“Is. 44:21        Remember these things, O Jacob,

                        and Israel, for you are my servant;

             I formed you; you are my servant;

                        O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.

²²         I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud

                        and your sins like mist;

             return to me, for I have redeemed you.

Is. 44:23          Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it;

                        shout, O depths of the earth;

             break forth into singing, O mountains,

                        O forest, and every tree in it!

             For the LORD has redeemed Jacob,

                        and will be glorified in Israel.” (Isaiah 44:21-23, English Standard Version)

At our worship service yesterday, the praise team sang a song that always goes for my heart and tear ducts: “Redeemed”. (The song was written by Mike Weaver and Benji Cowart and performed originally by Big Daddy Weave.) Here are the lyrics:

“Redeemed”

“Seems like all I could 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
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 these heavy chains
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
Wipe away every stain, ’cause I’m not who I used to be

I am redeemed, You set me free
So I’ll shake off these heavy chains
Wipe away every stain, yeah, I’m not who I used to be
Oh, God, I’m not who I used to be
Jesus, oh I’m not who I used to be
‘Cause I am redeemed
Thank God, redeemed
Thank God, redeemed”

I do believe that God has bought me back and brought me back from the evils I had been enslaved to in the past. I am indeed not the man I used to be. And that is very good news!

However, I often feel the weight of the chains. Sometimes I think that I willingly feel their weight. Why? I don’t know, but I have some suspicions.

Suspicion # 1: I am afraid that, if I don’t hang onto some of my chains, I might get overly confident. As one of our twelve-step sayings goes, “You can always go back for some more pain.” I think that I might go back if I forget how painful “back” really is to me and to others.

Suspcion #2: I might be just wanting to get attention and sympathy. Ouch! I have to write things down sometimes to see how sick they actually sound—and also, how true they sound.

However, no matter what the reason is that I hang on to my sordid past, God calls me to walk through this day in a way that honors God, is helpful to others, and in a way that I can enjoy. That means traveling light. So, just for today, I am indeed shaking off these heavy chains ’cause I’m not who I used to be. I am redeemed!