There is a sound that comes from gospel music that doesn't come

The radiant voice of Yolanda Adams, a queen of gospel and a bearer of light, gives us this immortal truth: “There is a sound that comes from gospel music that doesn’t come from anything else. It is a sound of peace. It is a sound of, ‘I’m going to make it through all of this.’” Her words are more than description; they are testimony. For within them lies the recognition that gospel music is not mere art, not entertainment, but a force of the spirit that brings comfort in suffering, strength in weakness, and endurance in despair.

To speak of this unique sound is to touch the mystery of faith itself. Gospel music was born in the crucible of struggle, rising from the sorrow of enslaved peoples who cried out for deliverance. They took the anguish of their chains and transformed it into song, a song that declared, even in the darkest hour: “I will endure, I will overcome, I will rise.” That sound cannot be imitated by any other form of music, because it is a sound soaked in tears and yet glowing with hope. It is both lament and triumph, sorrow and resurrection.

Adams calls it a sound of peace, and rightly so. For when gospel is sung, the heart finds rest even in the storm. It is the peace that surpasses understanding, the calm that comes not from the absence of trouble but from the certainty of survival. It tells the weary soul that no matter how fierce the battle, there is a hand that carries, a light that guides, a promise that sustains. The peace of gospel is not fragile—it is iron wrapped in song, unbreakable, immovable.

She also calls it the sound of “I’m going to make it through all of this.” This is the battle cry of the broken who refuse to surrender. It is the anthem of mothers who endure poverty, of fathers who press on despite burdens, of communities who rise again after injustice. When gospel swells, it does not deny pain—it transforms pain into power. It does not erase struggle—it proclaims that struggle shall not have the final word. It is the music of endurance, of faith shouting louder than fear.

History gives us countless examples. In the dark days of the Civil Rights Movement, when marchers faced clubs, dogs, and prisons, they sang songs of gospel and freedom. “We Shall Overcome” was not just a melody—it was a shield, a declaration that though bodies could be beaten, the spirit would not bow. Leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. drew strength from these songs, for they were gospel at its core: the sound of a people proclaiming, “We will make it through.” Here we see Adams’ words embodied in living history—the power of gospel music to grant courage in the face of despair.

The lesson for us is clear: in our own lives, we too need a song of endurance. We must find, create, or return to the sound that gives us peace when the storms rage. For each of us will face trials, sorrows, and nights that seem endless. Yet if we let the spirit of gospel—whether in music, in prayer, or in words of faith—enter our hearts, we will find the strength to endure. The secret is not to silence pain, but to let hope sing louder than despair.

Practically, this means: when your spirit feels heavy, lift your voice, even if only in a whisper. Seek out music that lifts you from fear into courage, from sorrow into peace. Sing not only when you are joyful, but especially when you are burdened—for in singing, you declare survival. Share these songs with others, for your voice may be the beacon that leads another soul through darkness.

And so let Yolanda Adams’ wisdom echo in us: gospel music is the sound of peace, the sound of survival, the sound of unbreakable faith. Let that sound be in your heart when fear rises. Let it be on your lips when despair surrounds you. And let it remind you always that you, too, can say with power: “I will make it through all of this.”