And the Lord Will Redeem All Our Years

This is a song I wrote years ago (back in the 80s) based on Psalm 126. It was part of a project I did on Psalms 120-134 (aka, Ascent Psalms). I call them the “Pilgrim Psalms.” This song came to mind again as I was praying through Psalms 126-130 the other day (my practice is to pray through the book of Psalms each month — which means five psalms every day).

As time has relentlessly added to my years, I am perhaps too aware that in many ways they have not been what I wanted them to be — yet in many other ways they have been more wonderful than I could have imagined (my wife, my children and my wonderful little granddaughter come to mind here). God has done great things for me, and I am glad. And I live in the joyful expectation that there are greater things yet to come, and that the Lord will redeem all of my years.

Redeem All Our Years

When the Lord brought us back to our homeland

We were like people who dream

We had begun to believe that

It was something we never would see

And our hearts were all filled up with laughter

And our laughter was filled up with joy

And the joy inside us was singing

Of the things that were done by the Lord

Things that were done by the Lord

As the rain swells the streams of the desert

And the water brings life to the land

May the Lord look upon us from heaven

To bring life to His people again

For we’ve sown many seeds in our sorrow

And we’ve sown many seeds in our tears

But we wait for the joy of the harvest

When the Lord will redeem all our years

And the Lord will redeem all our years