The next song for my Blog was written by Benji Cowart, Michael Weaver, and Michael David Weaver and first released in 2012. A link to Big Daddy Weave performing the song is at the bottom of this Blog entry.
Redeemed
Seems like all I can see was the struggle
Haunted by ghosts that lived in my past
Bound up in shackles of all my failures
Wondering how long is this gonna last
Then You look at this prisoner and say to me “son
Stop fighting a fight that’s already been won”
I am redeemed, You set me free
So I’ll shake off these heavy chains
And wipe away every stain now I’m not who I used to be
I am redeemed
I’m redeemed
All my life I have been called unworthy
Named by the voice of my shame and regret
But when I hear You whisper, “Child lift up your head”
I remember oh God, You’re not done with me yet
I am redeemed, You set me free
So I’ll shake off theses heavy chains
And wipe away every stain now I’m not who I used to be
Because I don’t have to be the old man inside of me
‘Cause his day is long dead and gone
Because I’ve got a new name, a new life I’m not the same
And a hope that will carry me home
I am redeemed, You set me free
So I’ll shake off these heavy chains
And wipe away every stain now I’m not who I used to be
I am redeemed, You set me free
So I’ll shake off these heavy chains
And wipe away every stain now I’m not who I used to be
Oh God I’m not who I used to be
Jesus I’m not who I used to be
‘Cause I am redeemed
Thank God, redeemed
I will begin the first entry in this Blog by analyzing the first four lines of the song.
Seems like all I can see was the struggle
Haunted by ghosts that lived in my past
Bound up in shackles of all my failures
Wondering how long is this gonna last
Whenever we read/see/hear the news today, it is all about the negative things going on throughout the world. It is about death, illness, destruction, family issues, disease, and on and on. It is almost to the point that there is very little time for the news to dedicate to anything good.
With all of this going on, it is not wonder that we start thinking about our lives and the struggles we have. It is easy to focus on what could have been, mistakes we made, things we should have done, relationships or family situations that went wrong; you can almost feel as if your life is as negative as the news. We put ourselves in a pit and struggle everyday to get out of that ever-deepening hole. It is these ghosts of the past that seemingly appear whenever we are alone or in the darkness of the night; these unwanted spirits torment us whenever we are vulnerable.
Every time we try to move forward, it is as if we have a shackle and chain attached to us and holding us back. Perhaps we came out of a failed marriage or relationship and we are scared to open ourselves to being hurt again. Our emotions are raw, the hurt is deep, and we question whether or not we will ever love again. We are sometimes so cautious that it is difficult for us to engage in a new relationship because we don’t want to feel that pain and emptiness again. The fears of being hurt are a shackle that holds us back.
Maybe we had a friend or friends that let us down. The friend was someone we trusted and someone to whom we had poured out our soul and deepest secrets. It is a friend who we trusted with our life. This was a person who was always there for us when we needed them, but one day that friend betrayed us. We may never understand why that betrayal happened, but we feel like an outcast and find it difficult to become strong friends with anyone ever again. This fear of fully trusting someone else is another shackle that we might carry.
Many of us might have a child who did not turn out the we way we wanted and expected. The relationship between parent and child is strained as the parent perhaps watches that child make one bad decision after another. The mom and/or dad feel the pain of their child and just pray for the day that child gets back on the right path for their life. Maybe the relationship between family members is not what it should be, but the love and pain are there nevertheless. This feeling of hopelessness may be yet another shackle we have added to our lives.
There are many other shackles and chains which might be attached to us that are maybe related to jobs, poor experiences at churches, feeling as if we are different in some way, or maybe just generally feeling like a failure in whatever we do.
The shackles we carry weigh us down and impact our lives every day. I don’t know that one shackle is bigger or heavier than another and I don’t know if the quantity of shackles makes a difference. What I do believe is that having only one of these attached to us is probably all it takes to drag us into the pit of darkness, failure, and even depression.
We ask ourselves, how long is this going to last? Am I ever going to escape this feeling and have the seemingly happy life that others seem to have? Is there anyone I can trust again? Is there anyone out there for me?
The good news is that we have hope and I will discuss this hope in the second blog entry for this song.
Click Here to Watch Redeemed Sung by Big Daddy Weave