Lyrics
Verse 1
Did you ever have an empty feeling
Many miles away from home
Everybody's tryin' to treat you friendly
Yet you're alone
Verse 2
It's taken some time for me to uncover
The purpose He has in my life
Don't know where it will take me
But I know where I've been
And I know it feels so right
Chorus
I got peace like a river
Flowin' deep in my life
I got peace like a river
And you know it feels so right
Outro
I got peace
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
This Southern gospel song begins with loneliness. The opening question asks about an "empty feeling" far from home, where people are friendly yet the listener remains alone. The song then turns to what the singer has found.
The second verse describes slowly discovering "the purpose He has in my life." The singer admits not knowing where the road leads, but being sure about where it has already been, and that certainty brings a sense that it "feels so right."
The chorus rests on the image of "peace like a river" flowing through life. The picture comes from the old hymn "It Is Well" and from Isaiah 48:18, where peace is compared to a river, and from Jesus' words in John 14:27 about a peace the world cannot give. The short closing line, "I got peace," keeps the message simple and easy to carry away.
Related Scripture
- Isaiah 48:18 Peace is compared to a river, the image the chorus is built on.
- John 14:27 Jesus leaves His peace with His followers, a peace unlike what the world gives.