Today we're going to dive into the story behind my song "Only Jesus" from the album Days of Awe. This song was born on December 7, 2011 as a battle cry against the enemy, but most importantly, as an exaltation of Jesus Christ, my Defender.
As I sit here, I can almost feel the weight of that day - the heaviness in the air, the tension palpable. But then, in the midst of the darkness, the most glorious light began to shine. The melody started to bubble up from deep within, and the words flowed like a river of truth, washing over my soul.
"Only Jesus, only Jesus, only Jesus can save. Only Jesus, only Jesus, only Jesus can heal." The refrain echoed through the room, filling it with a sense of power and purpose. I could almost hear the chains of bondage beginning to rattle and fall away.
Friends, no matter what you're facing, no matter how overwhelming the circumstances may seem, I want you to cling to this truth - Jesus is your Defender, your Healer, your Refuge. He is the only One who can truly set you free.
So take a deep breath, let the weight of the world slip from your shoulders, and join me as we dive into this powerful story. Let the music wash over you, restoring your soul and renewing your hope. For in Jesus, we have everything we need.
Have you ever felt like giving up? Like you're shouting into the howling wind, your voice lost in the wilderness? Have you ever felt the weight of the world bearing down on you, the hatred of the world seemingly all around you, until you just want to throw in the towel and surrender?
I know that feeling all too well. In fact, that's exactly where I found myself when this song, "Only Jesus," came to be. The darkness was closing in, the discouragement seeping into the very depths of my soul. I felt so alone, like a lone voice crying out in the vast expanse, desperately longing for an answer, for a glimmer of hope.
But then, as I reflected on the life of King David, I was reminded that I was not the first to walk this path. In 1 Samuel 30, we read of a moment when David must have felt the very same way - his encampment burned, his loved ones taken captive, the weight of the world seemingly crushing him. And yet, the scripture tells us that "David found strength in the Lord his God.”
1 Samuel 30:6 NASB says, Moreover David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.
As I sat there, the weight of that truth settling upon me, the melody began to flow. The words spilled forth, a battle cry against the enemy, a declaration of the only true source of refuge and strength. "Only Jesus, only Jesus, only Jesus can save. Only Jesus, only Jesus, only Jesus can heal.”
I could feel the tension in the air, the heaviness lifting with each note, each word. It was as if the very atmosphere was shifting, the chains of bondage beginning to rattle and fall away. In that moment, I was reminded that no matter how dark the night, no matter how fierce the storm, Jesus is our Defender, our Healer, our Refuge.
So take heart. When the world seems to be crashing in around you, remember the words of this song. Cling to the truth that in Jesus, we have everything we need. He is the only One who can truly set us free.
Oh, how I find such profound encouragement in the story of David, my friends! When the world seemed to be crashing in around him, when all hope appeared to be lost, David chose to dig his heels in and cling to the truth. Rather than succumbing to the lies of the enemy and giving in to despair, he lifted his voice in praise, declaring, "Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.”
I can almost feel the weight of that moment, the heaviness in the air as David and his men stared into the abyss. But then, like a beacon in the darkness, the truth of God's faithfulness shone through. They didn't give up; they pressed forward, placing their hope in the Lord. And do you know what happened? They not only recovered all that had been stolen, but they emerged victorious.
You see, we serve the same God as David. The same God who carried him through the darkest of valleys is the God we can cling to in our own times of trial. When the world around us turns its back on God, when the wisdom of man seems to reign supreme, we must learn to do as David did - to focus on the truth, to place our hope in the one true Way, the one true Savior.
And that is what this song, "Only Jesus," is all about. It's a declaration, a battle cry against the lies of the enemy, a proclamation that Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to the Father. In a world that offers so many false paths, so many empty promises, we must stand firm in the truth that there is only one Name under heaven by which we can be saved.
So let us lift our voices together, my friends, and sing out this truth. Let the world hear our cry, "Only Jesus, only Jesus, only Jesus can save. Only Jesus, only Jesus, only Jesus can heal." For in Him, and Him alone, we find true, lasting hope. In Him, and Him alone, we find the refuge we so desperately need.
As I reflect on the power and the truth of this message, I am utterly awestruck. For there is indeed only one Hope for all of mankind - the mighty name of Jesus Christ. No other prophet, no other god, has dared to declare themselves the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No other deity has made the way to reconcile mankind to the Father, to deal with the stain of sin that separates us from the divine.
I can almost feel the weight of that truth settling upon us, can sense the heaviness in the air as we confront the reality that there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. Yet, in the midst of this sobering realization, there is a glimmer of hope that shines forth like a beacon in the darkness.
For this God, this King of kings and Lord of lords, chose to lay down His very life for us. He rode the winds, His voice thundering like the heavens, and yet He humbled Himself to walk among us, to live in and through us. What other deity would make such a sacrifice, would risk everything to restore the broken relationship between creation and Creator?
As I ponder these things, my heart swells with gratitude, with a deep and abiding reverence for the One who has conquered sin and death. For He alone is worthy of our praise, our devotion, our very lives. And so, like King David of old, I find myself lifting my voice in song, declaring the truth that "Only Jesus, only Jesus, only Jesus can save. Only Jesus, only Jesus, only Jesus can heal.”
Let us cling to this truth, my friends, and let it be the foundation upon which we build our lives. When the world seeks to distort the wisdom of God, when the enemy whispers lies of doubt and despair, may we stand firm in the knowledge that Jesus Christ is the one and only way to the Father. For in Him, and Him alone, we find true, lasting hope.
Dennis Jernigan
Listen to The Dennis Jernigan podcast version of this blog and hear this song, only Jesus, at https://www.patreon.com/posts/only-jesus-111661272
Photo courtesy of https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/09/08/20/24/death-1655381_1280.jpg