Skip to main content

"Glorious Ruins" by Olly Kiff: Rising from Ashes Through Faith


This version of "Glorious Ruins" by Olly Kiff is not only a great cover, it was inspired by a terrible event in Olly's life. On September 25, 2024, the unthinkable happened. A fire destroyed his family's home. Fortunately, the family was not injured, but the flames took literally everything else, from everyday belongings to irreplaceable memories. Their journey since then has been marked by God's protection and grace. This song, originally by Hillsong Worship, was one of their lifelines in those early days, and what followed in the nine and a half months since the fire has inspired Olly and his wife to release a special version of the song. 

Olly Kiff - Glorious RuinsThe lyrics echo their experiences, the difficult path of rebuilding everything: "When the mountains fall and the tempest roars // You are with me." Even when life crumbles, we can always rely on His presence, "Still my soul will soar on Your mercy." Olly shares, "We never asked why - we've only seen grace." They constantly saw God's protection and provision as they were recovering from this devastation. Walking through the fires of life is never easy, but the song declares what happens when God is by your side, "I'll walk through the fire with my head lifted high." 

The chorus paints a picture of renewal that God brings to our lives: "So let the ruins come to life // In the beauty of Your Name." Olly shares how this renewal has become very tangible for his family, "We're now just weeks away from returning home, having signed off on repairs and collected our keys." 

What happened to Olly's family is one of the many ways that devastation can come into our lives, but His promise to all of us is still the same: we all may rise from ashes and find refuge in His love, "In the shadow of Your wings." You never need to travel alone on this journey from loss to rebuilding, because God is there, waiting for you to let Him in. So, let God be part of your life, walk with Him, let Him lead the way, and trust His promises. Don't ask why, just look at how His grace is opening doors and leading you on paths to renewal. Even ruins can become glorious again.

(Related scripture: Isaiah 43:2; Psalm 34:18; 2 Corinthians 4:8-9)


Lyrics: https://genius.com/Hillsong-worship-glorious-ruins-lyrics

Connect with Olly Kiff

PS: Did you know that the posts we have on Christian Music Today also contain the backstories that artists have shared with us? Check it out on: https://christianmusictoday.eu/

Tags:

Popular posts

"Your Love" by Kevin Winebarger - When Mercy Becomes Your Identity

Kevin Winebarger teamed up with Joshua Frerichs and Benji Cowart to create this beautiful song. "Your Love" tackles that discouraging voice we all hear from time to time, the one that whispers that we're not enough and that we are defined by our past. "Once a liar, always a liar," and all kinds of variations along this same line of thought. This song isn't about wallowing in shame. "Your Love" is a celebration of the grace that changes everything.  The opening lines hit hard: "I could believe that I'm not enough // It's clear to see I don't measure up." Yep, we've all been there! But this isn't how God want us to be defined… He loved us first! "It's just what You've done // Because of Your love." That's the heart of everything.  Kevin places the change the God brings into perspective, "I could believe that my mistakes // Will follow me down into the grave // But I'm not who I was....
More >>

"Not Far From Us" by Divine Vibes: Stop Searching. Start Reaching.

The search can end right now. The Apostle Paul stood in Athens surrounded by altars and idols — a city full of people reaching toward something they couldn’t name. Among all their shrines, Paul spotted one inscription: “To an unknown God.” That moment became the opening of one of the most powerful declarations in Scripture. The people were already searching. They just didn’t know who they were searching for. “Not Far From Us” is a collaboration between Divine Vibes and House of Purpose. The track takes that same scene and sets it to Afro House and cinematic electronic music. Created directly from Acts 17, the lyrics move like Paul’s speech itself — from observation to revelation. “I found an altar to an unknown God // This God whom you worship without knowing // This is the one I’m telling you about.” Divine Vibes doesn’t just retell the story… he pulls you right into it. What Paul told the Athenians next also applies to each of us today: “Yet he is actually not far from each one of ...
More >>

"No One Like You Jesus" by Morgan Starner: Why Only Jesus Can Carry Your Burdens

Who really deserves your loudest praise? “No One Like You Jesus” by Morgan Starner didn’t start in a studio. It started as a voice memo, hummed late at night, half-formed and unfinished. Morgan took that fragile melody into the studio and built it up, layer by layer, until it held over 100 stacked vocals. The result sounds like a celebration. Bright, rhythmic, and impossible to sit still while listening. That’s the point of this song… Gospel-pop with a modern pulse, made to move bodies and hearts at the same time.  Listen to the bridge, and you’ll hear a question underneath the beat: “Who else gonna take my burdens? Who else gonna get me through?” Morgan answers the question without hesitation. “No one else but You.”   Scripture asks the same question, thousands of years earlier. Here is how Moses responded after crossing the Red Sea: “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11, ESV...
More >>