are there, Always there!” Amen to that!