Contemporary group Love & the Outcome is made up of husband-and-wife duo Jodi King and Chris Rademaker. They made an immediate mark on the Christian contemporary music scene with their debut album, featuring hit songs "He is With Us" and "King of My Heart."
The album chronicled their journey of having departed their Canadian homeland and risking it all to pursue their musical dreams. Many of the album’s songs reflect the need to rely completely on God's sovereignty to guide their ‘outcome."’
The duo returned with their sophomore offering These Are the Days, featuring the hit song "The God I Know." The recently released third full-length studio album Only Every Always once again showcases the band’s gifts as songwriters and Jodi’s shimmering, emotion-laden voice.
Particularly striking are album standouts “Moving On” and “You Got This.” Each song—as well as others on the album—offers encouraging messages to increase our faith during this pandemic. The songs address the pressures of life and express that true happiness and identity only come from our relationship with God. I spoke with Jodi about their song, “I’ll Find You.”
Please tell me the personal story behind this song.
Chris and I purposely set out to make “I’ll Find You” feel like a hymn. We both grew up with parents and grandparents singing hymns. There’s a comfort in hearing your favorite hymns. We wanted this song to feel that way.
The song’s pacing gives a little space. This last year has been a season where we haven’t always had the energy to pray or to be able to do anything—even when writing this song. We’ve needed God to find us.
We read in Scripture that Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father and when we don’t have the energy to pray, He intercedes on our behalf. Until you’re in a hard season, you haven’t necessarily had to depend on that hard truth.
We wanted a song for all those feeling down and out whether from loneliness, anxiety, depression, loss, or all the above. This song is an anthem to sing over you, so you don’t have to not worry—even on your hardest day when you don’t have the energy to put how you’re feeling into words. God will find you in your toughest places.
What Bible verses connect to the message of the song?
Psalm 121(NKJV): "I will lift up my eyes to the hills--From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore."
Psalm 119:37(NKJV): Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way.
Psalm 96:4-6(MSG): “For God is great and worth a thousand Hallelujahs. His furious beauty puts the other gods to shame; Pagan gods are mere tatters and rags. God made the heavens—Royal splendor radiates from Him; A powerful beauty sets Him apart.”
1 John 4:4(NKJV): "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."
John 15:5 (NKJV): "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
Romans 8:37(NLT): "No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us."
We have an advocate, and we have a comforter—God (there are different names we have for God for a reason). But, if you notice, there aren’t always songs about seeking comfort from God.
We can often be positive to a fault. Positivity is different from joy. Joy often comes after pain. In different seasons, we need to express how we’re feeling—And we achieved that by writing this song.
There’s space for grief. It was important for Chris and me to invite people to know that there’s space for grief and healing in the Gospel. Life is hard and God is good: both are true at the same time.
You are welcome here. You don’t have to put on a happy face and, hopefully, this song allows you to let your tears fall. You have permission. If God can handle us, He can handle you,
God can hold your hand. Scripture talks about our tears being an offering. That’s what we’ve seen; We’ve seen a deeper joy that comes from a deeper place. I wish deep joy didn’t follow suffering, but it seems like that’s how it works, sometimes.
This song and this album are about telling people you are welcome here, and you don’t have to put on your best, shiny, self. Maybe you don’t feel very shiny right now. Neither do I. But I’m still getting on stage. My pain doesn’t disqualify me, it qualifies me.
Lyrics
When sorrows like sea billows roll
And worry makes waves in my soul
I will draw near
Peace is right here When shame comes to whisper my name
Accuse me in ten million ways
I will draw near
Grace is right here Trial to triumph
Over my storm to horizon
All through the battle to break through
I'll find You
I'll find You right here When trust tells my hands to let go
And faith has to face the unknown
I will draw near
Hope is right here
You're right here
Trial to triumph
All through the battle to break through
I'll find You
I'll find You right here
Right where I am
I lift my hands
I'm not alone
I never have been Right where I am
I lift my hands
I'm not alone
I never have been All through the trial to triumph (yeah)
Over my storm to horizon
All through the battle to break through (break through, yeah)
I'll find You (I'll find You)
I'll find You Right here in my trial to triumph (oh, yeah)
All through my storm to horizon (storm to horizon)
All through the battle to break through (break through, yeah)
I'll find You (I'll find You)
I'll find You right here Right where I am
I lift my hands
I'm not alone
I never have been
Closing Thoughts
Jodi and Chris have consistently impressed me with their mature faith and sincere desire to serve Jesus. “I’ll Find You” is based on several biblical truths, including 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
Whatever struggle or depression you’re facing, know that God is with you—always. Like King David's prayers and songs captured in the Psalms, when you allow God’s words to sink in, they change how you think.
Step out in faith and trust in God—even when you want to give up or can't see where you're going. We aren't the source of the power to overcome our challenges. God brings that true power. In our weakness, God's strength is perfect. Remember, if God is for us, who can be against us?
“I’ll Find You” articulates what it means to live a God-centered life in a turbulent world. This song is a faith statement. I think God included the Book of Job as a reminder of how He wants us to handle trials.
In that Scripture, Satan tests God's servant, Job, to see if he can cause him to lose his faith by causing him pain and suffering. Job's friends counsel him that he must have unrepented sins that are causing him the calamities of losing his family and his health. The hymn "It Is Well with My Soul" is a similar reminder that our worship of God shouldn’t be based on our circumstances but based on who God is.
Have faith and don't be afraid. Know that with Jesus, you’ll never be alone. God will show you what He has planned for you. He's the author of yours—and my—life and knows what's best for you, much better than you do.
The Holy Spirit gives us new life. And we don't have to live anymore with our guilt, fears, or worries—especially as we all face this coronavirus pandemic together. This is a great message and song for us to celebrate our freedom based on our faith in Christ Jesus.
Worship is about submission and being in awe of God. It’s about giving Him our best, offering all of ourselves to Him. In our fast-paced society, how often are we dedicating our whole hearts to God? Do we offer up half-hearted prayers, or do we seek Him with all our hearts? The comfort and rest offered by Jesus are beautifully captured in “I’ll Find You.”
Jodi beautifully depicts the message of identity that we all need to hear, “Right where I am/I lift my hands/I'm not alone/I never have been.” Sing every word and agree with the song’s beautiful sentiments.
God’s love is never-ending. He is our refuge and our strength. He’s real, He’s near, and He’s just a breath away. God is the author of our lives and knows what's best for us—much better than we do. That's the reason to sing this empowering anthem at the top of our lungs in gratefulness to Him.
No matter what you're going through you can sing the message of moving on in Christ, “Trial to triumph/Over my storm to horizon/All through the battle to break through/I'll find You/I'll find You right here.” Amen to that.
NRT Lead Contributor Kevin Davis is a long-time fan of Christian music, an avid music collector, and credits the message of Christian music for leading him to Christ. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and three daughters.
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