Emerging worship leader Hope Darst is an artist who thrives on seeing people encounter Jesus and be set free from the world. Her goal is to worship God in everything—especially in her music.
The artist has already left her mark in the Christian music industry with her hits, “Peace Be Still,” and “Promise Keeper.” The subsequent release of her debut album, Peace Be Still, kept that momentum on track.
Peace Be Still features an empowering theme of the Lord reigning in our hearts in how we’re called to “start over again.” This phrase is referenced in the moving closing track, “Start Over,” a song that gives the album’s thesis statement, “You don’t have to be afraid.”
The album gives listeners declarations like, “You are a promise keeper/Your word will never fail/My heart can trust You, Jesus/I won’t be overwhelmed.”
Each song serves as a reminder not to let go of hope, to step out of fear, and to trust despite life's present struggles. Hope’s remarkable singing voice as well as her sound and lyrics are truly captivating.
Following the success of Peace Be Still, Hope has dropped her latest single, “If the Lord Builds the House.” Once again, she invites listeners into her life by sharing what's on her heart and reflecting on life and faith issues. I spoke with the artist about the new song.
Please tell me the personal story behind this song.
My new song is a bold declaration with lyrics from Joshua 24:15, “As for me and my house we’re gonna serve you Lord/So here’s the keys/Come on in/Everything we have is Yours.”
In “If the Lord Builds the House,” we’re tackling the reality that when we try to build a name for ourselves, it usually ends up falling apart. But when we chose to allow God to build our lives, nothing can tear it down.
The story of the Tower of Babel, in Genesis, is impactful. There’s this part in the story where the King says, “Let’s go build a tower and make our names great.” Then, it hit me.
I felt God was telling me that I was building towers. But He desires living temples that house His glory and His presence. I remembered seasons in my life when I was building towers, wanting to be a recording artist, and knowing I needed to lay that down as an idol in my life. We’re housing God’s presence.
What Bible verses connect to the message of the song?
Joshua 24:14-18 (emphasis added): “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt and serve the LORD.
But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.
But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods! It was the LORD our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes.
He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because he is our God.”
1 Corinthians 6:19(NKJV): “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”
Romans 12:1-2(NIV): "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is His good, pleasing, and perfect will."
Romans 8:11(VOICE): "If the Spirit of the One who resurrected Jesus from the dead lives inside of you, then you can be sure that He who raised Him will cast the light of life into your mortal bodies through the life-giving power of the Spirit residing in you."
Romans 8:15-17(MSG): “This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who He is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with Him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with Him!”
Philippians 4:7(NKJV): “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Romans 8:28(VOICE): "We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan."
What is the takeaway message?
I’m amazed at how much has changed in the past couple of years—culturally and spiritually. I, like many people, have moments where I’ve said, “Lord, I need a refresher with You.” Am I building my life according to Your kingdom or my version of His kingdom?
I’ve been asking God these hard questions about whether my life was reflecting His kingdom. Even when His ways remain a mystery to me, His Word is the ultimate truth in my life. These are hard questions you also must ask yourself.
It’s easy to assume that our perspectives and ideas are good. The reality is that although we’re redeemed and saved and have the likeness of Christ living inside of us, we’re in the process of sanctification.
Until we’re once again with Jesus, our motives are not always 100 percent correct. We need to bring our thoughts back to the Father and ask Him to purify our hearts.
As you age, you realize that the whole point of following Jesus is that His way leads to life instead of death. Some things fall apart. But there are houses inside of us internally in our souls, our minds, and our hearts that can stay intact—even when things don’t go the way we thought they would. That’s where the Lord builds His house, inside of us.
Lyrics
I’ve built up my own name But the walls couldn’t stand I’ve trusted my own strength But it was sinking sand So, I put my ruins Into Your hands And watch You restore them Like only You can
Cause if the Lord builds the house Nobody can tear it down If the Lord builds the house Nobody can tear it down When it’s built on His name There’s nothing gonna shake this ground If the Lord builds the house Nobody can tear it down
The bricks may be weathered Through storm and through fire But what God holds together It stands firm every time Cause my life is anchored On this solid truth That whatever God's building No, it can’t be moved
Cause if the Lord builds the house Nobody can tear it down If the Lord builds the house Nobody can tear it down When it’s built on His name There’s nothing gonna shake this ground If the Lord builds the house Nobody can tear it down Oh, nobody
As for me and my house We’re gonna serve You, Lord So, here’s the keys Come on in Everything we have is Yours
As for me and my house We’re gonna serve You, Lord So, here’s the keys Come on in Everything we have is Yours
Oh, Here’s the keys Won’t You come on in Everything we have is Yours
If the Lord builds the house Nobody can (tear it down) Nobody can tear it down (If the Lord builds the house) Nobody can tear it down When it’s built on His name There’s nothing gonna shake this ground If the Lord builds the house Nobody can tear it down
If the Lord builds the house Nobody can tear it down If the Lord builds the house
Nobody can tear it down When it’s built on His name There’s nothing that can shake this ground If the Lord builds the house Nobody can tear it down
I said if the Lord builds the house Nobody can tear it down
Closing Thoughts
As children of Jesus, we know that we can trust God's Word. Have faith and let God work all things together for good. Spend time with God and let Him redeem and restore you. We’re not at the end of our story. God's still writing our stories of redemption.
God wants us to know that He's faithful to complete what He's started in us who've put our hope and trust in Jesus for our salvation. The song's message challenges us to think beyond our doubts. It challenges us to examine how Jesus calls us to rely on Him and the power of His resurrection. And to remember that He has overcome death and fear.
We're living in a fallen world dealing with the fear and anxiety of the COVID-19 pandemic. But what if you lived as though you believed the sincere words of this song? It’s filled with truth that you can cling to. And, as a child of Christ, you know you can trust God's Word.
Many of my favorite songs are based on the joy and themes of trusting in God’s Word. So many people struggle to apply God's Word to their lives. If we learn to build our lives on Scripture, we would all have a rock as our foundation, in how we navigate our lives.
The Good News of the Gospel, perfectly portrayed in this song, gives the truth that God accepts us no matter what we've done or what we’re going through. When I read the Bible, I’m strengthened with the truth that fear, worry, and anxiety are not God's plans for my life.
Trust God's Word. Jesus commands us to trust God's Word completely—no matter the circumstances. We need to cast our anxieties and fears upon Him and allow the Lord to be our redeemer. As the song sings, “If the Lord builds the house/Nobody can tear it down/When it’s built on His name/There’s nothing that can shake this ground/If the Lord builds the house/Nobody can tear it down." Amen to that.
NRT lead contributor Kevin Davis is a longtime 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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