Nothing is Hidden

Steve Dagley shares the inspiration behind his song “Nothing is Hidden” based on Psalm 139.

Songs from the heart

Over the years, I’ve had a few opportunities to write songs for our church services, and the process turned out to be one of the best ways for me to study scripture. It required me to dwell on a passage and think hard about what it meant for me personally in order to write a song that was heartfelt.

“Nothing Is Hidden” is a personal reflection on Psalm 139. The psalm is full of beautiful imagery describing the epic and intimate extent of God’s presence in our lives:

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

The message is clear: nothing is hidden from God.

Scared to be seen

The concept of nothing being hidden from God resonated with me because initially it’s very disconcerting. More than ever, I think we’re scared to be fully seen. We curate our lives through social media and go to great lengths to present our best selves to others. I had to ask myself: Is there a part of my heart I don’t want God to know about?

But the psalm goes on to illustrate just how much we matter to God:

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

God’s deep knowledge of us is rooted in love and care, and he has a plan laid out for each of us.

A deeper desire

Ultimately, the song is about vulnerability: our need to be fully seen to fully rest in God’s love. Beneath our fear of exposure is a deeper desire to be fully known and accepted, and we can only experience that freedom by laying down our cards. We can’t hide anything from God, but we aren’t revealed in order to be judged—we’re seen in order to be redeemed.

Steve Dagley - November 14, 2018

Nothing is Hidden

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Lyrics

My mind is a labyrinth of hidden motives
And my heart has built up many walls
But you, you see through all things
All your work sings it back to you

They call out nothing is hidden, all is forgiven
Your love breaks down the walls that confine us

This earth is a mirror shining back your glory
And I long to wipe the dust away
But you, you see through all things
You send your love to fill our hearts till you return

We call out nothing is hidden, all is forgiven
Your love breaks down the walls that confine us

I’ve been waiting all my life to step into the light
And not be scared of what it shows
Your love illuminates my heart, it lays down all my cards
And wipes away the guilt and shame
And I’ve been waiting all my life to finally see a light
Brighter than the things I hide
Your love makes us free

We call out nothing is hidden, all is forgiven
Your love breaks down the walls that confine us