Just today, I was preparing dinner for the bible study group to attend as they come to my house often (once every 2-3 weeks) to learn more about Jesus. While I was cooking dinner, with Pandora from my phone blasting at full volume, one of the songs really spoke to me, which was Jeremy Camp’s “Take You Back”- this was a song that demanded attention, not the half hearted listening while I was cooking. So I listened to the song again later tonight.
One of my favourite Jeremy Camp songs ever, in which I have heard countless times since 2006, when I bought the album Restored today the track spoke to me as if it was the first time I listened to it, especially the chorus. You can view the lyrics here. Have you read them? Good. Now I will embark on a bit of analysis, linking it back the Bible, and how it changes our viewpoint of Christianity!
Powerful stuff isn’t it? Even just reading the lyrics like a poem is impacting. Wondering what verse I am linking this back to. Yep, it’s the prodigal son. In the chorus Jeremy proclaims that God will take us back always. Period. No matter how many stuff ups we make and no matter how much we think we don’t deserve forgiveness and acceptance, God will always take us back and love us because we are His beloved children and His love is infinite, endless, and wider, higher, deeper, and longer than anything we could ever fathom. Boggles the mind, right, as to how God’s love is… And that’s not all.
In the Bible (Luke 15:11-32), Jesus tells the story, the parable of a man with two sons, and let me paraphrase it. The youngest son was arrogant, wanted his father to die so that he could take the family inheritance, and outright asked, no he demanded his father for his share of the money. The oldest son was the total opposite, as he was reliable and loyal to his father, always working hard and never falling out of line and acting up, and he didn’t ask for the money, and was content. What could a loving father do but give his son what he wanted? He wasn’t the kind to keep his son there against his own will. The younger son then proceeded to leave the farm and go out into the big big world with his money to ‘live it up’ and ‘party hard’ as young people sometimes do when they discover themselves in their twenties.
But soon, the cash, the women and the friends dried up, and the youngest son found himself eating the same food as pigs in a nearby farm. But that’s not the end of the story, as then the younger son has an epiphany, a change of heart if you will, and goes home, apologises to his dad. He asks to be a servant for the remainder of the time he will be with him in his house. But the father, who ran all the way to his greet his son, accepts none of the youngest son’s wishes, and instead says to his servants and his elder son to slaughter the biggest calf as his lost son has returned home.
Thus there was a big party, and the elder son became jealous, complaining to his father that the son who screwed up was favoured over him. But the father told his son that he loves them both equally, no matter who one has or hasn’t done. They are both still his sons and that though struck me as amazing and profound. No matter what we have done we can run back to Jesus. We can fall into his arms and be forgiven for all the mess we have made or have gotten ourselves into. And that’s the gospel right there. It’s in the story of the prodigal son, and in this Jeremy Camp song.
So that’s my thought of the day. If you think you’re too far from God, think again; He is much closer than you think. Below is a video of Jeremy Camp playing the song in a live acoustic setting, so close your eyes and be ministered to by the Almighty!
Til next time!