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"I’ll Rejoice" by David Dowdell: Finding Joy in God When Plans Fail


Can you praise God when nothing goes right?

Empty vines. Failed crops. A barn with no animals. David Dowdell opens his song, “I’ll Rejoice”, with a list of losses that is so complete that it feels as if “there is nothing left at all.” David took his inspiration from the book of Habakkuk and wrote a defiant anthem of praise for anyone whose plans have fallen apart (… we’ve all had that happen to us, one way or another…).

David Dowdell - I’ll RejoiceThe song also asks the question most of us try to avoid: “What if I never get to live the life I wanted?” Will you still trust God when all you have left is “a tired and broken heart”? Be honest with yourself. Just about everyone has a ready answer for the sunny days, but hardly an answer for the dark ones.
Habakkuk didn’t pretend. He saw disaster coming and said so. Still he wrote: “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:18, ESV)

Notice how this verse starts with the word “yet.” His joy didn’t wait for circumstances to improve. It rested on who God is, not on what God was currently handing him. That means no lost job, closed door, or shattered dream can repossess it.

So how can you apply this today? Tell God exactly what you’ve lost. Then name one thing about God that hasn’t changed, and thank Him for it. Remember that small, deliberate praise builds strength over time.
The song also lifts your eyes forward. One day you’ll “look back on the landscape of my days” and marvel at how God provided. Hold onto that picture when the present looks blurry.

Listen to “I’ll Rejoice” today. Sing along, even if your voice shakes. “I’ll take joy in the God of my salvation.”

(Related scripture: Habakkuk 3:18; Psalm 73:26; Philippians 4:4)

Background:

This song is a defiant anthem of praise even when things don’t work out the way you plan. I took inspiration from the book of Habbakuk. I hope it encourages Christians to turn back to the Lord in the midst of their struggles!

Release date: October 16, 2026

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