Everything seems right - God has planted a vineyard and tended it, but then bad, stinky fruit emerges. What has happened? How can we make things right? Chad gives another encouraging lesson and meditation on this passage, helping us to trust fully in the work of God. Even if we are plowed up and torn apart for a season, perhaps He is accomplishing the good that He wants for us, the good we cannot do for ourselves. Bryan Duncan and guitarist Kid Ramos team up on this song that speaks of God cultivating beauty from the wasteland. 

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Lyrics for Beauty from the Wasteland

My life is a wasteland

Trampled and broken down

Briars and thorns are everywhere

In this dry and thirsty ground

I give to You my land

Plant your vines in my soil

Spirit do Your work in me

Lord Jesus, make me whole

Chorus

You bring life from death

And beauty for ashes

Forgiveness for my sins

All that I bring to You is dust and sand

But You   cultivate the beauty

Beauty from the wasteland

Don’t let me be satisfied

With wild grapes in this  land 

Don’t let me choke from the weeds 

Won’t You prune me by your hand

Pour down the rain of your Spirit

Stream  the sunlight of Your Word

Cause me to root and blossom 

Let my soul be undisturbed 

Chorus

You bring life from death

And beauty for ashes

Forgiveness for my sins

All that I bring to You is dust and sand

But You cultivate the beauty

Beauty from the wasteland

I will sing for the one I love

For the one I love is You

In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;     let me never be put to shame! In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;     incline your ear to me, and save me! Be to me a rock of refuge,     to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me,     for you are my rock and my fortress.

Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,     from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man. For you, O Lord, are my hope,     my trust, O Lord, from my youth. Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;     you are he who took me from my mother's womb. My praise is continually of you.

I have been as a portent to many,     but you are my strong refuge. My mouth is filled with your praise,     and with your glory all the day. Do not cast me off in the time of old age;     forsake me not when my strength is spent. For my enemies speak concerning me;     those who watch for my life consult together and say, “God has forsaken him;     pursue and seize him,     for there is none to deliver him.”

O God, be not far from me;     O my God, make haste to help me! May my accusers be put to shame and consumed;     with scorn and disgrace may they be covered     who seek my hurt. But I will hope continually     and will praise you yet more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,     of your deeds of salvation all the day,     for their number is past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come;     I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.

O God, from my youth you have taught me,     and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs,     O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation,     your power to all those to come. Your righteousness, O God,     reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things,     O God, who is like you? You who have made me see many troubles and calamities     will revive me again; from the depths of the earth     you will bring me up again. You will increase my greatness     and comfort me again.

I will also praise you with the harp     for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre,     O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy,     when I sing praises to you;     my soul also, which you have redeemed. And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long, for they have been put to shame and disappointed     who sought to do me hurt.

Do you see the Lord Jesus Christ in this Psalm? Plain as day. Readers of "the Christ Key" by Chad Bird can spot this writing all over the Old Testament. We give thanks this holy weekend, that we have a Deliverer, and Advocate and King in Jesus Christ. To Him be glory forever and ever.

Show Notes:

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More from the hosts:

• Chad Bird

A realistic and encouraging episode. If we seek peace alone, we will never find it, because only Christ is the Prince of Peace. Chad explains, consoles and encourages yet again in this often overlooked book of scripture. This is our final episode on Song of Songs and the songs of Isaiah is coming  next. The beautiful and talented Cathy Schreiner sings "Shalom".  Please tell your friends about Hidden Streams. 

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• Ditching the Checklist by Mark Mattes

• Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation, Book 1 of 2 by Amy Mantravadi

More from the hosts:

• Chad Bird

Lyrics to Shalom:

Shalom, shalom

Come in through my door

My heart is Your home

My Savior, my Lord

Shalom, shalom

I’m held in Your care

Peace in my soul

The covering I wear

My thirst is quenched

My hunger is sated

By the Savior who loves me

And patiently waited

In the time of trouble

In my time of grief

 To flow down like water

A flood of relief

Down through my vineyards

Into my garden with kindness and love

Shalom, shalom

Come in through my door

My heart is Your home

My Savior, my Lord

Shalom, shalom

I’m held in Your care

Peace in my soul

The covering I wear

When darkness surrounds 

And all understanding 

is dimmed by fear

Storm clouds arise

Yet I see in Your eyes

That all is well, here

You are the peace

When You change all my plans

You are the peace

Who steadies my hands

Sending peace through my vineyards 

Into my garden with kindness and love

It's inevitable, that feeling like God has turned His face away from us. Chad brings truth and comfort to us as he meditates on this beautiful Psalm, and Ryan Delmore sings "God Has Forsaken Me".

Show Notes:

• Support 1517 Podcast Network

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What’s New from 1517:

• Celebrate 2,000 Episodes of Christian History Almanac!

• 2025 North West Arkansas Regional Conference: Psalms of David (4/25-4/26)

• The Impossible Prize: A Theology of Addiction by Donavan Riley

• Ditching the Checklist by Mark Mattes

• Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation, Book 1 of 2 by Amy Mantravadi

More from the hosts:

• Chad Bird

As we move towards the end of the Song of Songs, once again we are confronted with the depths and riches of God's perfect love for us. Uncomforatable and overwhelming, yet it is true; that God made us, delights in us and wants us to be forever with Him. Chad beautifully unpacks this reading and Izzi Ray sings a stirring rendition of "Jealous Love". 

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What’s New from 1517:

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• The Impossible Prize: A Theology of Addiction by Donavan Riley

• Ditching the Checklist by Mark Mattes

• Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation, Book 1 of 2 by Amy Mantravadi

Lyrics to Jealous Love


Put me like a seal over your heart For you know this love is true


Put me like a seal on your arm


I’ve got jealous love for you

Now I will arise and go about the city Through the streets and in the square I will search for the one my soul loves So I looked for him but did not find him there

I was born for you I lived for you I died for you, and rose again for you I will return for you, my love 

Put me like a seal over your heart


You are like a lily among the thorns Put me like a seal on your arm How beautiful you are in all your charms


O my dove in the clefts of the rock In the secret place of the steep pathway


Show me your face let me hear your voice For your voice is sweet and your face lovely

I came down for you I died for you I rose again, and intercede for you I will return for you, my love 
Put me like a seal over your heart


Who is this that grows like the dawn


Put me like a seal on your arm


Beauty of the moon pure as the sun


Put me like a seal over your heart For you know this love is true Put me like a seal on your arm


I’ve got jealous love for you

"Better than I deserve" is a statement rich with meaning for those of us who have heard the good news and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. This week's podcast finds us in chapter 6 of Song of Songs, caught up in a romantic dream come true. The analogy is pretty obvious; we are so loved by God, and God considers us His "body" on earth. Every part of the body has worth and Chad beautifully unpacks this encouraging passage. Izzi Ray sings "How Beautiful You Are".

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• Chad Bird

That we are the "bride of Christ", this thought can get us confused and uneasy, as in "why would He want to have anything to do with me?" Chad once again meditates on these encouraging scriptures. When we are in trouble, we cling to God's love. As this episode is being uploaded, our beloved Lutheran brother Kris Lewis lies in a coma in California after suffering a severe stroke. If our faith left out the glorious love of the Bridegrrom, the lover of our soul, we would give in to despair. But no, we are loved now and  into eternity, and loved so deeply that God would call us His bride. We cannot lose, when are hope is in Christ. The talented Marvelle Figueroa sings "My Perfect One".

Show Notes:

• Support 1517 Podcast Network

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What’s New from 1517:

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• Ditching the Checklist by Mark Mattes

• Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation, Book 1 of 2 by Amy Mantravadi

More from the hosts:

• Chad Bird

Song of Songs (Ch 6:1-10) 

Lyrics to "My Perfect One"

“Who is this who looks down like the dawn,

Glorious  beauty, as the moon, bright as the sun,

My perfect one, in love divine Turn away your eyes, for they overwhelm me—

Your eyes are  formidable, like an army

My perfect one, and I am Your bride

Chorus:

Together, together in the garden of love

Our eyes meet together, but I want to run 

Turn away, You are too beautiful

Look away,  I am not worthy 

But You are my Savior, and I am Your bride

You ask me where my Beloved has gone, Would he hide his face away

My perfect one, in love divine

My beloved has gone down to his garden and there he will gaze into my eyes My perfect one, and I am Your bride

Chorus:

Together, together in the garden of love

Our eyes meet together in the garden of love

Turn away,  You are too beautiful

Look away,  I am not worthy 

But You are my Savior, and I am Your bride

As we enter Lent, we are so blessed to know that the scriptures give us a script to speak to God about our concerns and despair. Chad guides us through this wonderful Psalm with grace and compassion. Izzi Ray sings "Why"

Show Notes:

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What’s New from 1517:

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• Chad Bird

Glorious things await the bride of Christ. Chad meditates on the wondrous love Christ has for us, and our curious imaginations and interpretations of what Christ actually looks like. A beautiful, uplifting episode that ends with a meditation on the wedding feast of Christ and His church. Stephanie Wright sings "Radiant In Light".

Show Notes:

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What’s New from 1517:

• Pre-order: Ditching the Checklist by Mark Mattes

• Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation, Book 1 of 2 by Amy Mantravadi 

• Bible in One Year with Chad Bird

• Junk Drawer Jesus By Matt Popovits

• Take 20% Off Our Lenten Devotionals until March 5th:

• The Sinner/Saint Lenten Devotional

• Finding Christ in the Straw: A Forty-Day Devotion on the Epistle of James

More from the hosts:

• Chad Bird

Lyrics for Radiant in Light

The day will come

We will see you with our  eyes

Behold my Beloved

The day will come

We will stand in paradise

Behold my Beloved

To the risen King of love

Whose Word has led the way

For Your beauty, glorified

I have waited for this day

Your unveiled face

Chorus

Radiant in light

My beloved, my friend

Clothed in glory

In a world without end

In The New Jerusalem

Amen 

And on this mountain

We will celebrate a feast

Behold my Beloved

A table waits 

Prepared for Your bride

Behold my Beloved

To the risen King of love

Whose Word has led the way

For Your beauty, glorified

I have waited for this day

Your unveiled face

Chorus

Radiant in light

My beloved, my friend

Clothed in glory

In a world without end

In The New Jerusalem

Amen 

Chad graces us with another beautiful and instructive meditation on Song of Songs. One takeaway is that we should never hesitate to embrace the grace offered to us by our Saviour. Colin Heinrich sings one of Hidden Streams stellar songs "One Night AS I Lay Sleeping".

Show Notes:

• Support 1517 Podcast Network

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• 1517 on Youtube

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• 1517 Events Schedule

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What’s New from 1517:

• Pre-order: Ditching the Checklist by Mark Mattes

• Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation, Book 1 of 2 by Amy Mantravadi 

• Bible in One Year with Chad Bird

• Junk Drawer Jesus By Matt Popovits

• Take 20% Off Our Lenten Devotionals until March 5th:

• The Sinner/Saint Lenten Devotional

• Finding Christ in the Straw: A Forty-Day Devotion on the Epistle of James

More from the hosts:

• Chad Bird

Lyrics to "One Night As I Lay Sleeping"

One night as I was sleeping 

My heart awakened, in a dream

On my, door my love was knocking 

Saying open my beloved

Swing open wide the door to me

But I felt naked, and ashamed

So I waited…

For a better time

I waited…

For a better way

And the waiting

Was my undoing 

My great loss

In my heart

Rain will fall

In my heart

Dark clouds gather

But You hold the key to open the door

I fall in your arms, to praise and adore

My Lord and my lover

My God and my Savior

Lovers forever

Lovers forever

Amen

All the things that haunt me

All the empty spaces,  I tried to fill

only your love can redeem

By your mercy, by your grace

United  in paradise

My redemption

By your sacrifice

But  I waited…

For a better time

I waited…

For a better way

And the waiting

Was my undoing 

My great loss

Won’t you tell, tell my beloved 

I am sick with love

Tell my beloved 

That I’m sorry

Tell my beloved

My soul failed

My ways failed

And its my great loss