Shortly after I had begun pastoral ministry about 20 years ago, my wife and I were attending a pastor’s seminar in Colorado . A prophetic leader, who was well respected got up to speak, and told us that God had spoken to him the night before ‘in an audible voice’. We all leaned forward . . . (maybe we were expecting something new and spectacular!) and then he spoke these simple, ancient, and powerful words from Isaiah 30:15; “In repentance and rest is your salvation. In quietness and trust is your strength” (NIV).

I sensed such a deep sense of God’s presence and confirmation; these are the things God longs for us . . . and He wants the Church to return to Him as a bride and allow Him to be our husband, to be everything we need and love. I felt a burden to write this scripture as a song to be sung over people. Sometimes we see worship as a ‘one-way conversation’ but I know that God is longing for relationship, so we need to give Him an opportunity to speak into our gatherings as well!

And so I set out to write a song based on this scripture that could be sung over people, with a verse that ‘set up’ Isaiah 30:15 as the chorus. I filled the verse with phrases that spoke of the restoring husband heart of God . . . One who is calling out to His beloved who has wandered away. Our returning to God always begins with our repentance . . . and then a resting in God’s complete salvation.