Redeemable

I haven’t posted any music here in a long time—and so many of my music posts seem to begin this way! I keep thinking about it when I have to select the category for my writing here—‘poetry’ seems to be my go-to descriptor. Well, this week I have two new songs to share with you: one today and one this weekend.

Today’s song is called “Redeemable”. Although this is the title of the song, the word doesn’t appear anywhere in the lyrics. When I started writing the lyrics, however, I started with the idea that our time, our circumstances—and of course even ourselves—are redeemable, thanks to the hope we have in Jesus. I decided to keep the original title because it summarizes the whole song.

I mention “the valley of dry bones” and “currents of sorrow”, both references to specific passages from the Bible: Ezekiel preaching to bones in the desert and Psalm 42:7, “Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.” Both of these passages end with hope; the dry bones become living, breathing people again, and the psalmist explains, “By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me.”

Finally, 2 Timothy 2:13 comes to mind:

If we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.

You who are in the valley of dry bones,
Who have wandered in the desert wastes,
Who have looked death in the face
Hear this: God never left you,
And though you wandered far,
He met you in the desert
And brought you to where you are.
He who began good work in you
Will bring it to completion, hear me say:
He who began a good work in you
Will bring it to completion on that day
You who are lost in currents of sorrow,
Who’ve mourned for death and sin
Who may never hope again
Hear this: God never left you,
And though you drifted far,
He met you in your sorrow
And brought you to where you are.
He who began good work in you
Will bring it to completion, hear me say:
He who began a good work in you
Will bring it to completion on that day
And on that day there will be joy
And on that day there will be peace
And you will find that
God cared for the least,
Like me and you,
He moved us till that day
And brought us through
You who are in the valley of dry bones
You are lost in currents of sorrow
Doubts assail you now
As you’re asking “How? How?”
Through his love, his love
Hear this: God never left you
And though you doubted more
He met you in your trouble
And brought to Jordan’s shore
He who began a good work in you
Has brought it to completion, hear me say
He who began a good work in you
Has brought it to completion today

Photo: This isn’t the desert, it’s spring in the Midwest. We’re so close to the end of winter and everything blooming and growing again. Here’s a few more photos of our woods awaiting warmer weather: