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"Where The Walls Once Stood" by Tyler Ratcliffe: When God Demolishes the Impossible


(by Jasper Tan) Tyler Ratcliffe's new song "Where the Walls Once Stood" is a delightful CCM track that reminisces about the standard sound of country rock music. The strength of the song lies in Tyler's heartfelt lyrics, which turn despair into finding hope in what God has promised. As Tyler shared, he wrote the song when he was in the midst of dealing with the tension between what seemed impossible and what God had promised him. He took inspiration for writing this song from the story of Jericho, which had always struck a chord in him. 

Tyler Ratcliffe - Where The Walls Once StoodAs we may recall, the walls of Jericho tell the story of how the Israelites conquered the heavily fortified city of Jericho. Under the leadership of Joshua, the Israelites obeyed divine instructions to march around the fortified walls of Jericho for seven days, which culminated in the collapse of the walls after days of noise barrage by blowing their trumpets and shouting at the top of their voice. It seemed like a futile effort to penetrate an entire city sealed shut behind massive walls, which bore no visible weaknesses. Though it felt like it was an unwinnable battle by the standards of human strength and capabilities, God only asked the Israelites to be obedient. No weapon was needed; having faith in God was enough to be victorious in capturing the city. 

Just like with our life's journey, the walls that separate us from God's Kingdom are built on the backs of hopelessness and despair. Sometimes we let our fear, our shame, our disappointment, take over our belief in what God has promised. And no matter what we do, by our own accord, we will always feel empty and hopeless. We should never forget that by putting our complete trust and faith in God, He makes what seems impossible to become possible. This song reminds us of that. It is about standing amidst the rubble of hopelessness where we were once captives and looking forward with full confidence and realization that we are set free from it because of God's faithfulness. Because when God moves, He does not just crack the walls. He brings them all the way down.

(Related scripture: Joshua 6:20; John 8:36; Isaiah 43:18-19; Hebrews 11:30; Luke 1:37)

Connect with Tyler Ratcliffe

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PS: Did you know that the posts we have on Christian Music Today also contain the backstories that artists have shared with us? Check it out on: https://medium.com/christian-music-today/

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