Skip to main content

Zachary Ray - Refuge



Zachary Ray drops a new track called Refuge, a song with quite a story behind the song. Words cannot properly summarize Zachary's story, so we are sharing what Zachary shared with us about his track.

"Refuge is a song that's straight out of my journal during an incredibly difficult season. 

The song Refuge came from a cry to the all-knowing God when I was in a place of isolation - feeling surrounded by people and friends that loved us but feeling alone at the same time. 

After my wife Amanda gave birth to our stillborn daughter Chloe, there were very few words of comfort that helped. Although people were praying and offering their words of comfort it felt like a season of being abandoned by God, and the dreams of holding our little girl were stolen and shattered. Grief is a funny thing. The initial sting and pain become dull over time, but the memories and dull ache continue to come in waves. I don’t think our hearts are created for this world to overcome “grief” from tragedies or loss of loved ones; it becomes a part of our story, our life. We become a different person. The beautiful thing is that God stays the same and meets us where we are. I can honestly say God tangibly became my refuge in one of the darkest times in my life. He brought healing into my soul like no earthly person could. We may never be the way we were before, but He shapes us into a new, and often stronger, person.

I wrote the lyrics of this song with a good friend of mine, Joel Reimer. He and his wife Brandi suffered the loss of their baby boy, Harbour, when he was 4 months old. We both experienced extremely dark situations, but I know this song is not just for people with our type of journeys. It is for the person who is feeling alone, abandoned or deserted in a hopeless situation. It’s a song of hope for me. People need to know it’s ok to feel their way through their story, knowing God is with them on every page. I know other people have their own way of dealing with grief and life’s battles, but I know what worked for me. It was to find refuge in the all-knowing finding refuge in Jesus."


Thank you Zachary for sharing with us. I am confident that this song will also encourage others to find refuge in Jesus Christ.

On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/0PhOTX730xKqqqZjOUpSJD
On Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/refuge/1480744420?i=1480744422

Also on our playlists: Christian Dance Monthly - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7xui88VQPaulfg60MIcBle

Popular posts

"The Cross" by Mhammed El Alami & HKL: At the Cross, Where Mercy Meets the Weary Heart

Rooted in the story of Jesus giving Himself at Calvary for everyone, "The Cross" by Mhammed El Alami & HKL turns this familiar message into a very personal invitation. Just stop carrying what is crushing you ( "Lay it down, let it go" ), surrender it to Christ, and let Him hold you. These lyrics are not only about the cross at Calvary. It's also about your cross, your fear, your shame, and your need for His peace. "Darkness fell, I was breaking fast," and we may count on the forgiving arms of a merciful Savior who is always there, even when our lives feel cold and heavy. "At the cross // You gave it all, you felt the cold // and love took hold // and made me whole." It's at the cross where "mercy bled and grace was born" for you, personally. It's where His grace clears your way home. What does that mean for us today? It means that we do not need to walk or carry our burdens alone. We may place everything that weighs u...

"Boxes" by John Long: Breaking Free from Religious Boxes

(by Jasper Tan) John Long’s “Boxes,” written with Dustin Smith, is both a reflection and criticism of how we oftentimes allow ourselves to be limited (“boxed”) with our faith. Using the “box” as the core metaphor of the song, it represents our self-imposed (or community-imposed) limitations with religious traditions that prevents genuine a genuine relationship with God. John emphasizes that these limitations often run into conflict with the original intentions of God, to have a free flowing holy communion with God. The song is characterized by our sense of longing and our desire to re-approach our Faith with clean hands and a pure heart. From the opening lines itself, we are challenged to evaluate the current status of our faith and come to realize that it may never really what we intend it to be. Our intention from the start was born from a desire to start a deep and Holy Communion with God, and as the bridge and chorus approaches, the song has a more personal and prayerful tone. We a...

"He's My Rock" by Jamar Esaw & Triad 4 Christ: Finding Shelter in the Storm

(by Jasper Tan) “He’s My Rock” by Jamar Esaw & Triad4Christ featuring Koriann Lewis-Freeman is a powerful contemporary Gospel track that delivers a blend of traditional worship and modern soul. It reminds me of some of the songs by the band DC Talk, which was the definitive sound of modern Christian Contemporary Music when it exploded in the music scene back in the 90’s. This contemporary Gospel track brings forth an energetic sound that updates the way we sing our praise and worship sessions in our Churches. The song brings in a raw modern energy that breaks tradition while also encouraging worship sessions to be more in tune with the times, which brings a lot of youthful energy. The song is powered by Jamar Esaw’s smooth, commanding vocals and Koriann Lewis-Freeman’s additional vocal range. Bringing in an electric chemistry rooted in the authenticity of emotions as they sang the lyrics of the song. This is clearly felt during the song’s build-up to its climactic moments. With a r...