“He’s My Rock, My Sword, My Shield” by Randy Travis is a must-listen for anyone who enjoys the singer’s traditional country sound that blended so well with heavenly gospel music. He released the song in 2003 as part of his all-gospel album Worship and Faith. While there were a collection of classic gospel songs on the album just like “Farther Along” and “How Great Thou Art,” it was this new track that stood out from the rest. That is, the song resonated with a lot of people, and those who knew Travis’ story knew how true it was for the singer himself.
Growing up, religion wasn’t a big deal for Travis. His teen years in Union County were mostly spent getting into different types of run-ins with the law. He had been arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct, breaking and entering, and even larceny, and no one would’ve thought that he, as a young boy, would mature into a man with grounded success.
But he did.
It was in his 20s that he first started reading the Bible though admittedly, the reason why he picked it up in the first place escaped him. It became a habit and continued to be so even when he hit it big in 1986. Though it wasn’t until 10 years later that he decided to take the first step into Christianity through baptism.
To critics and others, making gospel music for Travis was just a way to keep his music career afloat. Randy Travis songs have always been country – in fact, he sold 21 million country albums – so why was he shifting? But to him, it was a natural path of progression that he walked through, and creating his name in a new music sphere just made sense.
Jesus forgave him for all of his sins, and through that, he was able to reinvent himself as a Christian man. And a singer who praises Him in his work. Listen to Randy Travis‘ “He’s My Rock, My Sword, My Shield” in the video below.
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