Meredith Andrews ‘Deeper’

Written by: Laura Chambers (1/22/2016)

To plumb the depths of a broken, wounded soul for artistic inspiration seems unthinkable on the surface; poking a tender injury over and over to satisfy one’s muse. Yet how many works of art have sprung from pain, longing, loss, despair? Deeper is no exception. Meredith crafts from her vulnerability and frustrations (as good art always is) a work of clarity and substance that encourages us to respond to heartache by deepening our relationship with God all the more.

“Sunrise” joyously tells of the rebirth we can experience when we stop looking at everything else around us and focus on Jesus. Even though we may experience moments of profound darkness, knowing that God was with us all along and is greater than any of it is the light that brings hope to our hearts. Whenever we make the decision to trust God, there’s nothing but dawn ahead.  “Deeper” speaks with the voice of experience as Meredith assures us that trouble serves us best when we use it as a motivation to seek God more and more. We must resolve to have this mindset; it goes against everything we can see with our eyes.  “I Look To The King” tells the story of a warrior who is at first afraid, then bold, as her eyes are drawn upwards to the only One who can come to her aid.  This song reminds us that He has won the war that we are still fighting; we need only turn to Him for strength and courage to last.  “Spirit Of The Living God” is addressed to God, with a plea for a deeper understanding of His ways and Word. When He moves in our lives, our perceptions and our motivations are changed. Suddenly, fear and sadness is replaced by wonder, and we find ourselves longing for nothing less. “Soar” takes its inspiration from the familiar passage in Isaiah 40 about rising up on eagle’s wings. The bridge provides the final punch in the face to every obstacle, affirming that God overpowers everything we come up against.

“Creator Keeper Life-breather
Your name is greater than anything I face
Sustainer Savior Stronghold breaker
Your name is greater than anything I face”

“Extravagant” expresses our inability to measure God’s love. He always comes through for us, supplying the rescue of a savior, the touch of a healer, the love of a father.  Meredith’s joy and wonder are evident in this uplifting song. “Glory” delineates the typical daily trials of the Christian life; burdens, unanswered prayers, struggles with sin, lack of focus on what really matters. Leave it at that, and it sounds like a list of complaints. It’s the chorus that changes it into a statement of faith that God will defeat all these problems, that His glory is greater than our pain. The next verses continue to cement her belief that God has an answer to every problem. In “Trusted”, faith takes central stage. God sees and knows the troubles we’re experiencing. He is never far from us and always ready to comfort our hearts with peace. Trusting Him doesn’t depend on our circumstances; it transcends them.  “Impossible” uses examples of God’s saving miracles, such as parting the Red Sea and rising from the grave to illustrate that He couldn’t possibly fail us. He is all sufficient; all we have to do is call upon Him. In “Hands That Are Holding Me”, it’s the most natural thing in the world to reach for the One who’s already looking after us. The bold “I will” statements all throughout the song demonstrate Meredith’s confidence and resolve to believe something better is coming.

“Take Me Back” deftly turns this phrase into a poignant look at the past and future. From salvation, to revelation, to resurrection, hope overflows from this song. “Lamb Of God” celebrates Christ’s crucifixion in our place, using the familiar comparison to a lamb. Instead of us suffering and dying for our sins, He did. It can’t be overstated what a huge deal that is. Our sentence. His sacrifice.  A cover of “Christ Is Enough” continues the theme of Christ’s sufficiency in every situation. We can find everything we require by looking to Him. Once we decide to do so, there’s no retuning to the way it once was. “Jesus Sees” caps off the album by reminding us that Jesus knows when we’re hurting and is always with us in those times. We can never drift so far away that He cannot reach us.

The overarching theme of Deeper is faithfulness; throughout, we see pictures of God’s unwavering love and devotion to us, the kind we long to echo back. The further we explore God’s loyalty, the more we realize there is no limit. He will continue to prove, over and over and over again, how much He cares for us. Meredith Andrews takes us by the hand and invites us to delve Deeper into the mystery of grace with her, that we might be able to proclaim as she does using examples from our own testimonies.