‘God’s given me … a heart to feel’: Singer Micah Tyler on overcoming obstacles and clinging to the Lord
Most people would probably admit they’d like to have a closer relationship with God. Despite our best intentions, it’s sometimes too easy to drift away from faith. Life can seem more exciting when making one’s own decisions, without any direct input or guidance from God.
The problem? That never seems to end well. Disappointment abounds, stress, anxiety and even depression set in, and we’re eventually left desperate for the comforting and guiding hand of God in our lives.
It’s all part of the journey each and every one of us is on. The road from where we are to where God wants us to be is filled with many challenges and oft-times daunting obstacles.
Popular singer-songwriter Micah Tyler has spent a great deal of his adult life writing songs that address these very challenges. Through his lyrics and words, Tyler’s desire is to encourage believers to experience the mercy and mission of a closer connection with God, and to pursue a deeper relationship with Jesus, regardless of what one might be going through.
Listen now to Micah Tyler talk about 'Walking Free' on the Crossmap Podcast
“God’s given me a point of view, a heart to feel, and feet to go and travel to where I need to be,” says Tyler, who has penned several praise and worship staples, including “Never Been a Moment” and “Different.” “I just want to make sure that I am writing from the perspective that He’s given to me. I can’t write from your perspective, I can’t write from someone else’s, but I can write from a human perspective.”
Listen to Tyler’s story:
In his debut devotional book, Walking Free: Taking Small Steps to a Big God, which was inspired by his popular worship song of the same name, Tyler encourages readers to take small steps away from the things of this world and all the empty promises it offers and walk toward the good things of God and the knowledge of knowing Jesus more deeply.
“This is a Jesus help book,” explains Tyler, who is touring this spring with MercyMe. “This is not a me having everything figured out, me being on the other side of the finish line and looking back at everyone, saying ‘OK, I figured it all out. Here’s exactly how we do it.’” It’s me saying, ‘Hey, if I’m going to be in the trenches and you’re going to be in the trenches, why don’t we walk together? Why don’t we take these steps measured together and do it in a realistic, practical way?’”
Tyler joins us on the Crossmap Podcast to talk about how the process of writing a book isn’t all that different from writing a song. He says that, like most songs, devotional books are born out of intense experiences or personal pain.