Gotee Records' band Finding Favour (with Blake Neesmith on vocals, Dustin Daniels  on bass, guitar and vocals, Josh Duckworth on drums and Allen Dukes on guitar and vocals) has followed up their hit songs "Slip on By," "Shake The World" and "Say Amen" with the equally inspiring single "Cast My Cares." The song is the lead single from their full-length album Reborn, available everywhere on June 23.  

"Cast My Cares" has an easily accessible message that will speak to everyone regardless of their circumstances with a wonderful melody to sing the words of Scripture. I love when artists draw from the Bible and write songs that stick with you and sing over you the Truth of God's Word. I had the chance to speak with lead singer Blake Neesmith about "Cast My Cares."

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

For me, this song comes right from 1st Peter 5:7, which says "cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you." I know that's not always easy, handing over our worries and our problems, but we need to know that's who God is. You can be sure that He holds your future, and He's still good even when you can't see the working of His hands. 

To be honest, this song is my life right now. Anxiety has weighed on my shoulders the past few months. That's something I'm putting out there. My wife and I recently had our first child, and I'm out traveling and the unknown haunts me every day. I worry about where I'll be and whether I'll be able to provide for my family. Everything is constantly weighing on me. I can tell you right now, that is no way to live. 

God has a purpose and a plan, and so often we try to do it our way and carry all the weight. From my own experience and pain and heartache, I've found that God loves us more than we love ourselves. He has the best intentions for us, and we can trust Him with our lives. Some of my favorite lyrics of the song that I live with every day are in the first verse: "When fear feels bigger than my faith and struggles steals my breath away, when my back pressed up against the wall, with the weight of my worries stacked up tall, You're strong enough to hold it all. I will cast my cares on You."

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

Psalm 23:1 (VOICE): The Eternal is my Shepherd, He cares for me always.

Psalm 55:22 (NIV): Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.

Matthew 6:31-34 (VOICE): So do not consume yourselves with questions: What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear? Outsiders make themselves frantic over such questions; they don't realize that your heavenly Father knows exactly what you need.  Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all these things will be given to you too. So do not worry about tomorrow. Let tomorrow worry about itself. Living faithfully is a large enough task for today.

Hebrews 4:15-16 (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. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 6:19-20 (NKJV): "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek."

1 Peter 5:7 (NKJV): Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

What is the takeaway message?

When I was writing this song, I wanted to share what I was feeling and be able to meet someone right where they are as well. If they just went to the doctor and they are waiting for the report, or if they are struggling in their marriage, or if they're struggling to pay their bills, I want them to know that God is asking them to let Him help. He wants to help, and He wants us to give Him what we have. It belongs to Him anyway. He's in control anyway. 

That's where this song comes from. It comes from me trying to process and understand that. I've been out on tour with the Newsboys and we sing this song every night and have people tell us that this is what they needed to hear. That's exactly what I wanted to happen with this song.

The new album is called Reborn. For me, it's been a journey of my faith in our music. Growing up in church in Georgia, there were a lot of things that were taught to me which in many ways were learning about other peoples' faith. I was taught by sitting and listening and not by digging in the Word myself. Part of this album for me was me finding my own faith, digging into the Word and finding out what it means to be a father. 

Even musically, this album is the most exciting album we've ever made. I felt like who I am in this world has been baptized and reborn. Everyone should understand that they need to find their own faith and find out who God and Jesus is on their own. Don't take someone else's word for it. God offers us grace and new mercies every day.

Lyrics:
When fear feels bigger than my faith
And struggles steals my breath away
When my back pressed up against the wall
With the weight of my worries stacked up tall
You're strong enough to hold it all
I will cast my cares on You
You're the anchor of my hope
The only one who's in control
I will cast my cares on You
I'll trade the troubles of this world
For Your peace inside my soul
This war's not what I would have chosen
But You see the future no one knows yet
And You're still good when I can't
See the working of Your hands
You're holding it all
I will cast my cares on You
You're the anchor of my hope
The only one who's in control
I will cast my cares on You
I'll trade the troubles of this world
For Your peace inside my soul
I'm finding there's freedom
When I lay it all on Your shoulders
Cast my cares I will, cast my cares I will, cast my cares on You
Cast my cares I will, cast my cares I will, cast my cares on You
Cast my cares I will, cast my cares I will, cast my cares on You
I will cast my cares on You
You're the anchor of my hope
The only one who's in control
I will cast my cares on You
I'll trade the troubles of this world
For Your peace inside my soul
I will cast my cares on You
You're the anchor of my hope
The only one who's in control
I will cast my cares on You
I'll trade the troubles of this world
For Your peace inside my soul
Cast my cares I will, cast my cares I will, cast my cares on You

Are we spending too much time thinking about our circumstances and what we can do to improve them, or are we connecting with God's heart for us, which is "do not worry about tomorrow. Let tomorrow worry about itself. Living faithfully is a large enough task for today" (Matt. 6:34, The Voice)?

I've read that God tells us 365 times in His Word "do not fear" or "do not worry," enough for a daily reminder to not spend time caught up in ourselves, but allowing ourselves to be satisfied with a fresh filling of God and His Holy Spirit every day.

We need to have the type of faith that Jesus describes in the Bible: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Being a Christian means that you walk by faith, not by sight. Remember the definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1: "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see."

The key as a follower of Jesus is to walk by faith and to be guided in your daily walk by prayer and God's infallible Word, the Bible. My personal devotional prayer this year has been to have more faith. This song is my heart's cry and anthem to sing daily in praise to the Lord, regardless of my circumstances, doubts or worry, singing words to Him like "I will cast my cares on You, I'll trade the troubles of this world, for Your peace inside my soul." Amen to that!

(Watch the lyric video here.)