by David Dodd

She released her first record at 14, proclaiming the Glory to God on every single song, and four years later with her third release, Waking Up, Ohio native Bethany Dillon’s love, devotion and awe for our Mighty Maker has strengthened tremendously.

In a recent journal item, she wrote how the Israelites were fickle, unthankful, ignorant, stubborn and hard-hearted people.

“Just like me,” she said in our recent conversation. 

Truth is, Bethany Dillon is one of the most humble women is all of Christian music.  She recognizes her flaws and recognizes her imperfections are absolutely embraced by Christ.

We sat down with Bethany on the eve on her hitting the road with Steven Curtis Chapman and Sanctus Real on the Live in This Moment Tour.   

You really love the book of  Deuteronomy.  

Absolutely!  I wish I could have met Moses!   

For me reading the any of the old Testament is such a very cognizant feeling you know, I’m tremble a lot knowing that these are the people God choose to be a part of their life.

A lot of the Israelites story is of rebellion, and it’s so much like me.  It’s also some of the most encouraging words to read because God just let them return and return and return to Him and His heart was so soft to them.  He was so much more faithful than they could ever be.  I love that reminder. 

And they witness all of these first-hand miracles like the parting of the Red Sea, when they’re rescued and all of their enemies are killed but  a few days later, they just don’t get it do they? 

Yea.  Again it sounds so much like me.  I haven’t seen that miracle for sure, but I’m sitting on my front porch right now and after hearing you say that, it’s just like wow, yeah, I have witnessed so many supernatural things in my life but even if I hadn’t, by reading The Bible, I know some of the character of God, and that should just completely and radically change my life. 

What a great opportunity it must be to prepare for being on the road with Steven Curtis Chapman. 

I’m excited to be on the road with people who have such amazing reputations.  It’s always good to align yourself in ministry with some people that they are the same off stage as they are on stage.

Is it going to be just you and the guitar? 

It will for a couple of songs.  I’m actually going to be borrowing a couple of the Sanctus guys and a guy from Steven’s band, just because they offered, it’ll be kind of a mixture of band an acoustic. 

What a great opportunity.  Maybe you could call yourself  Bethany Real, or maybe Sanctus Dillon, sounds like an old Bob Dylan gospel record. 

Too funny, but yeah, I’m really fortunate.  They called me and offered to help in anyway they could.  What a blessing. 

You write at times from a perspective of  weakness and of  not understanding, and those are very difficult moments but I believe we need to embrace those moments because we serve a very Sovereign God.  And that has a lot to do with Kingdom, the first single from your record.  God was really moving in a number of lives when He gave you that song. 

The song came after spending some time with my cousin Matt and his wife Marcie.  They had only been married 5 or 6 years, and she’d been pregnant three times.  She carried two of the pregnancies the full nine months and their lungs weren’t fully developed.  The hospital kept both babies alive for a day or two and then they passed away.  It was just a very sorrowful time for them and it still is. 

That alone is very sobering, but the thing that felt like a kick in the stomach was just the fact that right after that happened, they would be together and they would just reach out and say the name Jesus.  There would be a lot of tears, and then quiet, and then they would reach out for Jesus.

I went home that night and thought, how in the world does that exist for people who have been hurt so much?  How could they have that immense  love for Jesus and realize that when they were in that place - that very empty, disappointed, injured place - that it just exposes the need for Jesus, and that He is very able to fill that need.  When that is exposed, something really eternal happens. 

I went home that night with that thought in my heart and woke up the next morning and wrote the song.