For worship leader and speaker Tasha Layton, the road to discovering her artistry has been a long, exhilarating one. And the journey that’s led her to the present has been hard, exciting, painful, and incredible all at the same time. She has toured with pop artist Katy Perry, worked as an in-demand session singer in Los Angeles, and later moved to Nashville to record her debut Christian album, Love Running Wild, in 2019. Tasha's story is full of passion and strength, much like the singer herself. A year later, the singer dropped Into the Sea, an EP featuring the stirring title track, “Into the Sea (It’s Gonna Be Ok).”
In 2022, Tasha returned with her full-length album, How Far. It features several hit songs, including “Look What You’ve Done,” “How Far,” and “Into the Sea.” The album tells the story of redemption and the importance of trusting in God's plans over our own. Each song offers a glimpse into Tasha's Psalm-like prayers to God.
Tasha's music is engaging, and her lyrics are thought-provoking, making the album a quality listen. I spoke with Tasha in person before her concert with Christian contemporary artists Jordan Feliz and Danny Gokey about her song, “Joy Comes.”
Please tell me the personal story behind this song.
During my journey of seeking and searching, I found myself in a period of life that was filled with overwhelming despair. It was during this time that I realized how much I truly needed God in my life. I wasn’t looking at Christianity for answers. Instead, I sought out other religions. At my lowest, Ifound inspiration in Judaism. The idea of external obedience to the Law, regardless of one's personal feelings, resonated with me. That’s how this song starts: "Praise You when I'm overwhelmed/Praise You in my brokenness/Praise You so I don't forget/Who You are/Who You are/Praise You when I lost my way/Praise You when I'm so afraid/Praise You ‘cause You never change." Those lyrics mean so much to me.
Even though I didn’t feel much, I chose to walk in external obedience until my heart could catch up. The Lord met me in my dark place. By praising Him through my brokenness and even when I didn’t feel like it, I found He was closer than I thought He was. That’s true for all of us. He’s closer than we think He is all the time. When we think He’s far away, that’s when He’s the closest.
Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?
Psalm 30:5(NASB): “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.”
Psalm 28:7(NLT): "The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust Him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving."
Psalm 16:11(NKJV): "You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Jeremiah 29:11-13(NIV): "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart."
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."
Philippians 1:6(NIV): "Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:13(NKJV): "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
1 John 4:18(NKJV): "There is no fear in love; but, perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment. But, he who fears has not been made perfect in love."
Nehemiah 8:10(NKJV): "Then he said to them, 'Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.'"
Philippians 4:7(NKJV): "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Lamentations 3:22-24(MSG): “God's loyal love couldn't have run out, His merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning. How great is Your faithfulness! I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over). He's all I've got left.”
Psalm 30:11-12(VOICE): “You did it: You turned my deepest pains into joyful dancing; You stripped off my dark clothing and covered me with joyful light. You have restored my honor. My heart is ready to explode and erupt in new songs. It's impossible to keep quiet! Eternal One, my God, my Life-Giver, I will thank You forever.”
What is the takeaway message?
Joy comes from a deep source that we can tap into during difficult times. In the book of Jeremiah, he references Psalm 1 and the imagery of being blessed like a tree planted by the water. Many scholars believe that this sets the tone for the passage, as it follows a statement about being cursed for not trusting in the Lord, likened to a bush in the wilderness.
A bush in the desert lives in a dry, airy pit. There’s no fruit. The bush looks alive and well, but when you cut into it, you see the fruit is dry. A palm tree in a coastal region has deep roots and can look like it’s dead. But when you cut into it, you see it’s alive and can withstand anything because it's near the water.
Psalm 1 and Psalm 30 have that juxtaposition of having deep roots and joy coming in the morning. There’s a joy that comes from a deep well that's not of us, but rather from our source of living water, God. He's our joy and the streams of living water, and when we know we are planted by the river of God, we're able to have joy amid adversity and despair.
Lyrics
Praise You when I'm overwhelmed Praise You in my brokenness Praise You so I don't forget Who You are Who You are Praise You when I lost my way Praise You when I'm so afraid Praise You ‘cause You never change Who You are Who You are
Weeping may endure for the night But joy comes in the morning Joy comes in the morning
Weeping may endure for the night But joy comes in the morning Joy comes in the morning
Praise you when I'm empty-handed Praise you when I feel abandoned Praise you cause I'm not alone You see me You see me Praise you when the road is long Praise you when my faith is gone Praise you cause you hear the song I'm singing I'm singing
Weeping may endure for the night But joy comes in the morning Joy comes in the morning
Weeping may endure for the night But joy comes in the morning Joy comes in the morning
I will fear no evil I know you are with me Closer than I think you You're closer than I think you are Fighting all my battles Lighting every shadow Closer than I think you are You're closer than I think you are
I will fear no evil I know you are with me Closer than I think you are You're closer than I think you are Fighting all my battles Lighting every shadow Closer than I think you are You're closer than I think you are
Weeping may endure for the night But joy comes in the morning Joy comes in the morning Joy comes in the morning Joy comes in the morning Joy comes in the morning Joy comes in the morning
I will fear no evil I know You are with me Closer than I think You are You're closer than I think You are Fighting all my battles Lighting every shadow Closer than I think You are You're closer than I think You are
Weeping may endure for the night But joy comes in the morning Joy comes in the morning Joy comes in the morning
Closing Thoughts
Nehemiah 8:10 says, "The joy of the Lord is your strength." God promises us in His Word that His mercies are new every morning. Whatever struggle or depression you face, we know God is with you, always.
"Joy Comes" is a great way to submit and commit yourself to God. The Bible says to trust in what God says about you, no matter how you feel about yourself. God knows you intimately. And, because Jesus died for you on the cross, He sees you as holy, righteous, redeemed, chosen, fully known, and forgiven—no matter what we've done. If you've put all your hope and trust in Jesus, there's nothing that can separate you from His love.
The tendency as a believer is to focus on the blessings we've received from God. But this song is a gut check of faithfulness. If all those things were removed from you, would you still understand that you're blessed? Would you still cling to God for your security and hope?
I hear in Tasha’s vocals a sincere yearning for God and thankfulness in her heart for His mercy and grace. One powerful way for you to demonstrate the upside-down nature of the Kingdom of God to non-believers is by embodying the song's message, and by having an inner joy that's supernatural. This joy shows others that even when you're going through difficult times, they have hope and joy because of God's love.
Tasha's struggles in a dark place gave her the necessary inspiration to write this song. God doesn't promise to spare us from pain, but we need to trust and wait on Him. Wait for Him to orchestrate the plans for our lives. Faith is a vital ingredient in overcoming tough circumstances. Faith is when we are empty of ourselves and filled with Him and His Holy Spirit.
Tasha's goal is to convey the life-giving message of Jesus Christ. We often create barriers between ourselves and God, but He simply desires for us to return to Him. Many people feel that they are not worthy of being close to God and believe that He uses a checklist to determine their worthiness. However, this is not the message of the Gospel.
Sing along: “I will fear no evil/I know You are with me/Closer than I think You are/You're closer than I think You are/Fighting all my battles/Lighting every shadow/Closer than I think You are/You're closer than I think You are/Weeping may endure for the night/But joy comes in the morning.” Amen to that.
NRT lead contributor Kevin Davis is a longtime fan of Christian music, and an avid music collector. He 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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