Skip to main content

"Mercy" by Avery Stafford: Finding Freedom in God’s Compassion


Avery Stafford's "Mercy" is a relatable song that has been released on Juneteenth, 2025, a time when the world could use a lot more grace. It's a beautiful Christian-pop crossover with a unique two-meter rhythm. The song delivers a powerful message at a time when our world desperately needs individuals filled with mercy and grace. It looks at struggles that most are very familiar with, like self-doubt, guilt, and our longing for unconditional love. Avery asks, "Would You love me if You knew me like I know me?" We already know God's answer: He loves each and every one of us! "That's mercy!" 

Avery Stafford - MercyWe are awed by God's compassion: "Offered kindness in my blindness at my weakest." We cannot earn His grace, and even when we fail, His grace still applies. He already paid the price for us, "The cruel, awful payment so I'd be free" and the cost of redemption was huge! Whatever is weighing us down or holding us away, we may know, "The walls came crashing down in defeat // To Your mercy!", so we may celebrate that He has freed us from guilt. 

His mercy is an example that we may follow and be reflected through us, because the world desperately needs people filled with mercy and grace who act accordingly. This need is reflected in our daily interactions and highlighted by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde's public call for mercy. 

When asked how "Mercy" differs from others in his catalog, Avery shared a thought-provoking response: "This one is more than personal. It's deeply human. Rarely does anyone escape the self-doubt that comes with the daily human experience. We seek love, but often find it comes with strings and conditions. So, I poured my own self-loathing and doubt into a praise and worship song that wonders if God would love me if He knew me as I know myself. The message of our shared humanity and our collective need for God's mercy make this song unique." 

Avery sings, "With Your mercy before me and behind me // Nothing will hold me, keep me - from praising Your name!" This song inspires gratitude and adoration and encourages you to connect with God. May this song guide you to find hope and healing in Him, and encourage you to mirror His mercy and grace to the world around you.

(Related scripture: Lamentations 3:22-23; Ephesians 2:4-5; Psalm 103:8-12)

Connect with Avery Stafford

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

'Lonely Dirt Road' by Dax: A Journey to Solitude and God

Dax's 'Lonely Dirt Road' is a conversation that Dax has with himself and God. Dax shares his journey of turning mental health walks into healing solitary drives. As you listen, you can almost feel the cruise, where it's just you, your thoughts, and God.  The chorus is so relatable: 'When I need space, that's where I go, a place to escape that nobody knows.' What do you do when life's pressures stack high? Do you also have a space where you can let go? That lonely dirt road that Dax sings about symbolizes solitude, but it is also an incredible opportunity for connecting with God.  Dax's honesty is raw and relatable. 'I didn't want my family to see me cry… dealing with the pressure of trying to provide.' There are times when we all put on a smile to hide how challenging situations may be. Like his father, Dax says that he finds peace on this lonely road, where challenges become opportunities to grow. This shows the core of our faith: that...
More >>

"Lead Me To The Cross" by Tiffany Ford: Surrendering All at the Cross

Tiffany Ford's rendition of "Lead Me To The Cross" is a tribute to the original song that was released approximately 10 years ago, around the same time that Tiffany started attending church with her family. The song beautifully reflects her own journey of learning about Jesus, especially His style of teaching … not by telling people what they needed to do, but by loving, healing, serving, and through His sacrifice.  One of Tiffany's favorite lines is "Rid me of myself," a contrast to the worldly focus of more is more, and shifting focus to faith, where we have all that we need, and embrace true freedom in Him. Tiffany emphasizes the message she found behind this line: "Lay your worries, your hang ups, lay everything down at the cross and follow me. Jesus died a death he didn't deserve so that we could live freely and this song serves as a good reminder for me."   It all comes together in the lines: "Savior I come // Quiet my soul, remembe...
More >>

'Fighting With My Demons' by Joe Nester: Encapsulating the Resilient Battle of Faith

Fighting With My Demons' by Joe Nester is a powerful Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) song that confronts a universal and challenging issue — the battle with inner demons. Nestled within the soothing melody and catchy rhythm are impactful lyrics conveying despair, struggle, and ultimate redemption. As the song begins, 'All my life, I’ve been battling with my demons,' listeners are instantly embraced with understanding, compassion, and know they are not alone in their struggles. The profound lyrics echo the pain of life's battles and the weariness they create, yet they’re also filled with hope. We are reminded that even while we are lost and conflicted, God's presence becomes our refuge. As we heed the voice of Nester, immersed in sincerity and conviction, the lyrics resonate, 'So fill me with your fire. Until I feel it burning bright and all the darkness turns to light.' It is a plaintive cry for God's sanctifying fire — His divine intervention to ov...
More >>