Peace Like A River

Josh Garrels keeps this one almost entirely to a single repeated line, letting the image of a river carry the weight: peace that moves, that keeps flowing, that settles somewhere deep rather than sitting on the surface. The structure is a simple three-part litany — peace like a river, joy like a fountain, love for the Savior — each held in the same interior place, "in my soul." The fountain image is worth noticing: unlike a river, a fountain rises and spills over, so joy here isn't passive but something springing up from within. The brief turn to "Singing Oh Lord" breaks the repetition just long enough to make the address personal, a direct word to God rather than a statement about Him. Then the song circles back to the river, closing where it began, as if the peace is the thing worth returning to. There's no narrative arc, no petition, no crisis resolved — just a settled confession repeated until it becomes a kind of breathing. That simplicity is the point: the song functions almost like a spiritual, meant to be sung more than analyzed, and its confidence rests entirely on what the singer already possesses rather than anything being asked for.