Don Moen wrote “God Will Make a Way” for a family who had just lost their son

Don Moen wrote “God Will Make a Way” quickly, for a family who had just buried their son.

The family were relatives of Moen’s wife. Their son had been killed in a car accident, and Moen wanted to send them something that might help. He has said the song came quickly, built on a line from the book of Isaiah about God making a way in the wilderness. He sent them a recording. It went on to become one of the most widely sung worship songs of the 1990s.

The words

The chorus is simple: “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.” The verses speak of God leading through the wilderness, of love and strength for each new day.

The song draws on Isaiah 43:19: “Behold, I will do a new thing… I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” It speaks to anyone facing a situation that seems to have no solution.

Don Moen

Moen, an American worship leader and songwriter, became one of the best-known figures in the praise and worship movement through his work with Hosanna! Music and Integrity Music, which produced worship albums sold around the world. His songs, including “Give Thanks”, “I Just Want to Be Where You Are” and “Thank You Lord”, became church standards.

His music reached congregations far beyond the United States. Cassettes and CDs of his worship albums were sold across Africa and Asia, and his songs were translated into many languages.

Moen in Africa

Moen has a large following in Africa, and his songs are sung in churches across Ghana and Nigeria. He has performed at worship events on the continent over the years. For many African Christians of a certain generation, his albums were part of the soundtrack of church life in the 1990s and 2000s.

Why the song lasts

“God Will Make a Way” is sung at funerals, hospital bedsides, prayer meetings and times of national crisis. Its message does not deny the difficulty; it acknowledges that there “seems to be no way”. What it offers is trust that God can act where people cannot.

A reflection

Moen wrote the song for grieving relatives, not for an album. Some of the most useful worship songs are written for a specific person in a specific need. If you are facing a closed door, read Isaiah 43:16 to 21 this week, where God reminds his people that he once made a path through the sea.

The song began as a private gift to one family. It has since been sung by millions of families facing their own wilderness.