Following up her standout worship anthems with Hillsong UNITED, "Oceans," "Whole Heart (Hold Me Now)" and "Another in the Fire," churches and believers around the world celebrated the release of worship leader TAYA's solo album TAYA. Don't miss out on this incredible album by my one of my favorite worship leaders, which features the standout songs, "For All My Life," "All About Jesus," and "Getaway." It was one of my top albums of 2022.
I have consistently been blessed by each anthem from TAYA with her staples "Oceans" and "Touch the Sky" being sung at church worship services worldwide and putting the Word of God into the minds, mouths, and hearts of Christians everywhere. I had the chance to speak with TAYA about her latest song, "Getaway."
Please tell me the personal story behind this song.
At the end of an intense three-week writing trip, my friends Jon Guerra & Lindsey Sweat sat tossing around some ideas. Nothing was really sticking so Lindsey asked if I had any voice memos, that I'd be willing to work from. We had written together a few times the past 18 months and I felt safe, so I put one forward. And from there, it kind of just all came out and after we finished, one of us sat back and sighed, 'I really needed that.'
We ended up using the demo vocal because it felt the most honest, like it captured the cathartic sigh we had after writing it and every time since that I've played it. In an invitation, in Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus asked the people; "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly. With many lines straight out of Eugene Petersons translation of Matthew 11:28-30, it's no wonder this song snuck up on us, a song we didn't know we needed.
Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?
Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG): "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV): "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."
Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV): "But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved."
Ephesians 2:13 (NKJV): "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ."
Ephesians 1:10 (MSG): "He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in Him, everything in deepest heaven; everything on planet earth."
Hebrews 11:1 (NLT): "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see."
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."
Psalm 33:20-22 (MSG): "We're depending on God; He's everything we need. What's more, our hearts brim with joy since we've taken for our own His holy name. Love us, God, with all you've got--that's what we're depending on."
What is the takeaway message?
Matthew 11:28 says, 'my yoke is easy, my burden is light.' That's kind of the overarching theme of the song. Early on in Matthew 11, Jesus unleashed on the cities where he had worked the hardest but whose people had responded the least. Then, out of nowhere, He stopped abruptly & He prayed. Jesus then resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.
He doesn't leave us by ourselves to try and figure this out but if we surrender ourselves then we're yoked with Him which means we're learning how to walk the way that He would, teaching us to walk in the unforced rhythms of grace. With God taking the reins, we have a life where every step is a part of a bigger plan for our future. God's timing has continued to shock and bless me in a world where things seem to be falling apart, extremely messy and at times quite painful.
Lyrics:
Are you burnt out
On religious things
Are you worn down
Lacking inner peace
Take a real rest
Walk along with Me
In the pastures
Of My presence
You can be yourself
And you can
Say what's on your heart
I already know it all
Doesn't matter what you say
Come and getaway with Me
I know where you are
Where you've been
And what you've seen
Doesn't matter how you come
Come and get away with Me
Getaway, getaway with Me
Are you burdened
From all the heavy days
It's not your job
To shoulder all the weight
Let Me do it
Let Me come and take
The lies you've
Been believing in
The truth is that
You have a place to
Say what's on your heart
I already know it all
Doesn't matter what you say
Come and getaway with Me
I know where you are
Where you've been
And what you've seen
Doesn't matter how you come
Come and get away with Me
Getaway, getaway with Me
Grace upon grace upon grace
Let it lead
Getaway, getaway with Me
Grace upon grace upon grace
Let it lead
Getaway, getaway with Me
Grace upon grace upon grace
Let it lead
Getaway, getaway with Me
There's more than
You always need
Grace upon grace upon grace
Let Me lead
Getaway, getaway with Me
Say what's on your heart
I already know it all
Doesn't matter what you say
Come and say it all to Me
I know where you are
Where you've been
And what you've seen
Doesn't matter how you come
Come and get away with Me
Getaway, getaway with Me
Come away, come away with me
Getaway, getaway with Me
Closing Thoughts
If you've always enjoyed Taya's corporate worship anthems, you're in for a treat with this beautiful anthem. This stirring new worship song really sets me in the proper mindset to praise God for loving me so much that He gave His life away for all that was lost. This song is a great way to express that joy, thankfulness, and dedication to God that we should all have as followers of Jesus.
This song truly touches me in many ways. I know that many of us struggle with the idea that our past and present mistakes are unforgivable, yet the Bible tells us that isn't true. Read that great translation in The Message of Matthew 11:28-30. Jesus tells us: "Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest." What an amazing comfort to know that when we struggle with our pain, pride, and unloving natures, we can all lay it at the feet of Jesus.
God's mercy is new each day. It's not based on our performance or what we can do for Him. He pours out His mercy despite what we've done. And, there's nothing we can do except to trust in His Son, Jesus. We can't earn Heaven; It's only through complete surrender to Jesus and putting all of our hope in Him that we can be saved.
Sometimes we tend to think we can try to know everything. God tells us in the Bible that with faith, we can do anything in Christ. We shouldn't wait to fix ourselves before we step out in faith. We need to fully trust God. A theme verse for me for these devotionals has been Romans 8:11. And, God keeps bringing the truth of His resurrection power through His Holy Spirit residing in believers to my attention. That's the beauty of His Word. It doesn't return void. Instead, it provides a constant source of comfort, guidance, and how to draw closer to Him.
The Holy Spirit gives us new life, and we don't have to live anymore with our guilt, fears or worries. We are born again, and we need to live as children of God. Too often we get wrapped up in our circumstances and get down on ourselves with negative thoughts, allowing the Enemy to define self-worth. Jesus died on the Cross to set us free from the battle of our minds, from sin and death, and He wants us to have abundant life in Him. What a wonderful, encouraging truth.
We all have lies that we believe about ourselves. Also, we have an Enemy who doesn't like us. He does have a voice and he does speak to us, but the voice of God's Agape Love speaks louder. This song encourages us to see ourselves the way God sees us. What a great message of redemption: grace is unmerited favor, and it is a free gift. When you abide in His grace, you won't be the same. His grace takes away anxiety, guilt, and shame.
The lyrics of "Getaway" soothe the soul, "Take a real rest/Walk along with Me/In the pastures of My presence/You can be yourself." I can't listen to "Getaway" without welling up. Taya's tender, emotive and powerful vocals take listeners on an emotional journey that gives me goosebumps every time I hear the song, filled with truth. God loves you so much. Lean on Him and He'll give you strength. If you are a follower of Jesus, you can know for certain that God is singing these words over you.
Know that being His is enough. I love the lyrics, "Are you burdened/From all the heavy days/It's not your job/To shoulder all the weight" and by leaning on His understanding, the lyrics attest, "Grace upon grace upon grace/Let it lead/Getaway, getaway with Me." Join in with TAYA in responding in total surrender God in the moving chorus–"Say what's on your heart/I already know it all/Doesn't matter what you say/Come and say it all to Me/I know where you are/Where you've been/And what you've seen/Doesn't matter how you come/Come and get away with Me."
NRT lead contributor Kevin Davis is a longtime Christian music fan 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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