“God Will Make a Way” is one of Don Moen’s well-known worship songs of all time, inspiring millions around the world with its hopeful lyrics.
Sharing the story behind the song, the legendary Christian singer-songwriter and worship leader said the song was born out of extreme tragedy.
“I got a call from my mother-in-law late one night, and she told me that my wife’s sister and her husband, Craig and Susan Phelps, had been involved in a tragic car accident while taking their kids on a ski trip,” Don Moen recounted. “All four of their children were thrown out of the vehicle, and the oldest, a 9-year-old boy, was killed instantly. The other three were seriously injured.”
“It was life-altering; I didn’t know what to say to them,” he continued. “Craig was a Bible teacher at his church, and they were both full of faith. As I sat on the plane, wondering what I should say to them, I began to read in the book of Isaiah, and chapter 43, verse 19 stood out to me: ‘I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ Instantly, the Lord gave me a song to sing to them.”
Privately, Moen performed the song for his grieving in-laws, which includes the poignant lyrics, “Oh, God will make a way/Where there seems to be no way/He works in ways we cannot see/He will make a way for me.”
“It was a song written in desperation, but it brought a word of hope to them. When everything around you seems lost, God is working in ways you cannot see.”
“God Will Make a Way” would become the award-winning hallmark song of Moen’s career, sung by millions around the world. He shares the inspiration behind the song in his debut book, God Will Make A Way: Discovering His Hope in Your Story, releasing on Oct. 16 on Emanate Books, an imprint of Thomas Nelson.
“I’ve never written a book before and I thought, ‘If I’m going to write one, I’m going to write about something that was a life-changing experience,’” he said.
In his book, Moen uses personal stories and Scripture to remind readers that God does not forget His children and remains faithful — even when all hope seems lost.
“So often, people look at their lives and everything is going fine,” he said. “Then you lose your job, go through a divorce, lose a family, or receive a devastating health diagnosis. These things can rock your world and you think, ‘How am I going to find hope in my story?’ All they can see is hopelessness.”
“I want people to know that God is with them in spite of loss and hopelessness. If you look close enough, you can see the hand of God in your life.”