Contemporary artist Brandon Heath’s latest release, “Scars,” from his new album, The Ache, continues his tradition of blending emotional vulnerability with spiritual depth. The song delves into the pain of past wounds and how God’s healing transforms those scars into stories of redemption.
With heartfelt lyrics and an evocative melody, “Scars” resonates deeply with listeners, encouraging them to find hope in their own struggles. The Ache follows Brandon’s full-length album Enough Already, which features hits like “Human Nature” and “See Me Through It.”
Whether as an artist to set the mood for reflection and worship or for personal times of devotion, Brandon Heath ranks highly among fans of truth-telling singer-songwriters. Brandon’s vulnerability and ability to connect emotionally in his songs bring me closer to God.
I spoke with Brandon about the inspiration behind “Scars” and its impact on his life and audience.
Please tell me the personal story behind this song.
My thoughts were consumed with sorrow when a shooting happened at The Covenant School, just minutes from my home. Although my children were not yet school-age at the time of the tragedy, it was mainly personal, considering my oldest daughter was already enrolled in kindergarten at Covenant for the following year. I wanted to find a way to help and honor my longtime friend, Covenant School chaplain Matthew Sullivan, so I wrote “Scars” just a few days after the shooting.
It’s one of my favorite songwriting experiences because I feel like, in my grief, God gave me medicine to disseminate immediately to my friends.
Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?
Romans 8:28 (VOICE): “We are confident that God can orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan.”
Romans 12:15 (NKJV): "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."
Isaiah 53:3 (NKJV): “He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.”
Lamentations 3:22-23(NKJV): “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”
Romans 15:13 (NIV): “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Ephesians 3:17-19 (NIV): “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight."
Philippians 1:6 (NKJV): “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV): He told me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV): "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
What is the takeaway message?
“Scars” reminds me of our responsibility as artists: to say the things we don’t know how to say, put them to music, and then get them out to the masses as soon as possible and let them do their healing work.
This has been my season of sorrow, but writing about it helps me engage with it. That's what music has always done for me. Every record I release is a snapshot of the season I'm in, and I thought this was going to be a record about mourning after my mom passed away.
But I've learned that two things can exist simultaneously. You can talk about heavy things with a joyful spirit. I have embraced paradox in this season. I knew there was going to be sadness, but I also knew there was going to be joy because I knew where my mom was going.
Lyrics
Feels like I'm walking away Survivor of a wreck on the interstate Stumbling from the rubble of an earthquake Still alive, but I will never be the same Feels like I keep waking up From running all night through a nightmare Lying wide awake, but I'm stuck there I can see the light, but I'm still scared
They say give it time You'll be fine If I get one more piece of advice, I'll lose my mind
God, I hope this prayer gets through the ceiling Not that I don't believe in healing I know I'll be okay, but I'm not feeling it today And I, I wanna think that there's a reason That's why I'm praying to you Jesus Cause you know it's hard And even you had scars that never went away
It's like a whole different world I don't even recognize it anymore Bleeding from a wound I didn't have before Walking with a limp on a shaky floor
And they say give it time You'll be fine It's easy to say when it's somebody else It's easy to hope when it's not for yourself
Oh God, I hope this prayer gets through the ceiling Not that I don't believe in healing I know I'll be okay, but I'm not feeling it today And I, I wanna think that there's a reason That's why I'm praying to you Jesus Cause you know it's hard And even you had scars that never went away
If I'm not gonna lose it If I’m not gonna lose it Promise me you'll use it Promise me you'll use it
Oh my God, I hope this prayer gets through the ceiling Not that I don't believe in healing I know I'll be okay, but I'm not feeling it today And I, I wanna think that there's a reason That's why I'm praying to you Jesus Cause you know it's hard And even you had scars that never went away
If I'm not gonna lose it If I’m not gonna lose it Promise me you'll use it Promise me you'll use it If I'm not gonna lose it If I’m not gonna lose it Promise me you'll use it Promise me you'll use it You'll use it
Even you had scars that never went away
Closing Thoughts
Brandon Heath’s latest song, “Scars,” is about crying out for God's presence and desiring to know Him personally. It’s a poignant track with a convicting declaration: “I know I'll be okay, but I'm not feeling it today/And I, I wanna think that there's a reason/That's why I'm praying to You Jesus/Cause You know it's hard/And even You had scars that never went away.” Heath writes and sings his breath, given to him by God, into anointed new songs to encourage us. This powerful song will bless you.
This is one of my favorite songs of the year. We serve a loving and merciful God who accepts us as we are, not who we pretend to be. I love singing this song back to Jesus, telling Him plainly that I need no other than Him. This anthem of praise is a daily prayer. It asks God to come and change our hearts and lives so that our behavior and the way we live flow from Him living inside of us. What a powerful expression of what it means to accept that God never leaves or forsakes us. He is all we need.
“Scars” reminds me to make Jesus the Lord of my life and point to His complete Lordship for every activity and thought. In any situation, God will make a way for His children. As we look at the fallen world around us, we all need to lift our eyes to God and put all our faith and hope in Him. It's in our weakness that God is made strong. Only through God's grace can we overcome our emotional conflicts of feeling invisible.
God wants us to know that He's faithful in completing what He's started in all of us who've put our hope and trust in Jesus for salvation. This song challenges me to want to know God more deeply and have more faith and security in my relationship with Him.
We all need our great God to fix and turn our messes into messages. He gives us grace. The beauty of grace is that it’s not something we deserve or can earn; it’s a gift from our great God. So many people can relate to the song’s message. He is a God of infinite second chances. Amen to that.
NRT lead contributor Kevin Davis is a long-time Christian music fan and an avid collector. He credits the message of Christian music for leading him to Christ. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and three daughters.
NEW!BEHIND THE SONG
#1230 - Crowder
The popular artist talks about the power of prayer
ADVERTISEMENT
NEW!THE ESSENTIALS
Hannah Kerr
We highlight five of the artist's must-listen-to songs
NEW!NRT LISTS
Songs Fighting Prejudice
NRT staff highlights songs that tackle division and unity through music
NEW!HEARTSPEAK
#1 - Journey w/ Bullying
NRT's Paul Phillips opens up about his experience with bullying
NEW!MOVIE REVIEW
Am I Racist?
Matt Walsh's latest hit documentary takes on the DEI industry
