8 Christian Songs for New Beginnings, Recovery, and Fresh Starts

Last week, my three-year-old son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. The literary in me wants to pretty up the reality, to add fluffy words to cushion the blow. But that does no one any good. We only see beauty from heartbreak when we call the ashes what they are: disintegrated hopes, charred realities we once cherished.

These days, I’m equal parts angry with and grateful for Providence. I see His good hand, and I know it’s thoughtful, protecting, and ever-generous, but I wonder why that same hand doesn’t thwart pain and suffering for my innocent baby. 

I guess this is faith, though: believing in goodness that doesn’t always feel good. Perhaps hope is simply choosing to believe that my finite understanding can’t compare with the purpose of the all-loving Creator and Sustainer of everything from stars to souls. 

In incomparably devastating moments like mine, music is a true balm, so I pray that as you face a new day, whether crammed with overwhelming challenges like mine or brimming with fresh, exciting opportunities, you lean into these songs to welcome change with an expectant heart:

1. "Confident" by Steffany Gretzinger & Bobby Strand

I will never neglect to share a Steffany Gretzinger song when the opportunity arises. Her duet with Bobby Strand is heavenly, truly. One of the most powerful lyrics comes from Strand’s opening line: “Your laughter scatters my enemies.” He goes on to sing: “You give me joy for my mourning.” 

I rarely consider God laughing, but when I recall that He is the Maker of joy, how can I skim over such a lovely facet of His nature? He fights our battles with His joy and confidence, and there is no better reassurance than a God who knows He is our victory. He is our Jehovah Nissi, our Banner. 

This is a God we can boldly, beautifully follow into the future.

2. "Oh How I Need You" by All Sons and Daughters

I have listened to All Sons and Daughters for years, and I was thrilled to discover this track with such an inspiring, folk-like tune: 

Break the dawn, crack the skies
Make the way bright before me
In Your light I will find
All I need, all I need is You

No matter how dark and winding a new season might seem, God’s light penetrates our limited perception of the future and clears a path that promises His presence. 

3. "Good Shepherd" by Red Rocks Worship 

The writers of this song drafted lyrics that weave through the truths found in Psalm 23. One portion says, “So I will take heart in deserts and gardens.” And if there is one thing that I learned while living in the desertous southern region of Colorado, it’s that little grows in a harsh, dry climate. In fact, trees are more like dry bushes. But with such stunted, sparse vegetation, there’s one bit of nature that’s never hidden: the sun.

Perhaps as we recover from the valleys of shadows and death, we can recognize that they are meant to make room for the sun’s undeniable warmth as it illuminates the path forward. 

4. "Take Courage" by Bethel Music and Kristene DiMarco 

I love the truth proclaimed in this song as it reads:

And hold onto your hope
Watch your triumph unfold
He's never failing
He's never failing

As a new season approaches, whether it’s intimidating or thrilling, we can remain confident that God’s love never fails us. This is our hope, and it is the victory that protects us on our journey. What a strong, comforting promise! 

5. "Yes I Will" by Vertical Worship 

My church often sings this song, and I think it reiterates our need, as God-designed creatures, to praise our Creator for His goodness. We find our hope in glorifying Him day in and day out, no matter the season, no matter the unknowns. 

Its powerful ending declares:

Oh, yes I will, lift You high in the lowest valley
 Yes I will, bless Your name
 Oh, yes I will, sing for joy when my heart is heavy
 All my days, oh yes, I will
 For all my days, oh yes, I will
 For all my days, yes, I will

6. "Give Me Jesus" by Bethel Music

This Bethel Music original repeats two key statements throughout the song:

Give me the one my soul delights in.
 Give me the One in whom my hope is securely found. 

Over and over, it reveals the hope waiting for us as we start afresh. It is the hope that’s rooted in a God who isn’t impatient with our fickle, flighty, emotionally laced love. Rather, His sacrificial work on the cross compels our sinful hearts to repent and truly delight in who He is. 

We can find security in a future that we can’t dictate, let alone control, because we can surrender the roadmap of our lives to the One who longs to fill our hearts with joy. 

7. "Take My Life and Let It Be" by Frances Ridley Havergal

I’m a hymn gal. I find rich, steadying truths tucked inside these centuries-old songs. "Take My Life and Let It Be" is no exception. Verse two speaks powerfully to me, as it resonates in a season that changes everything—from where we go, to what we do, to who we eventually become in Him: 

Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

8. "Be Still, My Soul" by Katharina Amalia Dorothea von Schlegel 

Another hymn that anchors my heart is Be Still, My Soul. In today’s world, we constantly hear people say “Be still, my soul,” or “Be still, my heart,” but I think this social norm waters down the true power of the phrase.

At its core, "Be Still, My Soul" offers the most compelling reason to step into a new day, as verse one says: 

Be still, my soul! the Lord is on  your side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to your God to order and provide;

In ev’ry change he faithful will remain.
 Be still, my soul! Your best, your heav’nly friend
 Thru’ thorny ways leads to a joyful end. 

Our Best Friend, our God, walks through the thorny ways with us, and He leads us to a joyful end, which, in truth, will never end. The next chapter, the path forward, will always bring us to the feet of a good, sovereign, lovely God.

I pray that you look to your new beginning with anticipation, trusting and believing, even when you don’t feel it, that God’s love and light are always the way home. This is what I’m proclaiming, what I’m choosing to believe (even with gritted teeth). 

This is my stalwart faith. And I pray it’s yours too. 

Photo credit: Unsplash/Jonas Weckschmied

Peyton Garland is an author, editor, and boy mama who lives in the beautiful foothills of East Tennessee. Subscribe to her blog Uncured+Okay for more encouragement.