I’ve been devoted to God’s Word and Christian music for the past 16 years, starting with the debut album by Jars of Clay, Jesus Freak by dcTalk and Take Me To Your Leader by Newsboys. I credit the biblical messages behind my favorite songs in Christian music for leading me to seek Jesus and I accepted Him as my personal Savior in 1999.

In 1998, a new artist emerged on the Christian music scene who completely captivated me with her stellar debut; the songs “To Know You”, “River God” and “Why” won me over to Nichole Nordeman’s infectious vocals and vulnerable and penetrating songs.

For the past five years as a Christian music reviewer, I’ve fallen deeper in love with my Savior by studying His Word in conjunction with my favorite songs in Christian music--including writing these weekly Behind the Song devotionals. I couldn’t ask for a more perfect combination of my loves to intertwine than to have a two-disc compilation featuring 24 artists and 18 songs inspired directly from the Bible, called Music Inspired by The Story.

All of the artists I’ve mentioned appear on the album, including Dan Haseltine from Jars of Clay, Michael Tait (originally from dcTalk) and Peter Furler (formerly of Newsboys), along with a welcome return from my favorite female vocalist, Nordeman--who incredibly wrote the lyrics to all 18 songs. What’s especially remarkable is how she’s captured the essence of these biblical characters by writing songs from their perspective.

Built on the foundation of the best-selling book, The Story, this new work Music Inspired by The Story contains 18 songs written by multiple Dove Award-winners Nichole Nordeman and Bernie Herms based on principle biblical characters and stories. Go on a journey with the first-person perspective songs as they depict timeless biblical stories. These songs provide new context into how God's story of love and redemption intersects with our story of brokenness and failures resulting in a new story of hope and rescue.

I had the privilege to speak with Nichole about several of the songs from Music Inspired by The Story, including her duet with Amy Grant, “I’m With You.”

Please describe the message behind the song “I’m With You.”

We’ve all heard the sentimental cliché: Our lives are tapestries. We only see the back side of the masterpiece, the loose thread, the stops and starts of knotted mistakes. But never fear! God is weaving with a view from the front. Super. Sewing imagery does nothing for me. Once in desperation, I tried to superglue a button on my son’s shirt. But cliché or not, it’s true. We can’t imagine what God is doing behind the scenes. On my worst days, I feel compelled to remind Him that I’ll be expecting a lengthy explanation on the other side of the veil. On my best days, I get to see tiny glimpses of what He is… well… weaving--a brief snapshot of beauty and understanding. Then, poof! More loose thread.

Scripture spills over with countless stories of folks like us. Confusion. Pain. Loose ends. I think of Abraham wielding a trembling knife over the beautiful son he begged God for. I think of Joseph, crumpled in a hole in the ground, nursing jealous bruises from his own brothers. Of course, I think of Job--but not for too long, because it makes me afraid of what God will allow.

And I think of Ruth, who by all means, should have walked through the door marked “do over” that her mother-in-law held open for her. I would have. Dr. Phil and I would have told her to move on. I would have used terms like “closure” and “new chapter”--Ruth 2.0. Understanding, if barely, that something larger than herself was at work, she was drawn to stay at Naomi’s side--drawn to her God. This God would ultimately set her path toward a new home on foreign soil and a miraculous encounter with a new husband who redeemed her life and gave her a son, Obed. Obed gave us Jesse. Jesse gave us David. And 28 generations worth of unsightly loose threads later, the portrait of baby Jesus emerges. Faithful. Resolute. Unwavering. Humble. Ruth never knew, of course, how her faithfulness to Naomi helped bring us a Savior. But He always did.

Which Bible verses go with the message of the song?

Ruth 1:16: But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.”

What's the takeaway message for listeners regarding the song?

Going back to study these stories to write these songs was an incredible experience that deepened my faith. Even though I grew up as a believer and attended Christian school, and thought I had a good handle on these biblical characters, I learned a lot in the process of deeper study. I based the songs on The Bible and books by Max Lucado and Randy Frazee on the characters. They wrote expositional studies on each of the biblical characters.

In that famous passage Ruth 1:16 where Ruth says, “Your people will be my people and your God my God,” that always struck me as interesting, and I always thought that Ruth and Naomi worshiped the same God. In Randy’s writing about Ruth, he pointed out that when tragedy struck and Naomi released her to stay in Moab, Ruth didn’t worship Yahweh. She worshiped a Moabite deity, not the One True God. You’d think she’d want to return to what was familiar to her, including her religion. She not only committed to stay with Naomi out of solidarity and faithfulness to her mother-in-law, but she also wanted to follow Naomi’s God. That says something to me about the life that Naomi led in front of Ruth. She must have set a great example and Ruth must have seen something about Naomi’s faith that made her willing to risk everything safe and familiar to follow Yahweh. That was new information for me. I had already thought Ruth was on board with Yahweh. That inspires me to want to witness for Christ in a way like Naomi that makes people want to know Him and follow Him.

Lyrics:
Love is a hurricane in a blue sky
I didn’t see it coming, never knew why
All the laughter and the dreams
All the memories in between
Washed away in a steady stream

Love is a hunger; a famine in your soul
I thought I planted beauty, but it would never grow
Now I’m on my hands and knees
Trying to gather up my dreams
Trying to hold on to anything

And we could shake a fist in times like this
When we don’t understand
Or we could just hold hands

You and me, me and you
Where you go, I’ll go too
I’m with you. I’m with you.
Until your heart, finds a home
I won’t let you feel alone
I’m with you. I’m with you.

You do your best to build a higher wall
To keep love safe from any wrecking ball
When the dust has cleared, we will
See the house that Love rebuilds
Guarding beauty that lives here still

You and me, me and you
Where you go, I’ll go too
I’m with you. I’m with you.
Until your heart, finds a home
I won’t let you feel alone
I’m with you. I’m with you.

Who can say I’m left with nothing
When I have all of you, all of you?
In the way you always love me
I remember He does too.

Asbury’s Bible commentary: “Having lost every source of security and comfort, Naomi was returning to a life of loneliness and despair. As much as she must have longed to take her daughters-in-law with her, she realized the sacrifice involved. Marriage was the only career available for a woman in the ancient Near East and the only source of stability and security. Moabite women living in Judah would have few suitors. But if they remained in Moab, their chances for a new life were much better. For this reason, Naomi took it upon herself to remove her last source of comfort—her daughters-in-law.

“At their refusal to say goodbye, Naomi countered with the impracticality, even impossibility, of their experiencing a life of joy and security with her. Her reference is to the OT practice of levirate marriage, whereby the brother of a deceased (and childless) man marries the widow in order to raise up an heir for the deceased. But since in this case there were no more brothers, nor prospects for more, Naomi insisted that the two young women seek marriage in their homeland. The author of this book expresses his theology through the speeches of his characters. Naomi's ‘The Lord's hand has gone out against me!’ reflects the main theological motif of the book; with Yahweh, there is no such thing as happenstance.

“There is nothing in the text that leads us to condemn Orpah for obeying her mother-in-law. Instead, the text contrasts her with Ruth to heighten the surpassing love and commitment of Ruth. One simply chose ‘to become a wife again, the other to remain a daughter.’ Ruth's expression of devotion has become classic. Her decision to be buried in Naomi's homeland reflects a commitment of life itself. Even in death, Ruth will never abandon Naomi.”

“I’m With You” wrecks me as two of Christian music’s most respected female vocalists--Nichole Nordeman and Amy Grant--blend harmoniously a beautiful depiction of faithfulness with stirring lyrics right from Ruth 1:16:“But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.’”

Music Inspired by The Story is stunning, prayerful and a perfect devotional companion for anyone who wants to grow closer to God by immersing themselves through music into the lives of biblical characters. It’s been said that people remember songs longer than they remember sermons, and as a music fanatic who loves The Bible, this is a marriage made in Heaven for me. You can’t help but want to know God more deeply after this worshipful experience.

Just like we were introduced to Nichole Nordeman passionately singing the words of Philippians 3:8-11: “I really want to know You,” sit back, lie facedown on the floor, raise your hands, close your eyes and allow these songs to penetrate your soul. This is the most inspiring and emotionally stirring collection of songs I’ve ever heard.

As I listen to “I’m With You,” the song challenges me to want to witness for Christ in a way like Naomi that makes people want to know Him and follow Him.

(Check out this video with Nichole Nordeman.)